I haven't done the math yet, but it seems like there are a LOT of concussion injuries this year. Does anyone have any numbers to show current trend and how it compares to recent years?
Seems like it is almost turning into a who-hasn't-had-a-concussion situation.
Posted Feb 18, 2011, 1:20 PM UTC
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For those too lazy to read the link, that put them on target for 77 concussions this year, 2 more than the league average of 75.
Thanks - that is helpful. I'm thinking of maybe putting together a simple Excel-style spreadsheet in order to make a graph to investigate possible trends and statistical significance.
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Yes - this is the problem with injuries that are not readily visible. We can see a cut over the eye because it bleeds, but it can be hard to detect a head injury, esp. if the player attempts to conceal or manage it.
I'm just surprised that given the costs with advertising, insuring players, and contracts that teams wouldn't be more protective than they already are.
When watching games, I used to argue (and I realize this is completely far-fetched and impractical) that players should be suspended for as long as the player they injured remains out due to injury.
Granted, there are freak accidents, but it would encourage players to play a more clean, professional game (think Joe Sakic) instead of a cruising/hunting game (think Matt Cooke).
We would probably see a rash of suspensions, but I suspect the game would clean up considerably.
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I'm not sure if there has been more, as I haven't checked the numbers, but I think its a combination of the fact that the NHL is looking specifically to cut down on certain kinds of hits that cause serious injury this year, and that there have also been a few more key players with concussions this year such as Crosby, Savard(who potentially could retire as a result) and several others.
Seems about the regular amount, just high profile players and more attention from the media.
I hope this will be beneficial in finally forcing the league to address the issue.
One of the things my son's hockey organization is implementing is the use of the Messier M11 helmet. With the rise in concussions, this helmet is developed to by 30% more effective at preventing a concussion the first time a helmet is struck and 100% more likely to avoid the concussion from a second blow.
I personally think the numbers for concussions are higher in all sports purely because they are better at detecting them than they used to be.
That and players continually get faster and stronger due to advances in sports sciences and medicines.
The answer from Bettman is definitely yes
Oddly enough, the thing that got me off my duff and starting to look at the number was managing my fantasy roster. I kept getting concussion injuries to players that I put on the IR to the point where my IR slots were maxed out. First, Crosby, then Semin, and then I was like wha- Richards is out now, too?
But more generally, it bummed me to see players like Deadmarsh, Primeau, and LaFontaine retire prematurely due to head injury-related issues.
A good question is what - or who - it will take to get real reform. Would losing Crosby to early retirement get it going? I fear we will have to have a player die before the league or the union moves on this issue.
i think another thing to consider is that the sport is growing and with the age of the internet, there are way more people covering hockey and they have way more readers. in the 90s or whatever you wouldnt hear about a role player on a team in a different conference being injured unless you were on top of the sport like a hawk. Now i think with sites like this especially, everyone who reads this hears about all of the concussions even sometimes to AHL players who are on the brink of making the NHL.
It would certainly seem to be higher based on all the articles about it this year. I have to wonder, though, if a significant part of the uptick is simply the result of being better able to recognize and document concussion symptoms. I've seen writers compare concussion stats from 2000-2010 to 1990-2000 and they tend to overlook medical advances. When older hockey players have talked about the head-shot issue I have heard many anecdotes about how little care was given to concussions before about 1995.
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It has a lot to do with recognizing the symptoms better. As they used to say in the game oh he just got his bell rung etc. NHL players and teams alike know the symptoms better and have now seen the devastating effect it has on a career.
The NHL still needs to improve its concussion protocol (as it stands the current protocol is a trainer asks are you okay? if yes you go out and play). Anytime its even suspected player should be out of the game at the very least.
Most definitely. Look at how seriously they are taking concussions in all sports, not just hockey. One advancement that people don't think about is that you don't have to be knocked unconscious to have a concussion. The lowest level concussions have a very small but noticeable symptomatic stage. The issues come when no one recognizes that, the guy goes back out on the ice and BAM he gets a huge one from a smaller hit (aka Lindros).