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Originally Posted by Resolute 14
One of the direct impacts of the Wideman fiasco was the addition of a neutral third party spotter with the power to force players out of the game and into the protocol: https://www.nhl.com/news/nhl-updates...ol/c-282571624
Though, yes, the NHL and NHLPA could do more to strengthen the program. |
The inclusion of concussion spotters was a good decision, but the way these officials have been deployed by the NHL has effectively neutered them. I posted this in the Zetterberg thread:
https://thehockeynews.com/news/artic...ssion-protocol
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"With 2:55 remaining in the first period of Monday night’s game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Los Angeles Kings, Quick went down with what appeared to be an inadvertent forearm shiver from his own defenseman Derek Forbort, who was jostling in front of the Kings net with Maple Leafs winger Zach Hyman. Quick immediately grabbed his head. At that point, the concussion spotter in the press box at the Air Canada Centre called the league’s war room in New York and alerted the league to the possibility of a concussion. Job done."
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One would expect that the alert from the Concussion Spotters would have resulted in Quick's immediate removal from the ice.
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"There were three more stoppages in play and 1:44 in playing time had elapsed before Quick was summoned off the ice with 1:11 remaining in the period..."
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This is a demonstrated failure, in my opinion, of the usefulness of the NHL's Concussion Protocol. If the presence and recommendations of the Concussion Spotters have no actual bearing on decisions being made with regards to player health and safety, then it seems pretty clear to me that the decision to add them to games was little more than for the sake of optics. Providing the appearance of taking action is not the same thing as actually taking action.
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"And this is where things get really murky. Quick went down the tunnel leading to the quiet room, then returned and took his spot back in the Kings’ crease. He was then pulled off the ice again and replaced by backup Darcy Kuemper, who played the next 36 seconds before Quick went back into the net to play the final 35 seconds of the period."
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At this point I think it is important to raise questions about who are the decision makers in the outworking of the League's Protocol? It sure does not seem like the Concussion Spotters are doing anything particularly useful if the teams are given the discretion to make decisions about when the players are cleared for play.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Resolute 14
Though, yes, the NHL and NHLPA could do more to strengthen the program.
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Yeah, no argument there. Both organizations have badly dropped the ball on this issue.