The NHL has been asked to penalize any head contact to eliminate potentially debilitating concussionsGETTY IMAGES
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman discounted the idea of "banning any kind of head contact in hockey," telling a Parliamentary panel in Ottawa yesterday that such a rule "would be impossible to enforce and lead to the end of hitting in hockey," according to Jordan Press of the CP. The NHL has "faced calls to penalize any head contact in the hope of eliminating potentially debilitating concussions." There were times of "combative testimony" yesterday by Bettman in front of the panel holding hearings on the issue of concussions. Bettman said that such a rule on head contact at the NHL level "would mean larger players would inevitably land blows on smaller players' heads in the normal course of play, leading to penalties." He added that would lead to "no more body checking," which is something players and fans feel is an "exciting, appealing, entertaining" and important part of the game. Bettman also "decried what he called 'blanket statements about changing a rule' on head contact that might not address 'where the injuries are being caused.'" He "questioned any direct link between multiple hockey concussions" and CTE. Bettman: "I don't believe there has been, based on everything I've been told -- and if anybody has information to the contrary, we'd be happy to hear it -- other than some anecdotal evidence, there has not been that conclusive link." Bettman told Parliament members (MPs) that he likes the current state of play in the NHL, saying, "Right now, I don't believe there's much we can do." A special committee of MPs has been discussing "options for treatment, prevention and what, if anything, the federal government should be doing about sports-related head injuries" (CP, 5/1).
NOT BACKING DOWN: In Ottawa, Bruce Garrioch writes Bettman "stood his ground as he faced off" with the MPs. While Bettman and NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly "weren't obligated to attend" the hearing, it "wouldn't have been good if they turned down the invitation." Bettman said that people "shouldn't compare the NHL and NFL because there's not the repetitive head contact." Bettman: "I don't know what the NFL's position is. While we understand that this is an issue that needs to be constantly followed and focused on, there hasn't been conclusive determinations" (OTTAWA SUN, 5/2). SPORTSNET.ca's Wayne Scanlan noted Bettman's testimony and exchanges with the committee were "mostly civil." Bettman "defended his league's history of protecting players and in providing concussion protocol for players suspected of having brain trauma" (SPORTSNET.ca, 5/1).
SAME OLD SONG & DANCE: In Toronto, Dave Feschuk writes if the "optimistic among us held out a smidgen of hope that the passage of time might have brought with it an evolution in Bettman's views on a topic that profoundly affects so many of his players, current and former ... well, the optimists should have listened to realists." Bettman yesterday showed that his head "remains firmly implanted in the sands of shamelessness." He "reiterated a handful of old arguments the league's gray-haired governors, stuck in the past as they are, have been making for years." If the MPs on the committee were "hoping for a productive exchange of ideas from someone who actually cares about the good of the game, they invited the wrong man to the proceedings" (TORONTO STAR, 5/2).
LEGAL ISSUES: TSN.ca's Rick Westhead reported Kelli Ewen, the widow of former NHLer Todd Ewen, is "suing the league for allegedly profiting off of a culture of violence and continuing to downplay the potential long-term consequences of repeated head trauma." Ewen's lawsuit was filed in California district court on Tuesday. A copy of the lawsuit notes Ewen is seeking "compensatory damages and all other damages permitted by law." Ewen committed suicide in '15 and was posthumously diagnosed with CTE late last year (TSN.ca, 5/1).
