[News] UPD: NHL reviewing whether Flames followed concussion protocol for Wideman

[Bingo]

this is about to get out of control

trainers fearing repercussions will now start taking players out of games just to be safe. Which could lead to fourth liners targeting start players, taking their three game suspension (Hendricks on Ekblad) and having say Toews shut down by his trainer regardless of symptoms.

Stretch? Sure ... but it's a slippery slope

[nik-]

Originally Posted by Bingo

this is about to get out of control

trainers fearing repercussions will now start taking players out of games just to be safe. Which could lead to fourth liners targeting start players, taking their three game suspension (Hendricks on Ekblad) and having say Toews shut down by his trainer regardless of symptoms.

Stretch? Sure ... but it's a slippery slope

Yeah, that's a stretch. If a plug wants to take his three games to run a star to get him out a few shifts, then he'll be out of the league pretty quickly.

In the end, I'd rather they be sure and a guy like Monahan gets 18 minutes in a game instead of 21 even if it wasn't needed. I really don't want to be watching an NHL version of Concussion in 20 years.

[TheScorpion]

[nik-]

Originally Posted by codynw

Did they investigate Montreal, St. Louis or Florida? Or the number of teams that I'm sure did it last year, or the year before? Nope. Only reason they're doing it now is because of all the attention this story has been given. And that's garbage.

Not that Calgary doesn't deserve to be investigated. Just saying that the rest of the teams did too.

Well they're probably doing it because Wideman used it as his defence for hammering a linesman. The Flames are the one that shone the light on it.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by Bingo

this is about to get out of control

trainers fearing repercussions will now start taking players out of games just to be safe. Which could lead to fourth liners targeting start players, taking their three game suspension (Hendricks on Ekblad) and having say Toews shut down by his trainer regardless of symptoms.

Stretch? Sure ... but it's a slippery slope

You went full stretch, we're talking Stretch Armstrong here.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by MrMastodonFarm

You went full stretch, we're talking Stretch Armstrong here.

yep and I said that.

but look at malpractice and how that got out of hand. It's not a stretch to suggest trainers may go way over board in erring to the side of caution. Could really impact the game.

haven't heard stretch armstrong in 30 years by the way!

[shadowlord]

Without the benefit of the camera replay, what the trainer/spotters see is a shoulder hit. Wideman's head going into the boards (hard) isn't immediately obvious unless they were sitting in the front row.

Probably the trainer asked Wideman how he was feeling, and he replied his shoulder was hurting.

[Bandwagon In Flames]

I wasn't aware that other teams have been fined for not following the protocol. Probably best they keep it quiet, doesn't paint franchises or the league in a good light. But in this case it makes sense for it to go public. Wideman shouldn't have to pay for coaches mistakes.

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by Bingo

this is about to get out of control

trainers fearing repercussions will now start taking players out of games just to be safe. Which could lead to fourth liners targeting start players, taking their three game suspension (Hendricks on Ekblad) and having say Toews shut down by his trainer regardless of symptoms.

Stretch? Sure ... but it's a slippery slope

I think you're blowing it out of proportion. In order for 4th line players to take a player out for precaution, they'd still have to make a dirty but, something that is just as penalized now as before this. I don't think it goes that far.

I do however think that we'll see more players taken out for precaution, and that isn't necessarily bad

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Bingo

this is about to get out of control

trainers fearing repercussions will now start taking players out of games just to be safe. Which could lead to fourth liners targeting start players, taking their three game suspension (Hendricks on Ekblad) and having say Toews shut down by his trainer regardless of symptoms.

Stretch? Sure ... but it's a slippery slope

Players already do that.

Hendricks on Ekblad is your example.

3 games to a fourth liner on the worst team in the league for injuring one of the leagues best up and coming players.

Just happened to coincide with a Florida losing streak as well.

[dino7c]

There are hits like that pretty much every game and players rarely leave the bench...they can attack the Flames here but every team does it. If there is a problem here its systemic and they shouldn't throw Calgary under the bus.

Again who is supposed to protect the linesman? honest question...he was dropping the puck two minutes later and must have been hurt pretty badly considering he still can't do his job

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Bingo

yep and I said that.

but look at malpractice and how that got out of hand. It's not a stretch to suggest trainers may go way over board in erring to the side of caution. Could really impact the game.

haven't heard stretch armstrong in 30 years by the way!

My sister and I had a Stretch Armstrong growing up and one day we each had an arm and kept walking backward and his arm ripped off and all this green goo flew everywhere and our mother wanted to kill us. Cool starry bra, I know.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

NHL is reviewing whether the Flames followed concussion protocol:

http://www.tsn.ca/talent/nhl-reviewi...eman-1.433252?

See, its bloody annoying that the league is apparently fining teams for not following protocol, but not releasing it. This is basically like the diving thing - the entire reason diving fines are now public is to name and shame in an effort to change behaviour. Ignoring the protocol should be the same. If other teams have been fined for failing to follow the protocol, then they deserve to be fined. But if the league makes it public, then I want to know who has been fined already this year.

[Flash Walken]

This feels like an absolute disaster for all existing and future concussion lawsuits.

[Resolute 14]

On all sides. I'm sure Dennis Wideman making it clear nobody forced him to play against his will is rather annoying from the players' perspective.

[JJ1532]

Originally Posted by dino7c

There are hits like that pretty much every game and players rarely leave the bench...they can attack the Flames here but every team does it. If there is a problem here its systemic and they shouldn't throw Calgary under the bus.

Again who is supposed to protect the linesman? honest question...he was dropping the puck two minutes later and must have been hurt pretty badly considering he still can't do his job

You raise an interesting point about the hypocrisy of the NHLOA here. I've heard they were not happy with Wideman's actions(understandably), which may have led to Campbell giving Wideman 20 games. You know, to ensure the NHLOA don't kick up a fuss.

But who was monitoring Henderson in the game? Clearly he wasn't right after the hit, hence why he went to hospital after the game. So why was he not put under the concussion protocol by the NHLOA/NHL? Do the refs even have to follow one? I know them getting hit like that is rare, but still, he could have suffered long term damage because there weren't adequate safety procedures to ensure he was ok to continue.

So the NHL can get all high and mighty about whether the Flames followed protocol or not, but then, they and the NHLOA left an injured official on the ice. Poor from them.

[CSharp]

Man, this deserves a thread name, "Wideman IS No Good".

[taxbuster]

Originally Posted by CSharp

Man, this deserves a thread name, "Wideman IS No Good".

Huh? How about "NHL concussion protocol is no good"?

Clearly, if teams are not following it, either the fines are ineffective or Gary Bettman needs to be suspended (kidding about that last part....sort of).

Seriously, if teams are playing with it then there needs to be someone independent doing the spotting. Take it out of the team and the trainers' hands. Likely will never happen because the teams won't stand for that.

Concussion suit looks a whole lot more healthy today that it did a few weeks ago, particularly after the NHL's suspension video on the hit.

[Passe La Puck]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

NHL is reviewing whether the Flames followed concussion protocol:

http://www.tsn.ca/talent/nhl-reviewi...eman-1.433252?

Off-topic, I appreciate you adding a post # when you update these megathreads but could you make that a link so that it is actually usable please?

[Calgary4LIfe]

Originally Posted by Bingo

this is about to get out of control

trainers fearing repercussions will now start taking players out of games just to be safe. Which could lead to fourth liners targeting start players, taking their three game suspension (Hendricks on Ekblad) and having say Toews shut down by his trainer regardless of symptoms.

Stretch? Sure ... but it's a slippery slope

I don't really see how this is any different today, than 5 years ago.

Top players used to get run with a lot of frequency before, and the end result is that they would be injured on the play and didn't return. Concussions in which the player would just 'shake it off' is what is different in today's game. So that player that is 'shaking it off' has to go to the quiet room to get assessed. If he passes, he returns after a few missed shifts - maybe a period. If he is not, then essentially it is the same thing as him not getting up from the ice after the hit.

This is what the NHL has been TRYING to get rid of. So if this 4th liner who is willing to get suspended to take one for the team - well, his career will also be cut short. NHL is at least getting smarter with the repeat offender status - for example, Raffi Torres.

I think that all 4th liners - I think most players actually - want to get that big hit in when they can. Nobody is ever going to tell me that a big open ice hit - however in the rules it may be - isn't a possible career-ending incident. If a player is leveling someone on the ice, even within the rules - I would argue that the intent to injure is there, and never called. To me, the elimination of the red line has caused a lot more concussions than the elimination of fighting ever will reduce.

To be clear, what you are worried about happening has always been happening. Star players have always been somewhat targeted. Two things prevent them from being headhunted like you are saying - retribution (either from a crazy goon on the other side, but mostly because the other team will then obviously play chippy themselves and take runs at the other star players), or the NHL crack-down on headhunting with supplementary discipline.

I can't see additional enforcement of these protocols will impact what is already happening. The only way the NHL is actually going to reduce concussions (aside from fighting, which I do think does cause concussions as well) is to slow the game down and further tighten both the rules and the associated penalties.

I don't think the NHL has the appetite to change the game. I don't think enforcing protocols will change opposing player's behavior. Maybe I am not quite grasping what you are (which, considering I have only had 6 hours total sleep since Sunday, is entirely possible), but I just can't see the potential impact other than additional fines on teams and players possibly missing a couple of shifts while they get assessed as they should already be, rather than any increase in actual hitting (headhunting or otherwise).