NHL concussion spotters "didn't have the authority" to pull Penguins C Sidney Crosby from Game 6 on Monday because his "head-first collision with the boards is not a 'mechanism of injury' that allows that under their guidelines," according to Perez & Allen of USA TODAY. NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said, "Depending on the mechanism of injury, ‘slow to get up’ does not trigger mandatory removal. The protocol has to be interpreted literally to mandate a removal. ‘Ice’ as compared to ‘boards’ is in there for a reason. It’s the result of a study on our actual experiences over a number of years. ‘Ice’ has been found to be a predictor of concussions -- ‘boards’ has not been." Concussion Legacy Foundation co-Founder & CEO Chris Nowinski said the league has a "poorly written policy that should be amended before the puck is dropped in another NHL game." An NHLPA spokesperson also said that the union is "reviewing the incident" (USATODAY.com, 5/9). In Pittsburgh, Sam Werner notes Crosby "clarified any confusion about his health status" after the team’s practice yesterday. Crosby said that he was "evaluated by Penguins team doctors" after the first period of Game 6 but "did not exhibit any concussion symptoms." Crosby: "I don’t know if I tripped on a stick or someone else, I just got tripped up there going pretty fast, went into the boards pretty awkwardly. Felt fine, just kind of knocked the wind out of me" (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 5/10).
OPEN YOUR EYES: In DC, Jesse Dougherty writes under the header, "Sidney Crosby Concussion Fears Spawn Confusion, Questions And Criticism Of NHL Process" (WASHINGTON POST, 5/10). YAHOO SPORTS' Jen Neale wrote, "It was clear to anyone with functioning eyeballs that the concussion spotters did not do their intended job here, despite their expanded protocols established by the NHL" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 5/8). VICE SPORTS' Aaron Gordon wrote under the header, "Crosby Hit Shows Limits To NHL's Concussion Protocol." If people "take the NHL's explanation at face value and concede the spotters weren't permitted to pull Crosby, it still begs the question of why no one on the Penguins' medical staff put Crosby in the protocol." They were in the "best position -- medically and physically -- of anyone given their knowledge of Crosby's history and position on the bench" (SPORTS.VICE.com, 5/9). The Colorado Springs Gazette's Woody Paige noted the incident occurred two minutes before an intermission. Paige: "Why don’t you take him off the ice? That would give you 18 or 19 minutes to actually examine him." He added the NHL should follow the NFL's example and "have independent doctors, not the team doctor," make the call on putting a player back in like that ("Around the Horn," ESPN, 5/9). In DC, Barry Svrluga writes the Penguins, by the "letter of the law, did nothing wrong Monday night." But if the Penguins and Crosby "handled things according to NHL protocol, then the NHL has to change its protocol -- and fast" (WASHINGTON POST, 5/10).
SAME OLD STORY: YAHOO SPORTS' Greg Wyshynski wrote the fact that Crosby "wasn't pulled is an indictment of the League’s concussion spotters system and its criteria; an indictment of the Penguins’ approach to the their players’ health; and the continuation of a disturbing trend in the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs in which potential brain injuries are shoved aside for competitive advantages" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 5/9). ESPN's Pablo Torre said, "We witnessed a test of the structural integrity of a policy, and the NHL failed that test" ("Around the Horn," ESPN, 5/9). In N.Y., Evan Grossman writes, "The NHL's concussion policy is a joke." Daly's comments, on many levels, are "hard to fathom." The NHL "does not have a very good track record when it comes to concussions." Grossman: "There may be no other sports league that is blind to the dangers of brain injuries than the NHL." In the NHL, it seems, they still "have not figured out that a crash into the boards is just as dangerous as hitting your head against the ice" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 5/10). USA TODAY's Nancy Armour writes this "goes beyond Crosby." The NHL has been "obstinate in its refusal to acknowledge a connection" between repetitive head trauma and CTE or other degenerative brain diseases. Even the NHL’s use of independent spotters is "now suspect," given Daly’s explanation (USA TODAY, 5/10).
TWITTER REAX: Pittsburgh-based KDKA-FM's Colin Dunlap tweeted, "Sidney Crosby is in a tenuous situation. If he gripes to NHL, he's told to stop whining. If he doesn't he keeps getting his head beat in." Penguins blogger Ryan Wilson: "Washington tying the series wasn't the worst thing that happened yesterday. The handling of Sidney Crosby's health is so much worse." Fox Sports Radio's Jason Smith: "It's just shameful the NHL and Penguins -- according to Mike Sullivan -- missed checking Sidney Crosby for a concussion." CSN Mid-Atlantic's Alan May: "Time to pump brakes on concussion spotters & Sidney Crosby. If every time player hit boards & lifted from game, no one would be able to play."
