Wednesday, December 05, 2012
Concussions and Their Impact on the NHL
Concussions and Their
Impact on the NHL
10091728
I’d be lying if I said that headshots in the
NHL are not exciting to see. They are. They make for good television. I would
also be willing to bet that many fans watch hockey simply in anticipation of
such an event. But the lifelong effect that these hits are having on an ever
increasing number of players far outweighs the excitement of seeing an enormous
center ice collision. The NHL appears to have taken steps in recent years to
prevent such occurrences, as the public becomes more aware of the toll these
hits are taking on the players involved. However, these changes have ultimately
been nothing more than an illusion, used to convince people that things are
being done when nothing has changed at all. If the NHL really wishes to reduce
the number of concussions in their league, something more – something real – needs
to be done.
In
2010, the NHL increased the severity of punishment a player would face for
delivering a “blind” headshot, or a purposeful headshot. In the end, this
changes nothing because it can be difficult to determine what counts as purposeful,
and leads to guilty players facing no consequences, and accidental hits causing
unfair suspensions and fines. Some fans may be fine with this, as many people
see the increase in time lost to concussions as a decrease in manliness,
longing for the days when playing through such an injury was a sign of
toughness. The reality is, the rate at which players are concussed has not
changed, but the severity and awareness has. I will admit that major changes
could slow the game, and make it less enjoyable to watch if you’re looking for
hard-hitting action. That being said, the long term health of these players is
more important, even if it means sacrificing a bit of entertainment. If major
changes aren’t made, it may only be a matter of time before the NHL has similar
incidents to the NFL. In the NFL, brain injuries have become an important
talking point, as several former players have died in recent years for reasons
that can be partially attributed to the blows to the head they received throughout
their playing career. The NHL needs to prevent brain injuries before they
become as synonymous with the hockey as they are with football. The 2000-2001
NHL season, for example, saw 7.7 percent of players receive a concussion, a
staggering total that needs to be addressed. The problem is, the NHL seems
unwilling to commit to a change, perhaps out of fear that a drastic change
could harm the quality of the sport.
The
solution to this problem is anything but clear. One idea that has been
considered is even stiffer penalties for those at fault, but the penalties
already have been increased, and it has hardly made a dent in the way some of
the dirtier players choose to play. Alterations to equipment, namely shoulder
and elbow pads, would be a step in the right direction, but not a complete fix.
The equipment players use now is harder than that used by the players in the
1980’s; and that mixed with the fact that players are larger and stronger than
ever, makes for a dangerous mixture. Forcing player to wear visors may anger
some players, but would limit the possibility of being struck directly in the
head. Perhaps the most extreme measure is to instantly suspend anyone who hits
another player in the head. This would alter the way players play the game, and
would probably slow the sport down, but it may dissuade skaters from attempting
such large collisions.
Though the NHL has been adamant about not altering their rules too much,
there is one thing on this planet that the league cares about more than its rules:
Sidney Crosby. The undisputed face of the league, Crosby demands the attention
of hockey fan in the world, whether they love him or hate him. So when Crosby
was dealt a concussion during the 2011 Winter Classic, the NHL was forced to
pay attention. While it is not fair to say that Crosby’s injury should hold
more weight than anyone else’s injury, the media attention that this particular
situation created has put significant pressure on the league to ensure this
kind of thing never happens again. If any changes are to come in the future, it
will likely be a direct result of the injury to the leagues golden boy; and
while it is a shame that it took until this happened for the league to care, we
should be thankful that it happened at all.
Hopefully, the league wakes up and sees that they have a problem on
their hands. While it has not gotten out of control yet, it would be best to
deal with it before it does. We have seen the damage that similar injuries have
done to football players, and it may just be a matter of time before hockey is
dealt similar blows. Eric Lindros is proof that the damage is mental, and not
just physical. There are a number of ways to fight this issue, none of which
are perfect solutions, but that does not mean we should not try these
strategies. Perhaps hits to the head are just a natural, unavoidable part of
hockey, but for benefit of those involved with the sport, hockey should at
least make an effort eliminate these career-shortening hits.
For further reading on topics discussed in this post, visit
the following websites:
Subscribe to Posts [Atom]