Colorado Avalanche: Facing Concussions in Modern Hockey

Mar 25, 2015; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Colorado Avalanche forward Joey Hishon (38) skates against the Edmonton Oilers at Rexall Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports

Colorado Avalanche Joey Hishon

by Nadia Archuleta

You’ve got to wonder if Joey Hishon’s parents don’t wish they’d have discouraged him early on.

The diminutive Hishon (5-foot- 10, 170 pounds) is not a power forward. And he’s barely gotten his toes wet as an Avalanche. Hishon has played in just 16 games for Colorado (three of them playoff games).

Joey Hishon seemed to have such a bright future. He was the 17th-overall pick in the 2010 NHL Draft, just one year after Matt Duchene. He was seen as a fast skater with offensive skills who could maybe skate with Duchene one day.

Instead, Hishon’s development suffered a severe setback thanks to this dirty hit in the minors by Brayden McNabb (Warning — it’s sickening):

Because of this concussion, Hishon missed from May 2011 to March 2013 — 22 of the most formative months of his hockey career. According to CBC Sports, Hishon suffered from headaches and neck pain. He got dizzy. Apparently those were especially scary because he never knew when they’d hit.

Hishon is back to playing hockey, as we know. But the trajectory of his career definitely took a hit. It might have altered his ultimate future in hockey.

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