The NHL is not setting itself up for success in their pending concussion lawsuit. In fact the NHL is about to get beat down like what happens in the fights they love so much. The newest release of unsealed lawsuit documents continues to showcase the NHL as a league behind the times with a bevy of employees who are incredibly incompetent and complicit.
The most underreported story in hockey is how badly the NHL is situated in concussion litigation.
— Travis Yost (@travisyost) March 29, 2017
This is true. When, not if, the NHL loses this lawsuit it is going to be a crushing blow to a league that supposedly struggles to make money. At least that is what we are told every time the CBA expires. Unlike the NFL the NHL will not be able to buy their way into a favorable settlement with the players. The more unsealed documents that are released the more evidence we see that the league was completely negligent and complacent with the safety of their players.
Rick Westhead of TSN released an article yesterday that has the latest round of evidence on how poorly functioning and petty the NHL’s brass are.
The latest disclosures start with the Chicago Blackhawks ignoring their medical staff and allowing Martin Havlat to continue playing despite not being medically cleared to do so.
The Blackhawks’ team doctor, in disbelief after Havlat was allowed back into a playoff series: pic.twitter.com/VSrovndgFq
— Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) March 28, 2017
Not a great look and one the NHL has disputed in this case.
So Blackhawks coaches and managers ignored their doctor on a concussion, which refutes the NHL’s longstanding pillar argument in the case.
— Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) March 28, 2017
It’s not good for a building when pillars collapse and the same can be said about a lawsuit.
NHL coaches and General Managers ignoring medical advice is bad enough. It gets even worse when the person who is in charge of officiating which is an extension of player safety has the following to say about the medical science behind fighting
The NHL’s director of officiating, on fighting and concussions: pic.twitter.com/8LRrpOxysG
— Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) March 28, 2017
It is gross that somebody like Steven Walkom is let anywhere near the position he has. His ill-informed views are now public knowledge and given the position he holds that is another huge check mark against the NHL with this lawsuit.
Gary Bettman showed up in these unreleased documents as well
From the @rwesthead fighting piece I RT'ed.
— (((Corey Pronman))) (@coreypronman) March 29, 2017
This should be a challenge to all hockey journalists. Keep asking questions. pic.twitter.com/CBsJFswomZ
As Corey said, keep asking questions and don’t allow for cheap deflections from the subject matter.
Don’t disagree with Gary otherwise he will try to take your money
Bettman suggesting taking away Kerry Fraser’s severance pay after he criticized the league, calling him delusional: pic.twitter.com/buVzbLnrI2
— Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) March 28, 2017
It becomes overwhelmingly obvious that the NHL has not only ignored, but facilitated an environment where it was doing immense harm to its participants when you look at all the details we now have.
We have all of the information from above along with the track record of the Department of Player Safety and the mental and physical health problems of former enforcers (IE: Derek Boogard, Wade Belak, Rick Rypien, Steve Montador, Todd Ewen, Bob Probert etc…
It is incredibly damning and none of it is defensible.
I hope you like outdoor games because the league is going to have to make up for this revenue somehow when the hammer finally drops from the judge in this case.
Thanks for reading!