CTE, the NHL & Todd Ewen
- Thread starter GordonHowe
- Start date
I've said this before- Bettman can't admit the league's culpability because that basically hands the claimants a blank check. He's a lawyer and I'm sure he's also been advised by NHL lawyers not to admit to anything, let it go to trial it can always be settled out of court if it drags out. IMO the idea is to give the league some control over who gets paid and how much they get paid.
Also IMO the claimants need to be careful here- yes they want compensation but they don't want to damage or even destroy the sport in the process. Bankrupting the NHL isn't going to help them or the guys who are playing now. I wonder what the NHLPA thinks of all of this.
Also IMO the claimants need to be careful here- yes they want compensation but they don't want to damage or even destroy the sport in the process. Bankrupting the NHL isn't going to help them or the guys who are playing now. I wonder what the NHLPA thinks of all of this.
Well, the NFL admitted it and somehow that mess of a league keeps going and generating sky-high revenues. I don't believe for a second that the NHL and their team of lawyers and lawyer-in-chief posing as a commissioner can't find a way to acknowledge what has happened to these men, acknowledge the problems that exist, and do so without causing their financial empire to implode. What I've seen from most of the former players is that they want this addressed fairly and sympathetically. The league needs to step up and do right and yes, they have to protect their interests to an extent, but the longer they deny and don't deal with it, the worse it gets when the chickens finally come home to roost.
Dreghorn2
He's a Good Boy!
- Feb 8, 2005
- 637
- 246
AFAIK the NFL has much, much deeper pockets than the NHL so I think they could better afford to take the high road as it were.
"The chickens coming home to roost" won't be the players; they'll be the fans.
If fans are educated about CTE, will they turn a blind eye, or will they stay away?
Somewhere between the two. But, as someone who loves hitting in hockey, it's possible to be aggressive in battling CTE through educating players and fans about it while preserving physical contact in the game.
ODAAT
Registered User
the denial from Bettman and his cronies reminds me far too much like the denial by tobacco companies many moons ago
Pretty certain I have CTE. Its invisible to the human eye so not easy to have empathy for a disease that can only be seen on a molecular level. Those closet to you bear the brunt of the chaos and are driven away. Bettman and hockey need to look in the mirror and ask if hitting is worth losing your mind over. Its clearly not. To make hockey safe it would take a complete overhaul of the sport which before I had head issues I probably would have scoffed at too. That's the way it goes I guess
PlayMakers
Moderator
Serious issue and it's hard for people to hear because we all love hitting. It's particularly close to home for me because my son had a wicked concussion this year. Refs don't do enough to protect the players and when you (as a coach) complain about player safety and borderline hits they tell you to go coach squirts if you don't want to see hitting.
It all comes back to the NHL. These refs and high school coaches see NHL games, they see the Cup finals with hits from behind being let go and head shots getting minor penalties and they think the game should look the same at the amateur level. These are teenagers, not paid professional men. Even the World Juniors have stricter rules for dangerous hits. Any hit to a player in a vulnerable position is a penalty, even if the hittee puts himself in that position. Any hit to the head, incidental or not, is supposed to be a penalty... They do that because those kids, those amateurs are future millionaires and worth protecting. No such protection exists for regular high school players, and the books that run things won't change unless the NHL sets the example. That's not fair and it's really not the NHL's responsibility, but it's the way it is.
It all comes back to the NHL. These refs and high school coaches see NHL games, they see the Cup finals with hits from behind being let go and head shots getting minor penalties and they think the game should look the same at the amateur level. These are teenagers, not paid professional men. Even the World Juniors have stricter rules for dangerous hits. Any hit to a player in a vulnerable position is a penalty, even if the hittee puts himself in that position. Any hit to the head, incidental or not, is supposed to be a penalty... They do that because those kids, those amateurs are future millionaires and worth protecting. No such protection exists for regular high school players, and the books that run things won't change unless the NHL sets the example. That's not fair and it's really not the NHL's responsibility, but it's the way it is.
GloryDaze4877
Barely Irrelevant
Very unfortunate incident involving “Miracle On Ice” team member Mark Pavelich:
After Mark Pavelich accused of assault, family suspects hockey-related brain injury – Twin Cities
Family members are claiming CTE is the culprit.
After Mark Pavelich accused of assault, family suspects hockey-related brain injury – Twin Cities
Family members are claiming CTE is the culprit.
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GloryDaze4877
Barely Irrelevant
My experience is that it all depends on the refs you get. The rules are on the books, just depends on how they interpret/enforce them.
My son's U16 team played two games in the Albany area yesterday. Apparently the refs have been told to call all hits this year where the player has two hands on the stick and it’s off the ice when contact is made (even minor contact). That’s what the refs told our coach anyway.
In the first game, the refs called everything, ticky-tac stick infractions and even legal body contact was called “roughing”. I think we had 12-15 penalties and the home team had 10. The game was unwatchable. The second game (against a different team a couple hours later) the refs let almost everything go.
To me, this inconsistency is the major issue. Kids don’t know what the boundaries are game to game, even period to period. I see dirty hits go uncalled and clean hits result in major penalties because of the end result (player hurt). I am torn a bit. I understand the concern with headshots and concussions, but hockey IS a contact sport and checking is part of the game.
The officiating is never going to be perfect. I think the key is probably educating the players on how to be physical, check properly and to respect other players while still trying to win the game. Problem is I don’t see that happening right now. Instead of teaching the kids how to check, USA hockey just keeps pushing checking back further and further (age-wise), so you end up with a bunch of big, fast 14-15 year olds that have no experience checking in games.
Therick67
Registered User
The rules are on the books, they need to be enforced. The automatic head contact needs to be called, accidental or not.
The problem isn't just the coaches or the officials, but the parents also. The abuse the officials take is completely ridiculous.
Also, the 'hitting clinics' the kids take is a joke.
I sent my son to a clinic that was 2 weeks, about 8 or 10 hours on ice. The best money I've spent.
The problem isn't just the coaches or the officials, but the parents also. The abuse the officials take is completely ridiculous.
Also, the 'hitting clinics' the kids take is a joke.
I sent my son to a clinic that was 2 weeks, about 8 or 10 hours on ice. The best money I've spent.
LouJersey
Registered User
Any hit to the head, 5 minute major, game and one game suspended. Next offense, 5 games. Next offense 20.
Players know what they are doing. Also, as far hitting, only allow hits where you can see the crest of the oncoming player. None of those side shots like we saw with McAvoy and Barbashev this play-off season. Any hitting from behind where the boards are involved should be a match and ten game suspension, no questions asked.
Fighting, banned. You fight you get the game and one game suspension.
Players know what they are doing. Also, as far hitting, only allow hits where you can see the crest of the oncoming player. None of those side shots like we saw with McAvoy and Barbashev this play-off season. Any hitting from behind where the boards are involved should be a match and ten game suspension, no questions asked.
Fighting, banned. You fight you get the game and one game suspension.
