Montador's family to sue NHL after CTE diagnosis

[chedder]

Originally Posted by terminator

say bye to hockey as we know it.

Doubt it. Hasn't done anything to the NFL. If it gets rid of blatant head shots then its a good thing. The old Scott Stevens hits shouldn't be part of the game.

[Oling_Roachinen]

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

That's really exactly what this and the other lawsuits are about.

It's not that the league isn't doing anything, it's:

Did the league know something before this became public knowledge and hide it from the players.

I'm guessing no

The NFL just agreed to pay a potential $1,000,000,000.00 because of the alleged coverup. As part of the settlement they will never have to admit if they did, but we can probably speculate a bit here.

I'm not sure I would hold the NHL in a much higher standard. They began looking at concussion issues in 1997 and didn't release anything until 2011.

[automaton 3]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Yeah, I know. Wherever there is a chance to get paid, there will be a lawyer telling you how much of a victim you are as well.

Lawyers generally take these types of files on contingency, which shares the risk. There is no advantage to pump the client's tires as it can create false hope and unrealistic expectations.

[Itse]

I'm firmly of the opinion that I have no idea what's right or wrong here.

It's a complicated case legally, ethically and scientifically. There's always a lot of grey area and details that make all the difference.

Just one example from the top of my head; there's been talk that the hard plastic shoulder pads create more problems than they prevent. Has this claim ever been properly looked into? Are there other equipment discussions/issues that have been brushed aside, and if so, why?

Etc etc.

[Reaper]

Originally Posted by Itse

Just one example from the top of my head; there's been talk that the hard plastic shoulder pads create more problems than they prevent. Has this claim ever been properly looked into? Are there other equipment discussions/issues that have been brushed aside, and if so, why?

2003 - The NHL institutes soft cap elbow pads. All elbow pads must have soft caps and must be approved by the NHL.

2010 - The NHL institutes soft cap shoulder pads. All shoulder pads must have soft caps and must be approved by the NHL.

This isn't directed at you but people always ask if something will be done about these two things when discussing concussions. The fact that it has been almost 12 years for elbow pads and 5 years for shoulder pads and most people don't even know it shows how little people actually know about it.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by Bandwagon In Flames

Was that supposed to be a joke? Or are you unaware of how prevalent concussions are?

There is no way to completely solve this problem. It's a full contact sport which means injuries are going to happen to the body and the brain. The NHL is definitely NOT doing enough about concussion prevention though. For instance, the whole 'if a player is suspected of having a concussion they cannot go back onto the ice until cleared by medical staff' is complete crap and not enforced in the slightest.

Cracking down on head shots is a great place to start.

Like Flash pointed out, the hit on Bennett was a blatant head shot and the NHL chose not to do anything about it.

I hope the Montador family sues them for billions. The NHL deserves to be taken to town and back for their sheer stupidity in handling player safety.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Reaper

2003 - The NHL institutes soft cap elbow pads. All elbow pads must have soft caps and must be approved by the NHL.

2010 - The NHL institutes soft cap shoulder pads. All shoulder pads must have soft caps and must be approved by the NHL.

This isn't directed at you but people always ask if something will be done about these two things when discussing concussions. The fact that it has been almost 12 years for elbow pads and 5 years for shoulder pads and most people don't even know it shows how little people actually know about it.

I think it also shows the intransigence of the league that it took 7 years to implement a safety standard for player equipment after identifying the problem.

Why did it take 7 years to switch to soft shoulder pads if the league had identified that hard capped elbow pads were contributing to serious injury?

To me, it looks like negligence to equip your car with snow tires on the front only to wait 7 years to put snow tires on the back.

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

Correct me if I am wrong, but Steve Montador had a significant history of substance abuse (likely alcohol) which required treatment. I am not saying that concussions did not play a part in his suicide, but to ignore the other aspects would be foolhardy.

[codynw]

Originally Posted by Mean Mr. Mustard

Correct me if I am wrong, but Steve Montador had a significant history of substance abuse (likely alcohol) which required treatment. I am not saying that concussions did not play a part in his suicide, but to ignore the other aspects would be foolhardy.

This is literally in the first post of the thread.

Scientists have said CTE has been tied to aggressiveness, memory loss, and alcohol and drug addictions.

The substance abuse (if he actually had any issues, I don't know) is likely related to the concussions.

[Erick Estrada]

How will they be able to pinpoint and lay blame to the NHL when a guy like Montador played five years in the OHL, more than two seasons in the AHL in addition to his NHL career?

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

How will they be able to pinpoint and lay blame to the NHL when a guy like Montador played five years in the OHL, more than two seasons in the AHL in addition to his NHL career?

Because the head injuries he sustained in the NHL are ultimately what ended his career and his life.

He didn't retire from the AHL from head injuries.

[Reaper]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

I think it also shows the intransigence of the league that it took 7 years to implement a safety standard for player equipment after identifying the problem.

Why did it take 7 years to switch to soft shoulder pads if the league had identified that hard capped elbow pads were contributing to serious injury?

I think this may be jumping to conclusions. We don't know how studies were conducted nor do we know if they included both elbow and shoulder pads. The case may show this indeed did happen but until we see proof it is conjecture.

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

To me, it looks like negligence to equip your car with snow tires on the front only to wait 7 years to put snow tires on the back.

I think we have an apples to oranges comparison here. If the equipment was "Left skate versus right skate: level of danger in concussion injuries" then I'd give it to you. This might be a case of mandating winter tires for cars while doing nothing about new wiper blades which improve visibility in snowy conditions.

Lets also not forget how the NHLPA has to sign off on equipment changes for them to be implemented. They have been notorious in not protecting players due to an overwhelming desire from players resistant to change. It took until 2013 to make visors mandatory for all new players. Does anyone else remember Chris Chelios wearing the same shoulder pads from when he was 11 throughout his NHL career?

I'm not saying one side is perfect and the other one is not. I'm just saying it may be unfair to paint the NHL as the only boogeyman in this tale.

[Itse]

Originally Posted by Reaper

2003 - The NHL institutes soft cap elbow pads. All elbow pads must have soft caps and must be approved by the NHL.

2010 - The NHL institutes soft cap shoulder pads. All shoulder pads must have soft caps and must be approved by the NHL.

This isn't directed at you but people always ask if something will be done about these two things when discussing concussions. The fact that it has been almost 12 years for elbow pads and 5 years for shoulder pads and most people don't even know it shows how little people actually know about it.

This only solidifies my opinion that I'm clueless

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

Because the head injuries he sustained in the NHL are ultimately what ended his career and his life.

He didn't retire from the AHL from head injuries.

It's the cumulative effects of concussions that end a career not necessarily the last one. Are you 100% sure he never suffered a concussion in junior or AHL? They weren't doing nearly the same protocol in those days. The moment a kid starts playing body contact hockey he's open to concussions so it's pretty hard to pin all the blame on the NHL because it was where the last one occured.

Although I do feel the league has done a poor job in handing out punishment for head shots some of this has to fall on the NHLPA as they don't want to see player miss games and lose pay and would likely oppose the NHL trying to implement stiffer punishment like say an automatic 5 game minimum for a head shot. The players also have to buy in here not just the NHL.

[Oling_Roachinen]

Originally Posted by Mean Mr. Mustard

Correct me if I am wrong, but Steve Montador had a significant history of substance abuse (likely alcohol) which required treatment. I am not saying that concussions did not play a part in his suicide, but to ignore the other aspects would be foolhardy.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/are-nh...rauma-1.982100

Originally Posted by Are NHL enforcers' addictions, depression a result of on-ice brain trauma?

The ultimate hallmark of CTE is the abnormal hyper-phosphorylated tau protein deposit that can be stained for and identified. Tau is throughout the brain, though it is in particular locations in greater concentrations.

The medial temporal lobe is the area of highest concentration. That medial temporal lobe has functions of:

• memory,
• impulse control,
• addiction,
• emotions,
• depression
• and anxiety.

So when that area of the brain is damaged, you have problems in those areas and that's what we see with CTE.

They've been studying the connection between CTE and addictions for awhile now. It's one of the reasons that I don't buy the "they know the risks" argument. Doctors don't know the risks at this point. Getting hit in the head and having a headache and blurred vision, yeah those we expect and have for some time. Developing depression and addiction? Those aren't exactly the "risks" we've been associating with hockey hits.

Also, while I may be mistaken, I don't know if Montador was ruled a suicide. It was at one point, but I thought it was retracted awaiting an autopsy?

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

As little as a month ago, the league had an opportunity to punish a deliberate hit to the head of an 18 year old player.

The hit violated the spirit and wording of their regulations, it was definitive and well captured on video, and the NHL chose to do nothing.

This is the standard to present in court. The NHL has failed time and again to actively address head injuries and the circumstances that create them on the ice. They continue to do so in reckless disregard for their contractor athletes.

Were I Montador's family, I would also be suing the union.

Agreed, at no time has the Union spoken out about "worker" safety.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Mean Mr. Mustard

Correct me if I am wrong, but Steve Montador had a significant history of substance abuse (likely alcohol) which required treatment. I am not saying that concussions did not play a part in his suicide, but to ignore the other aspects would be foolhardy.

Was it a suicide? I never heard the final autopsy results (were they made public?).

It was originally reported as natural causes:

http://www.thehockeynews.com/blog/st...ied-at-age-35/

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

How will they be able to pinpoint and lay blame to the NHL when a guy like Montador played five years in the OHL, more than two seasons in the AHL in addition to his NHL career?

That is what I thinking. If the NHL gets sued for billions, at what point does even allowing players into the league with concussion history become too much of a liability?

Also, is there any data that supports the notion that headshots are the issue? Players get concussed all the time from non-headshots.

[codynw]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

Agreed, at no time has the Union spoken out about "worker" safety.

It honestly seems like they argue against safety more often than not.

"Jay Feaster tried to make skate guards mandatory for his team so they don't get broken feet from shot blocks??? STOP HIM!"

[Poe969]

and it's fellow union members causing the concussions.

[Fire]

Lawsuits like this will just result in a no hit league eventually.