NHLPA's New Committee On CTE A Positive Step Toward Making Hockey A Safer Sport To Play

Over the years, the NHL and hockey in general have had to grapple with the scourge of head injuries. Whether it’s former players who step out publicly or whose families step out publicly after their loved one has passed away – there’s been a gradual increase in the awareness of concussions, head trauma and the impact it has on athletes’ lives. And the game took a major step forward in tackling the issue with the announcement Friday that the NHL Players’ Association is forming a committee to study chronic traumatic encephalopathy, also known as CTE.

NHLPA Executive Director Marty Walsh announced tonight in Boston that the player's union has formed a CTE Advisory Committee, via @frank_seravalli pic.twitter.com/mklZTrTOD8

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) November 2, 2024

Certainly, the topic of head injuries has risen to the fore, as it has in other sports where violent collisions are the norm. But there has been a reticence in some corners to acknowledge the connection between CTE and horrific mental and physical deterioration that we see in more than a few former NHL players. But because CTE can’t be properly diagnosed until after a victim’s life is over, it’s been tough to gather consensus about its causes from across the spectrum of the hockey world.

To wit: through commissioner Gary Bettman, the NHL has denied there’s a link between concussions suffered in its games and the development of CTE. Speaking to NPR in 2023, Bettman said, “We listen to the medical opinions on CTE, and I don’t believe there has been any documented study that suggests that elements of our game result in CTE”. Bettman then added, “There have been isolated cases of players who have played the game (who) have had CTE. But it doesn’t mean that it necessarily came from playing in the NHL.”

Regardless of what your opinion may be on the topic, it’s clear the NHLPA’s understanding of CTE is evolving, and evolving for the better. The last thing anyone should want after playing the sport at elite levels is a lifetime of awful symptoms in their post-playing lives, and the player’s union should be applauded for taking these initial steps to gain a better understanding of the issue.

Head injuries can happen in hockey for a variety of reasons – physical body checking, accidental collisions into the boards and of course, hand-to-hand fighting that always targets the head. Some believe that as the medical world gains more of an understanding of CTE, the hockey world will adjust accordingly. 

And to that, we say, “hear-hear.” Hockey should be doing everything in its power to ensure a healthy quality of life for those who play it, and the NHLPA’s new step forward – one of many this writer believes needs to happen – is a positive development for all involved. And the players should be helping to lead.

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• NHLPA's New Committee On CTE A Positive Step Toward Making Hockey A Safer Sport To Play
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