Colorado Avalanche: Facing Concussions in Modern Hockey
Is It Working?
In their 2015 NFL Health and Safety Report, the league claim that concussions are down 35% since 2012 during the regular season. I’m skeptical of that, but that’s just me. They are clearly addressing it. It makes sense for the league to be proactive on a matter which could unravel its livelihood. Still though, they’ve done a lot.
Gary Bettman also proclaims that concussions are trending down in the NHL, but some are skeptical of him as well. Dr. Jeff Kutcher, a Michigan-based neurologist who works with NHL players on head injuries told ESPN, “I’m not surprised that the numbers are down, but I wouldn’t read too much into those numbers.”
Others close to the sport have agreed. It’s difficult to tell what impact Rule 48 and the other concussion protocols in place are doing enough to take permanent brain damage out of the game forever. They’re still occurring at a pretty alarming rate.
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