I hope the retired players win this lawsuit. The NHL may talk the talk, but when push comes to shove, they don't really care. Or they are afraid that if they came clean, and made drastic rule changes in regards to player safety, maybe it would make the NHL look like there really is a problem in the league with concussion related injuries, and CTE. The current NHL argument is that the data is inconclusive, as to the link between concussions and CTE later in life.
If there is any doubt look at Crosby's most recent concussion. He's playing again in less than a week, his reaction time is clearly affected. I still think he would have never tripped on Holtby's skates, and went head first into the boards. I'm still worried that if the Penguins make it to the Final, Crosby may end up with a career, or even life-threatening head injury. Not sure if Crosby just went on the Penguin team doctors opinion, or had a second opinion done by a medical professional, who is an impartial source.
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I know it's nice and safe in your security car, but these humans are facing a life after hockey that was fueled by comments like yours and people like you that only want to see tough guys punch each other in the head to fulfill your lust of blood and injury.
Chris Simon did punch people in the head for a living but the NHL did nothing about it and didn't help the players at all with life after hockey and with life during hockey. They knew about concussions and didn't step in sooner.
Screw the NHL and anyone who belittles these players for standing up for what's right.
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Did the NHL really know 17 years ago that getting hit in the head would ruin the rest of your life?
We knew it wasn't good for you, but I'm skeptical the league was trying to nefariously hide it when the science behind it wasn't even uncovered until 2002 and at that point only on a single scientist level.
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Anyone who thinks this is a cash grab, ask you self this. Would you get into a 10-20 second fight once or maybe twice a month for $40,000 a day? I think most people would, but who is to blame for that? There has to be some responsibility to the company who pays these guys to do that.
I know I'd fight for a total of 60 seconds in a few months to make that kind of coin. Some of would be my fault and a lot of the fault can be blamed on the NHL who is employing these men and the fans of fighting.
Edit: math is hard, $4000 a day.
Last edited by calgaryblood; 05-13-2017 at 09:33 PM.
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Did the NHL really know 17 years ago that getting hit in the head would ruin the rest of your life?
We knew it wasn't good for you, but I'm skeptical the league was trying to nefariously hide it when the science behind it wasn't even uncovered until 2002 and at that point only on a single scientist level.
Unless there is evidence that clearly shows otherwise, I agree the NHL probably did not know. As a kid in the early 90's I had hockey playing friends get concussions in their teens and we would all laugh about it. One came to school still spitting up blood from a hit in an early morning practice.
Lots has been learned since then. If the NHL knew they should get crucified like the tobacco companies. If not then move on. We are learning new things about our health all the time.
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No, this is just because there isn't a compensation system in place that most people are privy to. If you lose your hearing over time, WCB gives you hearing aids. But also, if you break your arm, you get paid by WCB until your better.
With hockey there's no compensation system. Short term injuries fall under private Insurance. But there's really nothing in place for long term injuries like CTE, hence the only option is lawsuit. That's the norm for any business not subjected to workers compensation laws.
Keep in mind WCB also forces alot of the safety programs because premium increases affect the bottom line. Hence why so many businesses strive to go "Nth days without a lost time claim". If your not subjected to WCB, It's not until you face a lawsuit that your driving your safety program.
Did the NHL really know 17 years ago that getting hit in the head would ruin the rest of your life?
We knew it wasn't good for you, but I'm skeptical the league was trying to nefariously hide it when the science behind it wasn't even uncovered until 2002 and at that point only on a single scientist level.
Most likely.
17 years ago, Scott Stevens delivered a brutal hit to Eric Lindros, ending his season, and rendered him incapacitated for the 2000-01 season. There was tons of bad blood between the Lindros camp and the Flyers management, with Eric dad accusing the Flyers of neglecting his concussion symptoms. Lindros would never be the same again.
The NHL has known about the link between concussions and CTE for a decade at the very least, and possibly longer. They can either do good PR (which is impossible since its the NHL), and offer the players a substantial amount of money, or fight it in court, prolong the issue, and ultimately end up having to pay billions like the NFL.
PS...there are emails that clearly show the NHL has been unscrupulous in regards to the concussion issue. Especially Bettman. I wish I had a link to it.
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"The court filings also highlight the NHL’s lack of interest in helping researchers learn whether NHL players are more likely than the general public to develop cognitive problems such as Alzheimer’s disease, the plaintiffs’ lawyers say.
The unsealed court exhibits include an email string following an incident during the 2010-11 season. The NHL fined but did not suspend New York Rangers player Derek Stepan for elbowing Mike Green, then of the Washington Capitals, during a game. Days later, former NHL referee Kerry Fraser appeared on TSN and criticized the league’s discipline.
Fraser sent an email to a group of 39 medical researchers on March 1, 2011, including Dr. Echemendia. Fraser included a link to a video of the incident on TSN’s website. “You will see the hit and then you can judge as to whether a ‘fine’ was warranted? You make the call,” Fraser wrote. Dr. Echemendia forwarded Fraser’s email to Grand and Daly.
“FYI see below the kinds of emails that Kerry Fraser is circulating,” Dr. Echemendia wrote.
Daly forwarded the email string to commissioner Gary Bettman.
“I’m not sure there is anything we can or should be doing, but I wanted you to be aware,” Daly wrote.
“Are we still paying him anything?” Bettman asked in reply.
“Yes, his severance,” Daly answered. “But I’m not sure we can stop paying him for expressing views critical of the League.”
“It wouldn’t be nice but maybe he should understand it’s not nice to bite the hand that feeds you,” Bettman wrote. “Please have someone check to see if there are any grounds to withhold. Don’t want to hurt him – maybe just get his attention. This campaign, his book – somewhat delusional.”
Many of the emails and records unsealed by the court go back a decade and detail repeated requests for NHL support from medical researchers.
In 2008, Dr. Echemendia forwarded an ESPN story about concussions in sports to Grand. “Given the press on concussions in NHL (see story link below) would it make sense to issue a joint NHL/NHLPA press release on the many things that we are doing?” Echemendia wrote in a Feb. 8, 2008, email. “Given the cooperative spirit (NHL/NHLPA) on this issue, as well as the importance and visibility, does it make sense to begin discussions regarding a joint NHL/NHLPA retired players study? I just provided independent consultation [to] the NFL on the study they are planning and I know where they are headed.”
Grand forwarded Dr. Echemendia’s email to Daly.
“I am not sure we want to start focusing on a retired players’ study at this point,” Grand wrote in a Feb. 11, 2008, email. “Your thoughts? Ruben seems to be pushing this b/c he keeps bringing it up.”
That wasn’t the only time the NHL was asked to pursue a study on concussions.
Other email strings unsealed by the court show that an Ottawa-based company called Biokinetics asked the NHL to pursue similar research in 2002 that might help to make player helmets more effective. Grand dismissed the suggestion, saying the study "seemed expensive and unlikely to give us practical results that would be useful in reducing injuries." In 2010, Baycrest Medical Centre asked Toronto Maple Leafs part owner Larry Tanenbaum to help begin a study of retired NHL players. Two years later, in 2012, Columbia University researchers also asked for similar help from the NHL.
The NHL has reportedly refused to fund any head trauma research. In January, USA Today reported the NHL has not given money to any of the four centres leading research into neurodegenerative diseases and earlier this year, the NHL retained a medical expert in its concussion litigation who argues chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, does not exist as a disease."
Bighorn sheep, along with woodpeckers and a handful of other animals, have brains that are well-protected against impacts. They bash their heads all day yet experience little apparent brain damage.
"Our analysis suggests that both woodpeckers’ and bighorns’ brains are naturally protected with mechanisms that slow the return of blood from the head to the body — increasing blood volume that fills their brains’ vascular tree, creating the Bubble Wrap effect.
We have observed that the woodpecker uses muscles to do this, while the sheep has hollow pneumatic horn cores attached to its respiratory system that allow it to re-breathe its air and thus increase carbon dioxide in its bloodstream, expanding its intracranial vascular tree and enhancing the Bubble Wrap effect.
That same bubble wrap effect also appears to lower the incidence of concussions among football players at high altitudes, according to a study by researchers at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. They hypothesized that higher altitudes increased the volume of blood coursing through the brains arteries and veins, mimicking this bubble wrap effect seen in bighorn sheep."
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I know it's nice and safe in your security car, but these humans are facing a life after hockey that was fueled by comments like yours and people like you that only want to see tough guys punch each other in the head to fulfill your lust of blood and injury.
Chris Simon did punch people in the head for a living but the NHL did nothing about it and didn't help the players at all with life after hockey and with life during hockey. They knew about concussions and didn't step in sooner.
Screw the NHL and anyone who belittles these players for standing up for what's right.
So you support 100% ban on hitting and fighting in the NHL? If not, post is hypocritical.
So you support 100% ban on hitting and fighting in the NHL? If not, post is hypocritical.
I support doctors and trainers acting in the long term best interest of the player in their charge instead of the short term best interest of the team and league that employs them.
Crazy talk, I know.
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I support doctors and trainers acting in the long term best interest of the player in their charge instead of the short term best interest of the team and league that employs them.
Crazy talk, I know.
Without question, banning fighting and hitting in the best long term interest of the player.
Chris Simon, grade A piece of ####. I worked airport security in university and when he would come through he would spend 20 minutes hitting on the crackhead (no joke) that we had working with us.
Ex-Flame Chris Simon joins concussion lawsuit against NHL
