Upper-body injury? Lower-body injury? Or perhaps the ultimate in vagueness: general body soreness?

Much to the chagrin of hockey fans yearning for information on NHL player injuries, teams remain steadfast in keeping such details close to the vest if they say anything at all.

鈥淚f they said we had to let out the information, I鈥檇 let it out,鈥� said Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar. 鈥淏ut no one is forcing us to do it. So I鈥檓 certainly not going to give out any information that I don鈥檛 have to.鈥�

Heightened interest with the post-season in full swing only adds to the frustration for those eager to learn about player availability.

Many Maple Leafs fans were pulling out their hair wondering why forward William Nylander missed three playoff games with an undisclosed injury. The demand for specifics was also strong on the West Coast when Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko鈥檚 injury status changed from day-to-day to week-to-week.

Increasing the annoyance level for many fans is that other major leagues 鈥� including the NBA, MLB and even the contact-heavy NFL 鈥� provide detailed injury reports.

The NHL does have collectively bargained media regulations with respect to injury reporting, but they come with flexibility.

鈥淲hen an injury occurs in a Stanley Cup playoff game, a club spokesperson must notify the media of the approximate location, nature, and severity of the injury as soon as possible,鈥� the regulations say. 鈥淓xcept to the extent that the club determines that such disclosure may jeopardize the player鈥檚 physical wellbeing if and when the player returns to play, in which case the club is entitled to provide a more general overview of the player鈥檚 injury status.鈥�

Therein lies the grey area. If a team wants to keep specifics in house rather than risk an opponent targeting a player鈥檚 weak spot, then generalities are the way to go.

鈥淣ot that you鈥檙e targeting someone, but you certainly know where they might be a little bit more hesitant,鈥� said Bruins defenceman Kevin Shattenkirk. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just the game within the game at this point. It鈥檚 always kind of fun. You get a chuckle out of it.鈥�

Maple Leafs defenceman Joel Edmundson went one step farther.

鈥淚f I know someone鈥檚 got a bad arm, I鈥檓 going to be cross-checking it,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 just the way I do.鈥�

Expect the nebulous descriptions to continue for the next three rounds this spring and into the future.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a very competitive and physical game,鈥� said Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe. 鈥淵ou say guys don鈥檛 target one another? Well, I鈥檝e got news for you 鈥� they do. That鈥檚 part of the game. When you can protect the players and protect some information, why wouldn鈥檛 you?鈥�

The legalization of sports betting across parts of North America did not change the NHL injury transparency situation, even though betting lines and prop bets are impacted by injury news.

The NHL and many of its teams have partnered with sports betting operators in recent years, but there doesn鈥檛 seem to have been a push for adjustments.

鈥淭his (league) policy long predates legalized sports betting and there has been no discussion of changing it,鈥� Gary Meagher, the NHL鈥檚 senior executive vice-president of communications, said in an email.

Messages sent to several sports betting operators requesting comment were not returned. An NHL Players鈥� Association spokesperson declined to comment.

鈥淚 know that it鈥檚 been for years now where it鈥檚 upper body or lower body and that鈥檚 it, and I don鈥檛 really understand the need for the press to know more details than that,鈥� said Oilers defenceman Mattias Ekholm. 鈥淚f you can鈥檛 go, you can鈥檛 go.鈥�

It could also be argued the Nylander buzz and the Demko talk 鈥� just two of many injury examples around the league 鈥� helped fuel interest in their teams and the game. Radio and podcast hosts had a field day with the storylines and plenty of ink was spilled.

鈥淚t鈥檚 funny because after a team (loses) in the playoffs, they鈥檙e so eager to disclose a laundry list of everything that was wrong with the guys,鈥� said longtime hockey scribe Ken Campbell, now a freelance writer for The Hockey News. 鈥淏ut during the series, they鈥檙e not. I don鈥檛 blame the coaches and I don鈥檛 blame the GMs. I mean I wouldn鈥檛 give out that information if I didn鈥檛 have to.

鈥淏ut I think the league has to step up here. Particularly now if you鈥檙e going to associate yourself with all of these betting establishments.鈥�