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Roar Rookie
Joined December 2016
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Budding sports broadcaster/reporter. Worked for Triple M once. Perth Thunder media guy. Love AFL, Ice Hockey & Cricket, like everything else.
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there’s a fine line to be trodden in the NHL between what makes it an appealing sport, the speed and physicality, and protecting the safety of the players.
The most recent example of it is the Taylor Hall hit on Philip Larsen. It’s a perfectly clean body check, Hall glides in to contact, doesn’t charge up through the hit, delivers the hit to the body, yet Larsen is still seriously injured. It’s the kind of hit that can’t be mandated out of the game, because the game would lose it’s appeal. But you can see why people are concerned about it, because it’s injurious.
The NHL may be spooked by the enormous NFL concussion/CTE lawsuits of the past decade, which is why they have the neutral spotters to mitigate risk. I feel like players are better educated now, and a frustrated dressing room after a tight loss probably isn’t the best place to get balanced insight on the matter.
Ice hockey needs to grow up when it comes to dealing with concussion
you’re right about concussion protocols for sure. Being a Pens fan, I know all too well how damaging concussions to star players can be.
I know these players are competitive beasts and want to win every game, but a bit of perspective can also help with the emotive response to the issue. It’s one of 82 regular-season games, it’s not game seven of a conference or cup final. Maybe the players are thinking it could be exploited, and are worried about the neutrality of the spotters, who knows.
I like the idea of leaving it in the hands of team doctors whose professional reputation would be at stake for placing a player at risk of further injury, but can also see how this is easily exploited. Not sure what the ideal system is but the steps are in the right direction.
Ice hockey needs to grow up when it comes to dealing with concussion