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.

Improved Safety on Top of GM’s List

As the amount of concussions continues to mount in the NHL and the severity of teams losing key players down the stretch drive continues to grow the NHL Board of Governors and GM’s are continuing to look at was to make the game safer for the players.

Culture

First off the culture of today’s players still seems to be careless even after all the head related injuries suffered to this point in the season. So from a Board of Governors and general managers perspective players need to become more respectful of their fellow competitors whether that is through team discussions or personal responsibility and accountability.

Equipment

The league is constantly working with manufactures and designers to create softer shoulder pads and elbow pads to reduce the shock or head trauma when a hit is delivered.

Treatment

I believe the NHL needs to begin working closely with a team of doctors who specifically focus on repeated head trauma injuries to find ways to help prevent concussions from reoccurring. Secondly, with this support procedures and methods for evaluating and helping players recover can be adopted to get these players health and game ready.

This could have also played a factor in the pre-mature return of Sidney Crosby who was recently diagnosed with a soft tissue neck injury; which I will discussion in my next post!

Game Changes

Don Cherry talked last night about the repeated impact of concussions and players being left in vulnerable positions because of stretch passes (blue line to blue line) and he stated that the NHL needs to re-evaluate the idea of placing the redline back in the game for player safety and to help slow down the speed of the game.

Last Night

Lastly, Ales Hemsky of the Edmonton Oilers got rocked by Nick Kronwall of the Detroit Red Wings last night with what seemed to be a high elbow. More than likely a suspension will follow and it will be interesting to see if Hemsky who didn’t return to the game is diagnosed with a concussion or concussion like symptoms.

Little Hope Remains for Savvy

Marc Savard addressed the media this past weekend and gave an update on his current status with his post-concussion symptoms. Savard who has not played since January 9, 2011 is still dealing with short-term memory loss and sever to mild headaches. Savard then commented “It's tough to see a bright future, to be honest with you.” Watching this interview it was apparent that Savard would still love to return to the ice one day, but the possibility of that happening is becoming less likely because of his history with concussions.

After Savard’s announcement, the NHL suffered another devastating blow losing the Philadelphia Flyers forward Daniel Briere and the Winnipeg Jets Evander Kane to concussions. The constant increase in player safety continues to be a major issue for the leagues GM’s and National Hockey League Player Association (NHLPA) who will meet in March to discussion the future of this epidemic.

Penguins Star D-man Finally Cleared to Practice

Pittsburgh Penguins Kris Letang returned to the ice this Tuesday (January 17, 2012) in hopes of returning to the line-up sometime this week after suffering a devastating hit to the head by Montreal Canadians forward Max Pacioretty on November 26, 2011. "It’s been a rough time, honestly sitting at home," Letang said. Letang is one of a number of star players recently sidelined by a concussion, but my question is was this play avoidable? The speed of the new NHL gives players with the puck no time to react when an opponent is coming at full speed; and all Pacioretty was trying to do was eliminate a quality scoring chance.

Marked Man

¥Keep an eye on Rene Bourque tonight; this is his first meeting against the Washington Capitals since his 5 game suspension for elbowing Nicklas Bäckström in the head!

Impact of Concussions

The purpose of this blog is to keep the avid hockey fan up-to-date on all recent NHL concussion issues: ranging from player safety, how to avoid and take a hit properly, diagnosing the symptons and being smart coach and finally to keep followers up-to-date on recent findings and protocls established by the professionals team doctors.
Since the beginning of the 2011-2012 NHL season the hot topic around the league is concussions and hits directed at the head. Brendan Shanahan the new NHL Disciplinarian (Department of Player Safety) has had his work cut out for him so far this season handing out 30 suspensions for a combined 104 games. Some people have disagreed with some of Shanahan’s rulings and length of suspensions but it’s easy to judge someone when you’re not the one making the decisions. I believe Shanahan has developed a smart approach to his new system by justifying the suspensions by reviewing the video and explaining his process throughout the video. All these videos can be found on NHL.com (http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?catid=60&intcmpid=nhl-hp-vidchn-safety). Currently there are 60 NHL players suffering from a concussion or concussion like symptoms. The age old method of shaking it off and taking one for the team is now being eliminated because of the awareness surround concussions.

Here in lies the significance of Sidney Crosby, who is the most valuable player to the Pittsburgh Penguins franchise as well as the NHL. Once Crosby suffered a second concussion within a week last season, Crosby and his team of doctors realized his health and future were more important than the game of hockey. As a result, Crosby has raised awareness around concussions and the detrimental impact they can have on a player. Marc Savard is the perfect example of an excellent hockey player who returned to action before his symptoms completely cleared. He is now suffering from post-concussion syndrome and was ultimately forced to retire at the age of 34.

Nobody knows exactly what the impact of concussions will be on sports in the future. However, I believe the combination of strength, speed, skill and the size of today’s athletes, as well as the lack of respect for opponents are the major issues related to concussions in professional sports. All these factors stem down to the minor and grassroots levels because of the mentality of today’s professional athletes. As a result, severe suspensions and fines at the professional level need to be enforced in order to lower the risk of head injuries for today’s athletes. Also, increased awareness of the proper amount of recovery time, continuing advancements in technology and conditioning programs focused on strengthening the neck will create an environment where the current concussion epidemic may become a thing of the past.