GM's Agree to New Icing Rule Change...Step in the Right Direction

The NHL conducted their weekly March meetings this week and the big news to surface comes from a rule change to the current icing format. The proposal was approved by the leagues 30 general managers; however the GMs still have to draft a definition of the rule change to eliminate any grey areas.

         "It's going to go forward as a recommendation, but there is some cleaning up as to
         how exactly it is going to work and what directives we're going to give," Montreal
         Canadiens General Manager Pierre Gauthier said.

The New Rule States: An icing play would be negated under the change if an attacking forward outraces the opposing team’s defenseman to an imaginary line across the defensive-zone faceoff dots while chasing a puck shot down ice from behind the center red line.

Current Rule: Under the current icing rule, a forward must beat a defenseman to the puck after it crosses the goal line to negate an icing call.

Personally, I believe this is a necessary rule change because of the speed in today's game and the vulnerability and risk of injury is not worth a player's health or career. This rule will ultimately help reduce or eliminate players being smashed into the end boards, which usually result in concussions. As we can clearly see, player safety is continually a hot topic during the GM meetings because of the amount of players suffering from concussions and the awareness that continues to spread about their impact on players lives.

Voracek...KEEP YOUR HEAD UP!

Last night's game between the Detroit Red Wings and Philadelphia Flyers again demonstrated how the speed of today's game can have a devastating impact on players; as you will see in the above video! The Flyers haven't released any news on Voracek's condition, but I believe its safe to say he will be heavily evaluated by team doctors for concussion like symptons. When watching the replay of the hit, it looks like a hit to the head because that is where the principle point of contact was made with Kronwall's shoulder. However, in my opinion he didn't do anything illegal (elbow, leave the ice with his feet, etc.) making the hit legal. In conclusion, Kronwall in notorious for ERASING people along the boards and players need to be aware when he is on the ice at all times.

Superstar’s Fall

Two of the NHL's young stars will be back in the press box after suffering concussions. This is Letang's second of the season and the Pittsburgh Penguins wasted no time placing him on the IR in anticipation of him returning for the playoffs and because of the fact that they know all too well what a concussion can do to a player (Sidney Crosby). Letang is currently listed as day-to-day and is suffering from mild headaches. The Chicago Blackhawks have lost team captain Jonathan Toews for an extended length of time after playing five games with concussion like symptoms that went unnoticed or were kept secret as the Western Conference playoff race continues to heat up.

    We’ll see how he’s progressing,' coach Joel Quenneville said. 'Today is no change
   from yesterday, so hopefully he can get going soon, and we can get him (Toews) back
   on the ice.'

This again reinforces the importance of treating players immediately after a head injury, and not allowing them back into a game until they have medical clearance. If the Chicago Blackhawks lose Toews for an extended period of time, there will be serious consequences in the short-term and possibly long term for the Blackhawks. On the other hand, the Penguins reacted immediately by placing Letang on injured reserve to prevent further damage from occurring.

In conclusion, all NHL franchises need to realize that their player's health and safety are more important than the game. This statement will lead to some saying that players are making sacrifices for their team and my questions then becomes at what cost? Franchises need these players to play well into the future for the success of the game in the competitive North American sports market!

Concussion Prevention Training Tips (Video)

Hope you guys enjoy the video; took me two-hours to make it! But in the end it was worth ever second! #ActingProblems

Using Their Heads for Safety

Having kept a close eye on the NHL over the past few weeks the number of concussions has seemed to have dropped off, which is an extremely positive sign for the NHL and its players! However, this could be the result of teams disclosing injuries as upper body injuries, as the NHL Trade Deadline approaches (Monday February 27, 2012).


As well, over the past few weeks more players are starting to wear helmets designed and created specifically for concussion purposes, which leads myself and I’m sure many others to believe that these helmets are having an immediate impact on the number of concussions. Here are some of the following NHL equipment supplier's new concussion prevention helmets.

Bauer-Re-Akt

Bauer knows that no helmet will ever completely prevent concussions, but this helmet is designed to protect the head and brain from rotational impacts. As a result, during an impact, the Suspend-Tech Liner within the helmet moves independently from the Vertex Foam liner, which helps protect your brain from crippling intra-cranial movement (aka a concussion). This allows the helmet to move on its own while having your head stay in place, separate from the helmet to prevent injuries (Bauer, 2012).

Reebok 11K

The Reebok 11K helmet has a 5-point safety system to prevent concussions (Reebok, 2012).

1. Big Hits: Designed to withstand high-intensity impacts.

2. Repeated Hits: 90% of hits in a game are low impact. When repeated over time, low impact hits can be as dangerous as high impact hits. The 11k features a softer EPP and a unique hinge construction to better protect against low impact hits.

3. Anchoring: The new vertically adjustable Microdial II locks the helmet in place at the base of the head, for a truly custom fit.

4. Fit Adjustment: The helmet is designed to fit tightly to your head to prevent brain trauma.

5. Weight: Currently the lightest helmet fully adjustable helmet available.

Easton E700

Easton's new helmet is designed specifically for protection, proper fit and comfort (Easton, 2012).

Protection: One-piece shell construction for better absorption and better multi-impact durability.

Fit: Adjustable inner-foam liner for player safety.

Comfort: Strategically placed anti-microbal comfort pads that are removable and washable.

Warrior Krown 360

What makes the Krown 360 helmet unique is it’s ability to further customize the fit to your head shape. Most helmets allow for adjustments to the length of the helmet, but the Warrior Krown 360 will allow you to adjust the width as well (Warrior, 2012). No further information has been released on this helmet at this time, but I will try and keep you updated!

In conclusion, players that are still using traditional helmets with basic foam padding (like the Bauer 4500; pictured below) need to take note and make a change for their own wellbeing. With that being said, hockey players have a level of comfort with their equipment and change is something that is not a top priority for them during a season. Therefore, the league and NHLPA (National Hockey League Players Association) need to step up and maybe enforce a new rule in the next Collective Bargaining Agreement for mandatory helmets with concussion prevention technology.

Concussions & LIFE-Lessons with Dave Orton (Podcast)

Good afternoon Bloggers! My latest post is a podcast that you can connect to with the link below.

This podcast was done with Dave Orton who is the Strength and Conditioning Coach at Lifestyle Family Fitness. The interview was centered on Dave’s knowledge and expertise in his field and his run-ins with concussions as a lacrosse player and coach.

Enjoy and feel free to comment.

http://www.box.com/updates#/updates/1/a/1/1587748547

Controversy Brews in Minor Hockey League Associations: Over Approach to Concussions

Across Canada, numerous minor hockey league associations have decided to start implement mandatory testing after a player is struck in the head, to test for concussion like symptoms. These tests will simply check memory and attention span of players over a 10-25 minute period. However, medical experts and parents remain skeptical about the approach and tactics used by team trainers and the organizations. Due to the fact that, if a child is allowed to return to the ice pre-maturely the consequences could be devastating for the child at risk as well as the trainer/organization. In addition, parents also feel their child could be subject to return to the game early because of his/her importance to the team.

Christopher Randolph, a clinical professor of neurology at the Loyola University Medical Center made a statement on the testing methods “teens may sandbag their baseline test so that if they get hurt and have to take another test before being cleared to play, the odds of passing will be higher.” Lastly, all serious injuries require medical attention with the proper trained people, equipment, facilities and technology. A perfect example is Sidney Crosby’s recent neck injury diagnoses, at first the team suspected he was suffering from another concussion but upon further investigation by the medical staff, Crosby has in fact suffered fractures to his C1 and C2 vertebrae. These important findings could be the difference in a child’s future in hockey and the risk-reward factor of a base-line test given by a team trainer is not worth the risk! In conclusion, team trainers are a critical component of any hockey team, but there expertise is not in diagnosing concussions or playing team doctor.