NHL and concussions. Proposed settlement: $22k/player

[GuelphStormer]

yeah, the settlement offer is insulting and insufficient. disappointing that the league didn't step up on this. $18.9M? for 300 players? seriously? i mean, what's bettman's salary? ($10M to $12M?) how many billions of dollars are HRR 2018? and they offer a just$18.9M? i actually thought i misread that when i first saw the story.

 

[LeHab]

yeah, the settlement offer is insulting and insufficient. disappointing that the league didn't step up on this. $18.9M? for 300 players? seriously? i mean, what's bettman's salary? ($10M to $12M?) how many billions of dollars are HRR 2018? and they offer a just$18.9M? i actually thought i misread that when i first saw the story.

Settlement offer is what it is and agreed on by both parties. Unhappy individual players can chose to not opt-in and continue litigating. At least this provides an option for short term assistance instead of long term court fights for those who chose so assuming minimum opt-in is met.

 

[gstommylee]

Settlement offer is what it is and agreed on by both parties. Unhappy individual players can chose to not opt-in and continue litigating. At least this provides an option for short term assistance instead of long term court fights for those who chose so assuming minimum opt-in is met.

And very expensive court fight with the risk that the players continuing litigation gets nothing.

 

[Tom ServoMST3K]

yeah, the settlement offer is insulting and insufficient. disappointing that the league didn't step up on this. $18.9M? for 300 players? seriously? i mean, what's bettman's salary? ($10M to $12M?) how many billions of dollars are HRR 2018? and they offer a just$18.9M? i actually thought i misread that when i first saw the story.

My half assed internet couch commentary on this settlement:

The players were told by council they would not be able to win this case, and everyone involved knew it.

 

[Setec Astronomy]

Another interesting point from Carcillo article, NHL can cancel settlement if enough players don't opt in.

I'm going to guess that most players won't opt out, and Carcillo will end up settling for not very much, maybe something in the low six figures if he's lucky, although the league might fight him to the end on principle.

There is about as great a risk for concussions in soccer, including youth soccer than there is for football and hockey. The risk of concussion in hockey now might even be less because you're at least wearing a helmet. Yet for some reason we don't hear stories about tens of thousands of ex-soccer players with severe brain damage.

The bottom line is that the plaintiff's attorneys here had every incentive to get as large a recovery as possible. Instead, even without taking into account insurance coverage, it's basically the equivalent of each team ponying up the salary for one league minimum player.

 

[Stoneburg]

I find Carcillo's campaign disingenuous because during his time in the NHL, the risks were known, and well documented. He should have known the risks, if he didn't, ignorance is not a defense.

Do I think the NHL can do more? Absolutely.

 

[Setec Astronomy]

I find Carcillo's campaign disingenuous because during his time in the NHL, the risks were known, and well documented. He should have known the risks, if he didn't, ignorance is not a defense.

Do I think the NHL can do more? Absolutely.

The fact that the players union fought to get Tom Wilson's suspension reduced lets you know that the concussion stuff is largely a public relations issue and bargaining chip for the union.

As for Carcillo, in his time he was one of the dirtiest players in the league. You can also tell that he's pretty much always had screw loose which means that whatever issues he's going through almost certainly have nothing to do with any hits to the head he might have taken. Anything can happen with the right judge and the right jury if he makes good on his threat to take his claims against the league to trial. But he really should end up getting not very much because his damages are small if not completely unprovable.

 

[LadyStanley]

Wilson/NHLPA went to get the reduction "because they could" appeal (not because they ethically should).

They got the guy/arbitrator who had already reduced two other suspensions rather than the arbitrator that upheld a suspension (because the 2nd guy was unavailable). Arbitrator used previous season example of punishment as his comparison and when with 2x multiplier for multiple suspensions rather than the 3x the DoPS used this time around.

But if the NHL/NHLPA "codify" some of these "formulas", it might be less unpredictable as to what a suspension will be.

 

[GBHockey]

I don't understand how all of these former players can say they didn't understand the risks?

I'm sure it hasn't been in the last decade where humanity has figured out that the head is very important, so why are players making out as if they had no clue getting punched in the face and forehead/temple would cause them pretty serious harm?

Personally I don't like all of this 'I'm a victim of the NHL' type stuff. I completely support things like pleading with the league and perhaps the IIHF to conduct a vast amount of research into short and long term affects, ways equipment could potentially help etc. and introducing a brand new assistance scheme for players who need it, whether they've played 1 game or 1000 games, the support should be there and in my opinion, paid for by the league.

Just out of interest, have any goaltenders from the 70's or prior who have sued the NHL because they either didn't wear helmets or wore the masks.. which offered little protection?

I apologise in advance if anyone strongly disagrees with anything I've said.

 

[GuelphStormer]

I don't understand how all of these former players can say they didn't understand the risks

I dont understand how all these present and former owners can say they didn't understand the risks to their employees.

it cuts both ways.

 

[Setec Astronomy]

Wilson/NHLPA went to get the reduction "because they could" appeal (not because they ethically should).

They got the guy/arbitrator who had already reduced two other suspensions rather than the arbitrator that upheld a suspension (because the 2nd guy was unavailable). Arbitrator used previous season example of punishment as his comparison and when with 2x multiplier for multiple suspensions rather than the 3x the DoPS used this time around.

But if the NHL/NHLPA "codify" some of these "formulas", it might be less unpredictable as to what a suspension will be.

I understand why the union fought it. I’m just saying it is very hard to say with a straight face how concussions are supposedly turning players into drooling vegetables when they get older, but then fight to a suspension reduced for someone who is arguably the biggest offender in that regard today.

 

[Setec Astronomy]

I dont understand how all these present and former owners can say they didn't understand the risks to their employees.

it cuts both ways.

The problem is that the media makes it sound like the risks are and have been well understood. They aren’t, except to say that it is better to not get hit in the head a lot than it is.

 

[Tom ServoMST3K]

I don't understand how all of these former players can say they didn't understand the risks?

I'm sure it hasn't been in the last decade where humanity has figured out that the head is very important, so why are players making out as if they had no clue getting punched in the face and forehead/temple would cause them pretty serious harm?

Personally I don't like all of this 'I'm a victim of the NHL' type stuff. I completely support things like pleading with the league and perhaps the IIHF to conduct a vast amount of research into short and long term affects, ways equipment could potentially help etc. and introducing a brand new assistance scheme for players who need it, whether they've played 1 game or 1000 games, the support should be there and in my opinion, paid for by the league.

Just out of interest, have any goaltenders from the 70's or prior who have sued the NHL because they either didn't wear helmets or wore the masks.. which offered little protection?

I apologise in advance if anyone strongly disagrees with anything I've said.

I was listening to a wrestling podcast, and they were talking about how wrestling was aware of the danger from repeated concussions in at least 1994.

 

[LetsGoIslanders]

If you look at the class in the lawsuit it's almost insulting to intelligence. It's populated with a lot of players who played less than 50 games who want NHL money. IHL and AHL scrubs. Mom and Dad let them go to the CHL instead of getting a college degree.

Daniel Carcillo is the biggest scumbag on earth. He played a dirty game and gave concussions to more than 10 players. Now Carbomb wants to rehabilitate himself as some avenger for the players? f*** him.

 

[GBHockey]

I was listening to a wrestling podcast, and they were talking about how wrestling was aware of the danger from repeated concussions in at least 1994.

Makes you wonder, and hope at the very least that the NHL and other sports leagues weren't naïve enough to either ignore the danger.

 

[GBHockey]

I dont understand how all these present and former owners can say they didn't understand the risks to their employees.

it cuts both ways.

They probably say that to attempt to cover their own backs, no owner will want to be paying out large sums to anyone if they don't have to. Then once one gets compensation, the flood gates open and every man and his dog wants compensation.

Rightly or wrongly, in my opinion, everyone knew there would be risks.. they just didn't know the full extent or the long term affects. You could put that down to lack of medical progression or just complete naivety on all sides. Nobody forces players to play a hard, aggressive way which includes fighting, a player could turn around and say 'no I don't want to fight', it's their choice and maybe it will get them canned but it's not like they're contractually bound to fight every night.

They should be looked after if required, but seeking hundreds of thousands of dollars, or more, in compensation isn't right.

 

[Tom ServoMST3K]

Makes you wonder, and hope at the very least that the NHL and other sports leagues weren't naïve enough to either ignore the danger.

I mean, what changes could they have made to make the game safer back then? I bet the NHLPA would have killed them if they cracked down on hits like Scott Stevens.

 

[Llama19]

 

[Llama19]

 

[edog37]

I dont understand how all these present and former owners can say they didn't understand the risks to their employees.

it cuts both ways.

Hockey didn't suddenly become risky when the players hit the pro level. The league had to mandate helmet wear in 1979 & still some players who were grandfathered chose to go helmetless. Truth is, a lot of players are pretty dumb when it comes to personal safety protection.

 

[Llama19]

 

[Tom ServoMST3K]

Kinda reminds me of the rep the WWF got for being a steroid haven. Yeah, they were, but it wasn't a WWF problem it was a wrestling problem.

WWF was actually the leading promotion when it came to drug testing.

The NHL isn't faultless, but there the junior ranks are much worse.

 

[sawchuk1971]

tsn has a story about the late todd ewen which medical reports say he had CTE....

https://www.tsn.ca/bu-finds-former-nhl-player-ewen-had-cte-contradicting-earlier-findings-1.1218836

 

[JerseyMike34]

tsn has a story about the late todd ewen which medical reports say he had CTE....

https://www.tsn.ca/bu-finds-former-nhl-player-ewen-had-cte-contradicting-earlier-findings-1.1218836

Gary is just such a weasel.

 

[Llama19]