Thursday 15 March 2012
The Return of the Kid
Playoffs are just around the corner, and as the NHL season winds down, the importance of the games kicks up. This is true even for the Pittsburgh Penguins, who currently sit in fourth place in the Eastern Conference with 14 games left. Of the Penguins 68 games thus far, they have only played a total of 10 with all 3 of their star centres, Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal and Sidney Crosby. Even with Malkin ripping up the scoring charts, Crosby's name has come up just as often in the hockey world. Tonight, Crosby will make his second major comeback of the season. The last one was a great success, as he had a 4 point night against the lowly New York Islanders. Tonight, Crosby returns on a much bigger stage, with much bigger risks. Crosby will come back tonight as his Penguins face the number 1 team in the Eastern conference, the New York Rangers. Not only are the Rangers a highly skilled team with great goal tending, they are also known for their toughness. Head coach John Tortorella ensures that the Rangers do not get pushed around. This could be bad news for Sid. While Sid was rarely faced with any physical challenges in his return against the Islanders, tonight's match up will likely be very different. The Rangers will likely challenge Crosby hard, let by physical defensemen such as Marc Staal and Dan Girardi. For Crosby's sake, I hope his concussion is fully healed and I hope he is not rushing back for the playoffs. He is certainly a huge part of the NHL, and if Sid gets hurt again, it would be a huge blow to the entire world of hockey.
Wednesday 7 March 2012
Concussion Epidemic: Kronwalled
Niklas Kronwall has struck again. The Red Wings star defender has one again shown the league why he might be the most feared hitter in the NHL since the days of Scott Stevens. Kronwall destroyed the Philadelphia Flyer's Jakub Voracek with an open ice hit last night in a 3-2 Wings loss. This is not the first time Kronwall has put an opponent out cold, and it surely won't be the last. We touched on Kronwall a little bit during our podcast session after his devastating hit on Oilers star Ales Hemsky. In the past, Kronwall has saved these hits for the playoffs, but it seems as if he is lining up opponents more frequently then ever. With all the concussion talk in the NHL, and all the talk of Kronwall's hits, you would assume that he would have faced a suspension or 2 by now right? Wrong. Not only is Kronwall a feared hitter, he is also one of the cleanest hitters of all time. Standing at just 6'0'' and 190lbs, Kronwall is not a large, overpowering man that many expect him to be. He has used his outstanding timing to leave opponents wondering what hit them. It often appears that Kronwall is backing out of the zone, but just as the opposing player looks down for the puck, Kronwall levels him with a clean, feet on the ice, shoulder check. If all players in the NHL hit like Kronwall did, suspensions would be far and few between. While his hits are huge, they often do not cause concussion problems for his victims. This is because he always has his elbow down, and targets the opponents chest rather then their head. More often then not, Kronwall is backing into opponents and hitting them with his rear. I just want to say thank you Niklas Kronwall, for keeping hockey exciting with your outstanding open ice hits, but keeping the game clean at the same time. To show you some examples, I have posted a video from TSN showing the Top 10 Nik Kronwall hits. So remember everyone, keep your stick on the ice and your head up, or you might just get Kronwalled.
Tuesday 28 February 2012
Off the Record: Concussion Talk
Here we go again folks. Coming off of the recent podcast blog, we have amped it up and done a video blog. In this segment, we use an "Off the Record" type idea to discuss concussions and how they are effecting our youth today, as well as if skill is more important then physicality in hockey. I would like to give a special thanks to Mark Hebert, Ivo Frankovich, Jenna LaMantia and Vince Liburdi for filling out our round table and discussing concussions with me. We all had a great time doing this, and if it is a hit I'm sure we could get together and make some magic again. Remember to leave your comments and check out all of our blogs. Enjoy!
Tuesday 14 February 2012
Pardon My Interruption
Hello followers, for this edition of my blog, me and a few friends have fired off a podcast. We are all big sports fans and enjoy the show PTI or Pardon the Interruption. In honour of this show, we have decided to do a PTI like podcast. For my concussion discussions, we talk about staged fighting in the NHL, Detroit Red Wing defender Niklas Kronwall and his devastating body checks, as well as if the NHL is sugar coating the players and taking concussions too seriously in today's NHL.All three of these topics are important and relate to the NHL's concussion epidemic. Staged fights can have a major impact on the shelf life of enforcers in the NHL, as we have seen with the deaths of three former players this past summer. Kronwall has developed into one of the most dangerous open ice hitters in the game, but his hits are almost always clean. Should he be forced to fight just because he lays a clean hit? Finally, this season has featured more concussions then ever before. Is this because our awareness has increased, or are we babying players and having them sit out to raise more awareness? I hope you all enjoy listening to this podcast as much as we did making it! Don't forget to leave some comments, and keep your stick down and your head up.
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Monday 6 February 2012
Concussion Epidemic: Life After Hockey
"Hockey is like a disease, you can't really shake it." - former NHL goaltender Ken Wregget
I picked up the puck at the red line and saw the defender in front of me. I had always been taught to take a hit to make a play, and this was about to be one of those times. As I neared the blue line, I saw the defensmen shift his weight forward, I dumped the puck in just as I took the hit. I made my way to the bench, I was feeling disoriented, a little dizzy. I sat there, trying to remember what period we were in, what the score of the game was, but I had no idea.
I had felt this way before, a few times actually. Last season I had suffered a few concussions. Most went undiagnosed because frankly, I didn't want them to be diagnosed. I didn't want people to know that I was hurt, because all I wanted to do was play hockey. This time I had the same plans, just get back on the ice and it will feel better. I heard the coach yell my name, and I jumped on the ice for what would be the final shift I would ever play.
Our defender was waiting behind the net with the puck as we changed lines. I swooped around the net and picked up the puck in full flight. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw an opponent skating towards me. Still feeling the effects of the previous hit, I remembered what my dad had told me after last year's major concussion, the one that I had no way of hiding. "When someone is about to hit you, just get out of the way. Your just a kid, you have a future ahead of you." I tried to do just that. As I was about to get hit, I threw on the breaks and chipped the puck off the glass and out, but it was to late. It was barely a hit really, sure the guy was bigger then me, so it may have been labelled a head shot in today's NHL, but in all reality it was just a bump. It didn't matter. I felt my eyes roll to the back of my head, and the next thing I heard was our trainer calling my name as I lay face down on the ice.
I knew at the beginning of the season that this would likely be my last year of hockey. I had spent the previous year basically going through the motions. By that I mean that whenever I stepped on the ice, my head got all foggy, and I couldn't see or concentrate. I survived based on instinct. I had a good grasp of proper positioning, for the most part. I knew where I was supposed to be on the ice, and I had a good idea of where my opponents would be. If it wasn't for that I probably would have been done a lot sooner.
As the trainer and a teammate helped me off the ice and into the dressing room, I looked up and saw my mom, her hands on her mouth, in shock. I saw my dad standing in the hall outside the room waiting for me. I could only imagine the pain that they must have felt seeing their son like that. That's when everything really clicked, that's when I knew that I had to call it quits. I had put them through a lot with these concussions. I could tell you how to get to the hospital in many cities around Ontario, and my mom and dad were always there with me. My mom will tell you then I finally gave in to the idea of being done when I heard the doctor say one more concussion could put me in a coma, but in all reality I knew well before then.
Up to this point in my life, hockey had been all I ever did, all I ever thought about. Before I was old enough to even know what hockey was, I sat on my dad's lap as the Red Wings played on TV. I only played hockey video games, starting with the classic NHL 94 on Sega. I only read hockey magazines and books and biographies. I honed my skills playing roller hockey in my neighbours basement. We would spend hours down there, pretending we were NHL stars. I knew long before any concussions that I wasn't going to make the NHL, but never in my life had I took the time to think about what life would be like without hockey.
I went home that night and just sat in bed, thinking about what I was going to do. This may not seem like a tragic event to some, but I had never not played hockey. I spent my weekends playing and practising with my friends. When I wasn't doing that I was working out with those same people. Now I couldn't do either of those things. That one sleepless night turned into many. The headaches were worse at night, I'm not sure why, but it sucked. I didn't sleep for about 6 months, and even today I spent 1-2 times a week fighting a headache instead of sleeping. My grades plummeted, and I felt like an outsider. All the people I hung out with played hockey, and since I couldn't, I didn't know what to do after school, or on weekends.
I got my "fix" by coaching, and eventually playing some pick up hockey. I was lucky enough to have a great support staff around me, led by my family. I was always happy to watch my brother play, and as I grow older, as more of my friends call it quits, not playing becomes easier. Life after hockey was difficult for me to adjust to. I cannot imagine what it is like for NHL players like Eric Lindros who spent much longer then I did playing. But I have made the adjustment, the grades are back, and I am doing everything I can to continue being involved in hockey. So to all my family and friends who helped me adjust, I thank you. Life after hockey would have been much worse without you.
I picked up the puck at the red line and saw the defender in front of me. I had always been taught to take a hit to make a play, and this was about to be one of those times. As I neared the blue line, I saw the defensmen shift his weight forward, I dumped the puck in just as I took the hit. I made my way to the bench, I was feeling disoriented, a little dizzy. I sat there, trying to remember what period we were in, what the score of the game was, but I had no idea.
I had felt this way before, a few times actually. Last season I had suffered a few concussions. Most went undiagnosed because frankly, I didn't want them to be diagnosed. I didn't want people to know that I was hurt, because all I wanted to do was play hockey. This time I had the same plans, just get back on the ice and it will feel better. I heard the coach yell my name, and I jumped on the ice for what would be the final shift I would ever play.
Our defender was waiting behind the net with the puck as we changed lines. I swooped around the net and picked up the puck in full flight. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw an opponent skating towards me. Still feeling the effects of the previous hit, I remembered what my dad had told me after last year's major concussion, the one that I had no way of hiding. "When someone is about to hit you, just get out of the way. Your just a kid, you have a future ahead of you." I tried to do just that. As I was about to get hit, I threw on the breaks and chipped the puck off the glass and out, but it was to late. It was barely a hit really, sure the guy was bigger then me, so it may have been labelled a head shot in today's NHL, but in all reality it was just a bump. It didn't matter. I felt my eyes roll to the back of my head, and the next thing I heard was our trainer calling my name as I lay face down on the ice.
I knew at the beginning of the season that this would likely be my last year of hockey. I had spent the previous year basically going through the motions. By that I mean that whenever I stepped on the ice, my head got all foggy, and I couldn't see or concentrate. I survived based on instinct. I had a good grasp of proper positioning, for the most part. I knew where I was supposed to be on the ice, and I had a good idea of where my opponents would be. If it wasn't for that I probably would have been done a lot sooner.
As the trainer and a teammate helped me off the ice and into the dressing room, I looked up and saw my mom, her hands on her mouth, in shock. I saw my dad standing in the hall outside the room waiting for me. I could only imagine the pain that they must have felt seeing their son like that. That's when everything really clicked, that's when I knew that I had to call it quits. I had put them through a lot with these concussions. I could tell you how to get to the hospital in many cities around Ontario, and my mom and dad were always there with me. My mom will tell you then I finally gave in to the idea of being done when I heard the doctor say one more concussion could put me in a coma, but in all reality I knew well before then.
Up to this point in my life, hockey had been all I ever did, all I ever thought about. Before I was old enough to even know what hockey was, I sat on my dad's lap as the Red Wings played on TV. I only played hockey video games, starting with the classic NHL 94 on Sega. I only read hockey magazines and books and biographies. I honed my skills playing roller hockey in my neighbours basement. We would spend hours down there, pretending we were NHL stars. I knew long before any concussions that I wasn't going to make the NHL, but never in my life had I took the time to think about what life would be like without hockey.
I went home that night and just sat in bed, thinking about what I was going to do. This may not seem like a tragic event to some, but I had never not played hockey. I spent my weekends playing and practising with my friends. When I wasn't doing that I was working out with those same people. Now I couldn't do either of those things. That one sleepless night turned into many. The headaches were worse at night, I'm not sure why, but it sucked. I didn't sleep for about 6 months, and even today I spent 1-2 times a week fighting a headache instead of sleeping. My grades plummeted, and I felt like an outsider. All the people I hung out with played hockey, and since I couldn't, I didn't know what to do after school, or on weekends.
I got my "fix" by coaching, and eventually playing some pick up hockey. I was lucky enough to have a great support staff around me, led by my family. I was always happy to watch my brother play, and as I grow older, as more of my friends call it quits, not playing becomes easier. Life after hockey was difficult for me to adjust to. I cannot imagine what it is like for NHL players like Eric Lindros who spent much longer then I did playing. But I have made the adjustment, the grades are back, and I am doing everything I can to continue being involved in hockey. So to all my family and friends who helped me adjust, I thank you. Life after hockey would have been much worse without you.
Wednesday 1 February 2012
Not a lot to talk about in the NHL world of concussions following the All Star Break. The biggest news was the announcement that Sidney Crosby made last night about his injury and his potential return. The fact that he has been skating for a while is good news for the NHL. With the lack of new developments, I have decided to look into past players who have been the victims of concussions. These players are no longer in the NHL, and their head injuries are a main reason why. Without further ado, I bring you the Top 5 concussion victims in the NHL.
5. Adam Deadmarsh- Deadmarsh is a former first round pick of the Quebec Nordiques who has a Stanley Cup ring and Olympic Silver medal in his trophy case. What makes these accomplishments more amazing is the fact that Deadmarsh accomplished them in only 8 NHL seasons. The 5 time 20 goal scorer had to retire at the amazingly young age of 27 because of concussions. He know serves as an assistant coach with the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche, and it is great to see that he has been able to continue in hockey after his playing career was cut short far to soon.
4. Mike Richter- Mike Richter can count a Stanley Cup, Olympic Silver medal and two All- Star game appearances on his impressive resume. Richter finds himself number 25 on the all time wins list for NHL goalies with 301. He had to retire early in 2003 after suffering two concussions in an eight month span. While he was 37 at the time, his retirement is still a shame, as net minders have been known to play a little longer then the players in front of them.
3. Keith Primeau- Keith Primeau was a 3-time 30 goal scorer, and in his time, was one of the top power forwards in the league. He officially retired at the age of 34, but unofficially, he was done at 32 after he suffered his fourth concussion. To this day, Primeau still speaks out against concussions, the main reason is that he still suffers from post concussion like symptoms.
2. Pat LaFontaine- This 7- time 40 goal scorer suffered 6 concussions during an NHL career that lasted 15 seasons. The sad part is that 5 of those 15 years were cut short because of concussions, and in his rookie year he only played 15 games. So consider the numbers he put up, 468 goals and 1013 points in about 10 seasons, and you can only dream about what he could have done had he continued playing. It is a shame we didn’t get to see more of LaFontaine, as he truly was great.
1. Eric Lindros- I’m sure there was not much of a doubt who number one on this list would be. Lindros was a 7-time NHL all star and won league MVP in 1995. He was without a doubt one of the most dominate power forwards to every play in the NHL. After taking a hit from Scott Stevens in the 2000 playoffs, Lindros was never the same again. He had one more good season when he put up 73 points in 72 games with the Rangers, but that was it for the former star. He officially retired at 34, but he was virtually done at 31, which is a real shame to all hockey fans.
Having all of these superstars on this list is very sad. I can only hope that this list doesn't continue to grow moving forward. It is sad enough that Marc Savard will likely be here sooner rather then later. Hopefully steps will be made to reduce the shortened careers of great players.
5. Adam Deadmarsh- Deadmarsh is a former first round pick of the Quebec Nordiques who has a Stanley Cup ring and Olympic Silver medal in his trophy case. What makes these accomplishments more amazing is the fact that Deadmarsh accomplished them in only 8 NHL seasons. The 5 time 20 goal scorer had to retire at the amazingly young age of 27 because of concussions. He know serves as an assistant coach with the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche, and it is great to see that he has been able to continue in hockey after his playing career was cut short far to soon.
4. Mike Richter- Mike Richter can count a Stanley Cup, Olympic Silver medal and two All- Star game appearances on his impressive resume. Richter finds himself number 25 on the all time wins list for NHL goalies with 301. He had to retire early in 2003 after suffering two concussions in an eight month span. While he was 37 at the time, his retirement is still a shame, as net minders have been known to play a little longer then the players in front of them.
3. Keith Primeau- Keith Primeau was a 3-time 30 goal scorer, and in his time, was one of the top power forwards in the league. He officially retired at the age of 34, but unofficially, he was done at 32 after he suffered his fourth concussion. To this day, Primeau still speaks out against concussions, the main reason is that he still suffers from post concussion like symptoms.
2. Pat LaFontaine- This 7- time 40 goal scorer suffered 6 concussions during an NHL career that lasted 15 seasons. The sad part is that 5 of those 15 years were cut short because of concussions, and in his rookie year he only played 15 games. So consider the numbers he put up, 468 goals and 1013 points in about 10 seasons, and you can only dream about what he could have done had he continued playing. It is a shame we didn’t get to see more of LaFontaine, as he truly was great.
1. Eric Lindros- I’m sure there was not much of a doubt who number one on this list would be. Lindros was a 7-time NHL all star and won league MVP in 1995. He was without a doubt one of the most dominate power forwards to every play in the NHL. After taking a hit from Scott Stevens in the 2000 playoffs, Lindros was never the same again. He had one more good season when he put up 73 points in 72 games with the Rangers, but that was it for the former star. He officially retired at 34, but he was virtually done at 31, which is a real shame to all hockey fans.
Having all of these superstars on this list is very sad. I can only hope that this list doesn't continue to grow moving forward. It is sad enough that Marc Savard will likely be here sooner rather then later. Hopefully steps will be made to reduce the shortened careers of great players.
Thursday 26 January 2012
Concussion Epidemic: The Effects on Two Types of Owners
With so many NHL player's missing time this season because of concussions, I have decided to examine the effects that this has on two things. The first is the world of fantasy hockey, the second is the NHL owner's.
Fantasy owner's around the world have seen stars such as Sidney Crosby, Claude Giroux and Chris Pronger miss time with concussions. For owner's of Crosby and Pronger, this issue has lasted much of the season, and it appears as if it could go on for the remainder of the year. The impact that these injuries have on fantasy owner's is huge. Many still had Crosby as a top 10 pick this season, so virtually throwing away your first round pick could be devastating. If you are paying to play, an injury of this nature could cost you big money. These player's are basically un-tradeable because of their injuries, but it would be difficult to put them on free agents in fear that someone else picks them up and they come back. So therein lies the issue facing fantasy owners this season, do you hold onto the player and ride out the injury, or drop him and risk someone else picking him up. Decisions, decisions.
If you think fantasy owner's are the only ones struggling, think again.While fantasy owner's may lose $50-$100, NHL owners could be losing millions because of their star player's being out. The Pittsburgh Penguins have had 9 different players suffer concussions 11 times this season. Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang and Zbynek Michalek are all big name, big money players who have missed time for the Penguins this year. Philadelphia Flyer's captain Chris Pronger has basically had his career ended because of concussions, and leading scorer Claude Giroux missed time after a freak accident earlier this year.
The impact of these player's being out is huge on the ice and off the ice. While teams have to find players to replace their stars, owners lose money because ticket sales drop. Crosby has been known to sell out arena's everywhere he has went ever since junior, so missing a player like that is a huge loss to owners. Giroux was one of the hottest names in the league early this year as he shot to the top of the scoring race. Having a young player who is easy to identify with miss time because of concussions could be a big loss to the ticket sales of both the Flyer's and the teams they play on the road.
Fantasy owner's around the world have seen stars such as Sidney Crosby, Claude Giroux and Chris Pronger miss time with concussions. For owner's of Crosby and Pronger, this issue has lasted much of the season, and it appears as if it could go on for the remainder of the year. The impact that these injuries have on fantasy owner's is huge. Many still had Crosby as a top 10 pick this season, so virtually throwing away your first round pick could be devastating. If you are paying to play, an injury of this nature could cost you big money. These player's are basically un-tradeable because of their injuries, but it would be difficult to put them on free agents in fear that someone else picks them up and they come back. So therein lies the issue facing fantasy owners this season, do you hold onto the player and ride out the injury, or drop him and risk someone else picking him up. Decisions, decisions.
If you think fantasy owner's are the only ones struggling, think again.While fantasy owner's may lose $50-$100, NHL owners could be losing millions because of their star player's being out. The Pittsburgh Penguins have had 9 different players suffer concussions 11 times this season. Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang and Zbynek Michalek are all big name, big money players who have missed time for the Penguins this year. Philadelphia Flyer's captain Chris Pronger has basically had his career ended because of concussions, and leading scorer Claude Giroux missed time after a freak accident earlier this year.
The impact of these player's being out is huge on the ice and off the ice. While teams have to find players to replace their stars, owners lose money because ticket sales drop. Crosby has been known to sell out arena's everywhere he has went ever since junior, so missing a player like that is a huge loss to owners. Giroux was one of the hottest names in the league early this year as he shot to the top of the scoring race. Having a young player who is easy to identify with miss time because of concussions could be a big loss to the ticket sales of both the Flyer's and the teams they play on the road.
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