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.