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Geplaatst: 19-01-2019 07:10:57 Onderwerp: Hours before the Stanley Cup finals began, NHL Commissioner |
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Hours before the Stanley Cup finals began, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman proudly proclaimed that concussions are down across the league and there are numbers to back him up. Buy Air Jordan 3 Australia . That does not mean the league has figured out how to prevent head injuries among its players. Or that the numbers tell the whole story. According to data from STATS provided to The Associated Press, there were 53 concussions during the regular season, a sharp decline from the 78 reported during the leagues last full season two years ago. But even Bettman said there is only so much the league can do about a player hiding a head injury to stay on the ice. "Obviously, its difficult for us to get into a players head, no pun intended, with this concussion discussion," he said. "But if a player is going to not follow the protocol, not say exactly what hes feeling, thats pretty difficult to address." Dr. Jeff Kutcher, an Ann Arbor, Michigan-based neurologist who works with NHL players believed to have concussions, wasnt sure the lower numbers indicated a dramatic change. "Im not surprised that the numbers are down, but I wouldnt read too much into those numbers," Kutcher said. The NHLs concussion protocol, like other leagues, requires players to get a team doctors OK before they can return to play. They are taken to a quiet place for evaluation, questions and tests of their memory, balance and general awareness. Players, though, seem to be able to skate around the protocol. Columbus Blue Jackets defenceman James Wisniewski said he avoided return-to-play protocol after he went head first into the boards during the playoffs. He wanted to keep playing. The Montreal Canadiens were criticized for letting forward Dale Weise return to Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals after a blindside hit sent him to the dressing room. General manager Marc Bergevin insisted the team did not know Weise had a concussion until the next day and that the leagues protocol was followed. "Its flawed, but Im not a doctor," Bergevin said. "We all worry about our players, but we can only go by what were given." Hockey Hall of Famer Brendan Shanahan, who was hired by the Toronto Maple Leafs to be their president two months ago after he was the NHLs chief disciplinarian, said it is good for the game that concussions are part of the conversation. "When there are situations like weve had in the playoffs, whether it is a hit to the head or mis-reporting, it gets put in the spotlight and it should," Shanahan said. "That is part of the continuing change of culture, and its going to be an ongoing process. I dont think there ever will be a perfect system because players are always going to want to play." The NHL Players Association says it has taken steps to educate its players about the dangers of concussions, including bringing doctors to each team before the season for discussions. "The players understand the seriousness of concussions, and along with our consulting doctors we continue to discuss with them the importance of early diagnosis, treatment and proper recovery," NHLPA executive director Don Fehr said. Detroit Red Wings forward Drew Miller said players choose to keep playing with head injuries for at least a few reasons. "Guys downplay the symptoms or dont report them because of job security and they dont want to lose their spot," Miller said. "And, guys want to keep playing because they want help their team. In the back of our minds, too, you dont want other teams to know you have a head injury." Retired players Dave Christian, Reed Larson and William Bennett filed a class-action suit nearly two months ago in federal court that alleged the league has promoted fighting and downplayed the risk of head injuries that come from it. They joined another group of former NHL players in the fight for compensation for head injuries they blame on a game that promotes hard-hitting action. Current players seem to be adapting to the NHLs emphasis on safer play: Physical penalties -- such as illegal checks to the head, checks from behind and elbowing -- have dropped in each of the last six regular seasons. An average of 1.03 physical penalties were called per game during the 2013-14 season, according to STATS, down from 1.14, 1.16, 1.25, 1.36 and 1.39 the previous five years. Suspensions have generally held steady at around 35 per season the past few years, and players are sometimes forced to sit even if no penalty is called. Montreals Brandon Prust wasnt penalized for a hit that broke the jaw of New York Rangers forward Derek Stepan during the Eastern Conference finals, but he was suspended for two games by the league. Stepan sat out one game after going through a series of tests. "The protocol helps make sure that the player is OK and that he is not playing with something that he shouldnt be," he said. "I think its a good step in the right direction." Ultimately, though, players have to protect themselves and each other. "It comes down to the guys on the ice respecting each other and playing it as safe as possible," Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Sharp said. "You see some of the big hits this year, inevitably youre going to catch a piece of the head and cause a problem, but the leagues done well with suspensions and penalties and the players have done a good job as far as the respect factor." Air Jordan 3 Australia Online .J. Hardy to avoid a three-game sweep after blowing a big early lead. Odour had a leadoff single in the seventh and scored the tiebreaking run with the help of two errors by Hardy as the Rangers went on to beat the Orioles 8-6 on Thursday night. Air Jordan 3 Australia Outlet . Ronaldo failed to connect on an ample number of opportunities at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. But Karim Benzema and Jese Rodriguez scored in each half for Madrid to come out of the first leg with the firm advantage. http://www.airjordan3australia.com/ . The closer wasnt available. The road trip, a disaster to that point.(SportsNetwork.com) - The Ottawa Senators are 7-1-3 over their last 11 games, but the club enters Saturdays road tilt with the Carolina Hurricanes having lost three of its past four tilts. After opening a four-game road trip with a 2-0 win in Washington on Monday, the Senators dropped a 4-3 shootout decision Thursday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ottawa was able to salvage a point thanks to Chris Neils game- tying goal with 2:18 remaining in the third period. Clarke MacArthur and Erik Karlsson both posted a goal and an assist for the Sens, while Craig Anderson made 35 stops in a losing effort. Ex-Ottawa goaltender Ben Bishop stopped 33-of-36 shots to earn the win for the Lightning. "We competed all night and I think we did the things we needed to do to be in this game," said Anderson. "We got a point, so there is that." Ottawa, which will complete its trip Tuesday at Columbus, is 11-8-5 as the road team this season. Snowy weather may have shuffled the Hurricanes schedule around this week, but it hasnt hurt their play on the ice. Todays game was originally scheduled for Friday, but was pushed back a day to accommodate the Hurricanes. Carolina was originally slated to play Tuesday in Philadelphia, but that tilt was postponed until the following day due to weather. The Canes then visited Buffalo on Thursday and had Fridays test moved back because they couldnt play on three consecutive days. Saturdays game is an important one in the Eastern Conference playoff race. The Senators are currently two points outt of the Easts last postseason berth and Carolina is just one point behind Ottawa. Cheap Air Jordan 3 Australia. The Hurricanes recorded a 4-1 win over a visiting Senators club on Nov. 24, giving Carolina wins in five of the last six meetings. Ottawa has dropped three straight and 10 of the past 11 encounters in Raleigh. Carolina notched a 3-2 win in Philly and followed with a 5-3 decision against the Sabres. The Hurricanes hope to keep heading in the right direction on Saturday, when they play the first of two straight on home ice. Carolina is 11-10-5 as the host this season and will play six of seven tests in Raleigh before the NHL breaks for the Winter Olympics early next month. The Hurricanes and Sabres were tied at 2-2 after 40 minutes on Thursday and Buffalo grabbed a one-goal lead just 48 seconds into the third period. However, Alexander Semin and Andrej Sekera scored 2:25 apart for Carolina near the midway point of the third to give Carolina the lead for good. Jiri Tlusty, who scored the game-winner with 6:10 left in the third period on Wednesday, added an empty-net goal in the final seconds to seal the win in Buffalo. "Were starting to really gel together right now," said Carolina head coach Kirk Muller. "Were getting the goaltending, our big guys are starting to score and our other guys are playing their roles. You put it together, youre getting some good results." Semin finished with two goals, Sekera added two assists and Anton Khudobin made 26 saves for a Hurricanes team that won for the third time in four games. 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