During the Board of Governors meeting, not only was the NHL realignment discussed but also the controversial issues of fighting. Many hockey fans favor banning fighting citing brain trauma and poor examples for kids playing hockey. Others, such as this author, believe it’s a turf thing- part of the game and can be acceptable if under control. Players can learn to be smarter when pulling a punch.
Sidney Crosby fights Ketih Ballard
Over the summer, three NHL tough guys died: Derek Boogaard, who died accidentally May 13 at age 28 after mixing alcohol and painkillers; Rick Rypien, who committed suicide; and Wade Belak, who reportedly committed suicide, but others insist he died in an accident. All three reportedly suffered from depression.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman warned about making the connection on the deaths to CTE and the role of enforcers in the NHL. The NHL has criticized researchers at Boston University, where extensive studies have been produced, for making simplistic, sensational conclusions based on unsupported claims not based on science. Bettman also drew the line of the personal lives of the players in relation to the studies.
“Do you know everything that went on in their lives?” Bettman responded. “Were there other things going on that could also cause CTE? And until you understand that what exactly causes CTE, it’s speculation as to one or two elements in each case that were in common. The data is not sufficient to draw a conclusion, and our experts tell us the same thing.”
Experts consulting the NHL have said no one can draw a straight line from head trauma to CTE to mental problems because no one has proven what causes CTE, what its effect is or what the risk is of developing it.
“It is important not to over-interpret the finding of early CTE in Derek Boogaard,” said Robert Cantu, a co-director of BU’s Center for the Study of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. “However, based on the small sample of enforcers we have studied, it is possible that frequently engaging in fights as a hockey player may put one at increased risk for this degenerative brain disease.”
Certainly the enforcers may suffer from depression, which can lead to drug and alcohol abuse. Belak was a reluctant brawler because he knew that was his talent for the team. This topic will continue to be a factor in the future of the NHL and hockey in our communities. Everyone can agree that safety is most important in the battle against brain trauma. Keep up the good fight.
