Concussions are a touchy subject in the NHL. In the older days of the league, players who ‘had their bell rung’ often returned to the game as if nothing had happened. That mindset has slowly started to change but in a piece penned for The Players’ Tribune, Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog argues that more change is still needed.
Landeskog recalled the concussion that he suffered early in the 2012-13 season and that he felt the pressure to stay the game, something that was exacerbated by the fact he had recently been named the new captain of the team. Even the following day with the symptoms clearly present, he admitted that he was telling his teammates and the trainer that he was alright even though he clearly wasn’t.
Landeskog notes that there is a culture change in the dressing rooms around the league as more and more players are becoming aware of the significance of concussions. However, he suggests that associating the common term ‘warrior mentality’ with players who try to play through their head trauma sends the wrong message throughout the sport that those who take the proper time to recover are weak. There’s no doubt that there is more understanding about the effects of concussions but there is still further progress to be made.
More from the Central Division:
- Six weeks ago, it was reported that the Blues were expected to bring center Vladimir Sobotka back from the KHL but as of yet, no official announcement has been made. Louis GM Doug Armstrong told ESPN’s Craig Custance that they’re in the process of finalizing the paperwork to make it official. Sobotka last played in the NHL in 2013-14, picking up 33 points in 61 games. He will play on a one year, $2.725MM contract that was awarded via arbitration in the 2014 offseason.
- Wild majority owner Craig Leipold has started the process of buying out minority owner Matthew Hulsizer, reports Michael Russo of the Minnesota Star-Tribune. Hulzizer owns 27% of the Wild and purchasing his stake will take Leipold’s ownership percentage to 95% in a process that will take place over the next few months. The timing may seem strange but Leipold is exercising an option in the original purchase agreement from February 2015 to call back the shares. Leipold notes that Hulsizer had a key role in Minnesota’s increased use of analytics both in terms of scouting as well as their on-ice play.