Posted on 03/14/2011 11:11:46 AM PDT by airborne
Sidney Crosby's concussion is causing a headache for the Penguins on the ice and the National Hockey League off it.
Nobody knows when Crosby might play hockey again, and continued speculation about his health is as frustrating to the team as it is confusing to fans.
---(snip)---
Head injuries will be a major topic during three days of meetings by the league's 30 general managers starting today in Boca Raton, Fla. -- and not just because Crosby, widely regarded as the face of the NHL, has cast a spotlight on the subject.
---(snip)---
Taking a toll
According to The Concussion Blog, a website devoted to head injuries in professional sports, 72 NHL players reportedly have been diagnosed with a concussion this season. Here are some of the notable players and their status or recovery time:
Player - Team - Position - Status/recovery
Sidney Crosby, Penguins Center Out since Jan. 5
Drew Doughty, Kings Defense Out from Oct. 20-Nov. 4
Marian Gaborik, Rangers Right wing Out from Feb. 20-March 6
Mike Green, Capitals Defense Out since Feb. 25
Dan Hamhuis, Canucks Defense Out from Feb. 9-22
Paul Kariya, Blues Left wing Out all season
Matthew Lombardi, Predators Right wing Out since Oct. 13
Brad Richards, Stars Center Out from Feb. 13-March 9
Marc Savard, Bruins Center Out for season
Sources: NHL.com; theconcussionblog.com
(Excerpt) Read more at pittsburghlive.com ...
Pacioretty was in the process of playing the puck while Chara was angling over to cut him off and prevent him from moving up the ice with it. That was why Pacioretty reached out and chipped the puck forward as Chara engaged him. Chara rode him into the boards, but I've made plays pretty similar to this myself and usually never had a penalty called. Hockey players are always taught to follow through on their checks, which is why NHL rules allow a player to check an opponent without the puck as long as it is done immediately after the player loses direct possession of the puck (this is part of Rule 56.1).
One commentator suggested bringing back the red line as a way to shorten 2 line passes and slow the game down.
It won't happen, but I wonder what the ratio of concussions before and after the rule change.
I think there's another possible measure here that would go a long way toward addressing this problem while at the same time making the game far more exciting: Increase the size of the ice surface.
These concussions -- especially the ones that occur on perfectly legal plays -- are the direct result of large players skating at high speeds (often in the opposite direction to each other) on an ice surface that has effectively shrunk over time as players have gotten bigger and faster. Increasing the ice to Olympic standards would help address this problem in two ways: (1) by giving players more room to move and reducing the physical contact between them, and (2) putting more of a premium on smaller, faster players who simply won't cause as much damage to each other.
I'd be curious to know how the frequency and severity of concussions in the NHL compares to European leagues.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/penguins/s_727746.html?source=rss&feed=8
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.