By Hockey Guru
Okay, brain injuries are serious and every year it seems the medical community learns more about the long-term implications of concussions. Along with the treatment of concussions, the diagnosis for concussion has come a long way. The NHL and NHLPA both need to monitor this situation and determine what more can be done to curtail this issue.
But is it an epidemic? Is it inevitable with the speed, size and nature of the sport? Certainly players freely decide whether or not to sign a contract and take on risks of playing this or any sport professionally.
I hope to keep a running tally of concussions from the 2010-11 regular season and playoffs. If any are not included, please leave a comment below.
| Player | NHL Team | STP Team | Date | Description | Penalties Assessed | Games Missed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raitis Ivanans | Calgary Flames | Free Agent | 8-Oct | Knocked out cold in a fight with Steve MacIntyre of the Edmonton Oilers. The Kings and Ivanans both insist that no concussion resulted | 5-minute fighting majors to both MacIntyre and Ivanans | Missed 5 games so far, resuming skating |
| Cam Janssen | St. Louis Blues | Frozen Bastards | 9-Oct | Hit by teammate, Brad Winchester, who was trying to hit Philadelphia's Oskars Bartulis | None | Missed 4 games so far and remains on IR |
| Ondrej Pavelec | Atlanta Thrashers | Top Shelf | 9-Oct | Concussed himself after collapsing to the ice | None | Missed 5 games so far, beginning to practice |
| John Tavares | New York Islanders | Stanford North Stars | 9-Oct | A collision with Adam Burish of the Dallas Stars | None | Missed 3 games before returning |
| Jamie Benn | Dallas Stars | Stanford North Stars | 9-Oct | Hit by James Wisniewski of the New York Islanders | None | Missed 3 games before returning |
| Jason Pominville | Buffalo Sabres | Perrysburg Polar Bears | 11-Oct | Hit by Niklas Hjalmarsson of Chicago Blackhawks | 5-minute major for boarding, a game misconduct penalty, and a 2-game suspension | Missed 4 games so far; resuming skating |
| Johan Franzen | Detroit Red Wings | STL Older Guns | 14-Oct | Hit by Mark Fistric of the Dallas Stars | None | Missed 1 game and returned |
| Matthew Lombardi | Nashville Predators | Stittsville TwoPhors | 14-Oct | Unspecified | None | Missed 3 games so far, remains on IR |
| Keith Ballard | Vancouver Canucks | Montreal Nerdpucks | 15-Oct | 1st Period Injury vs Los Angeles | None | Missed 3 games so far |
