Speculation: Andrew Alberts to retire due to concussion symptoms

[Angry Little Elf]

http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2014/06/02/canucks-alberts-concussion-knows-career-might-be-over/
Concussions are scary

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[Jimson Hogarth*]

Wow that sack of crap in Calgary could have ended his career without any supplemental discipline. The league is a joke and hopefully a massive lawsuit is launched that Alberts can be part of because there is no way the league can argue they are actuallly protecting these players.

 

[EpochLink]

Poor Alberts

 

[opendoor]

Wow, he sure is committed to the embellishment.

But seriously, that's awful news. I guess the only silver lining is that it looks like he can probably live a normal day to day life without concussion symptoms.

 

[DadBod]

That particular hit was a direct target to the head. I remember on the main boards people calling AA a diver and faking an injury on that hit. Sad

 

[Finkle is Einhorn]

And it will have little bearing on challenging the league's pitiful attempt at "protecting" player's brains because it's Andrew Alberts and not a marketable player. Time and again the NHL reinforces the concept that health is only a concern when the injured party can make them money.

edit: and the media's no better. How many "summits" do you think they'd be calling for right now if it was Crosby announcing his likely retirement today?

 

[rypper]

Calgary fans still think he's pulling the long con.

 

[Free Edler]

I liked Andrew Alberts. Seems like a genuinely nice guy and it sucks to hear he's still struggling with this. Hopefully he can begin his post-hockey career soon because the guy was definitely smart enough to transition into a non-playing role with some team.

Also, screw Bryan McGrattan. Nothing but a one-note goon who doesn't belong in the NHL and never did. Unfortunately, as long as Brian Burke is in the league, guys like him will be sitting on roster spots that should be given to players who can play hockey rather than just injure others.

 

[pahlsson]

diving into retirement

-flames fans

 

[BobbyJazzLegs]

I called this in the injury thread

Good luck to him in the future.

 

[luongo321]

Wow, poor guy. I was really concerned about him when he wasn't coming back. Has he had any known concussions in the past?

All we can hope for now is that his symptoms go away and don't bother him for the rest of his life.

 

[y2kcanucks]

Wow very sad news. Hopefully this isn't something that affects his quality of life going forward, and hopefully he saved up some money from his playing days.

 

[m9]

I was always a fan of Alberts. He was a bit of a whipping boy around here from some reason but he was exactly what I want in a 6/7 d-man. Good physical presence back. Hopefully he saved some money, and from what I remember his wife was educated so I think he will be alright personally. She was also smoking hot, which doesn't hurt.

 

[Bubbles]

Having headaches every day? Oh man, that just scares the crap out of me. I can't imagine how you can live with that.

 

[Barney Gumble]

Wow that sack of crap in Calgary could have ended his career without any supplemental discipline. The league is a joke and hopefully a massive lawsuit is launched that Alberts can be part of because there is no way the league can argue they are actuallly protecting these players.

You're crazy. Better for the league to discipline a guy like Edler (re: Hertl "hit"). Hilarious thing is, another sack of **** - Dustin Brown - *REALLY* knocked Hertl out (no suspension) with that knee on knee.

But we all know how much a moron Shanaban is. I can think of no better person to be in charge of the Leafs.

Also, screw Bryan McGrattan. Nothing but a one-note goon who doesn't belong in the NHL and never did. Unfortunately, as long as Brian Burke is in the league, guys like him will be sitting on roster spots that should be given to players who can play hockey rather than just injure others.

You mean a NHL coach like Hartley that pulls cheap azz stunts throughout his career.

 

[keslerburrows]

Poor guy. Wish him luck in his post hockey life

 

[LeftCoast]

Sad for Alberts. He was a decent 6th defenseman who played an honest physical game. I also respect how hard he worked to get into the line up, being a bubble player most of his tenure here.

Horrible way to end your career. I'm glad they let him skate on last time.

 

[AlainVigneaultsGum]

I called this in the injury thread

Good luck to him in the future.

I called it a while ago, too.

****** news.

 

[Wisp]

McGrattan has no place in the game. I hope circumstance ends his career (in a less violent, less lingering manner) before he can end someone else's.

 

[The Stig]

I was never a fan but wow. Thats just awful

 

[Apple Juice]

http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/...ut+headaches/9898138/story.html#ixzz33Ui6DCg8

 

[mrmyheadhurts]

As suspected. A tough way to end your career; even tougher when the guy who ended his career doesn't even get a fine and the opposing team is accusing you of faking and diving to this day.

The NHL's supposed commitment to removing head-shots from the game is an absolute joke.

EDIT* As noted by the author:

This is the NHL’s shame: for all its talk about eliminating blows to the head, all the outrage and rancour every time a star player is injured on a questionable hit, the league watched a career enforcer take a run at Alberts at the start of a game and knock him out with a head shot, and did nothing.

And now Alberts’s career may be over.

God, that article really pissed me off:

Andrew Alberts never heard from McGrattan, either.

“I don’t think that’s in his nature,” he says. “I think there should have been some supplemental discipline. If I’m Sidney Crosby, it’s probably a 15-game suspension. The frustrating part is I’m working my ass off trying to be on the team and get in the lineup, something like that happens and the guy gets off free and now here I am just hoping I can have one day without headaches

I guess we can call this the Hartley effect. No respect for your opponents or the game.

 

[Craz1bo1]

On the last day of the Vancouver Canucks’ season, which was 3½ months after Andrew Alberts’ final game, the defenceman begged his way onto the ice at Rogers Arena and for 20 glorious minutes was a National Hockey League player once more.

Accompanied only by assistant strength coach Eric Renaghan, and watched by nobody on the morning before the Canucks’ April 13 game against the Calgary Flames, Alberts skated and passed and shot the puck in full gear and felt like a kid back on the frozen pond where he had learned to play hockey all those years ago in Minnesota.

“It was more like a couple of buddies just passing the puck around,†Renaghan remembers. “But he got to dress in gear and we went out there, and it was cool. He was stress-free at that point. We weren’t doing specific drills or monitoring his fitness. We were just out there passing the puck around and doing stuff that was fun. I knew it meant a lot to him, and it felt good for me to be able to do that with him.â€

Alberts pleaded for the ice time because he knew it was not only the last day of the Canucks’ season, but possibly last time he would ever cinch his skates, dress in equipment, pull on a jersey — even a practice one — with an NHL crest, and work as an NHL player.

“I just wanted to go out there and twirl around because it could be my last time on an NHL sheet,†Alberts says. “I had to beg Burnie (medical trainer Mike Burnstein) to let me out there. I said: ‘Just give me 20 minutes.’ I went out there with Eric. Just us and a few pucks on the ice. I knew it might be my last time.â€

That's just sad to think about. Wanting to get on the ice one last time, knowing that what you've loved doing all your life is getting taken away from you.

Best of wishes to Alberts.

 

[Reckage]

Re: the notion that the league would do something if a star like Crosby got the concussion from a headshot instead of Alberts.

Well, he did, and the braintrust (sic) still reacted with the speed of a giant lumbering dinosaur. And, before Crosby, it was Lindros getting the concussions. The response back then was pretty much zip.

The very, very best anyone can say about the reaction by the league to all the concussions is that they have moved extremely slow to enact change.

 

[MrShift4]

Department of player safety, my ass