It's Time To Change Between The NHL And Hockey

The league office has taken various factors into account, as we considered enacting rule changes designed to reduce head injuries. First and foremost, we engaged in dialogue about whether any rule changes would threaten the “sole” of the sport. We came to the conclusion that these rule changes would not damage the sport, and would only legitimize it further. Secondly, we talked officials from other leagues regarding their changes in sports. Our league has experienced similar

After the NFL commissioner came under scrutiny from Washington lawmakers on whether or not the injuries in his sport were the cause of traumatic brain disease. The commissioner enacted a policy that players had to pass a series of test by a neurologist prior to them being allowed to return to play( Grove, J) This policy change is similar to a normal employee passing a physical from their primary Doctor before they could return to work. The Commissioner enacted this policy to prevent players from returning to the game to soon. The current NFL commissioner Roger Goodell wasn’t the first recognize that his sport had a problem taking care of its players. In 1962 the rule of no “Face masking” was enacted. This rule prohibited a player from grabbing another player’s facemask (Grove, J 657). In the late 1970’s an additional rule was enacted. The NFL finally passed a rule prohibiting players from using their helmets to

Number ONE on this list was affordability. Not willingness to play, not safety concerns, but affordability is the biggest barrier to entry. This is an extremely alarming stat because hockey has never been about who can pay the costs, but rather if you want to play the sport, then you are able to play. The direction it's trending towards is more about who can pay, and not so much about everyone being able to play. Just as the GTHL president John Gardner said “The game has changed in this respect: It used to be that you had a right to play, now it's can you afford to pay” (Mirtle, 2014). The alarming stats don't stop there. The average household pays $1500 per season, just for equipment. The average cost for a player(non goalie) is $750 per season, once again just for equipment. Not only are these costs extremely high but they increase when a player plays goalie, with just the goalie pads ranging anywhere from a few hundred dollars to $1300 for top of the line pads. Comparing these costs to other sports, it's easy to see why some parents are opting for their kids to play other sports rather than hockey. For basketball, the cost for equipment is a measly $325 per

Injuries impact the school life, profession, and the approach to society of a player. It slows down the natural ability of one to obtain and accomplish their aspirations in life, such as academics achievements or relationship goals (Dr. Echlin, 2014). Physicality and toughness are important factors in sports, especially in hockey. In a sport that is nearing a century old, who dare prohibit the originality of it? But with prolific past injuries on players caused by malicious hits, such as Todd Bertuzzi’s infamous check on Steve Moore in ’04 or superstar Sidney Crosby’s year-long concussion in ’10-11, speculation has started to gather regarding the complete exertion of violence in the NHL. With over 50% of players getting injured each year and

Helmets keep a players head safe during a game. Most NFL players still wear helmets that were made in the nineteen-nineties (Halstead). DeSean Jackson now has an anti-concussion football helmet (Chase). If helmet companies manufactured more anti-concussion helmets, players would be better off and the rule would definitely not need to be in play. Also, according to Halstead, in two thousand-thirteen, players will finally have price breaks from helmet companies to be able to buy newer safe helmets (Halstead). If players buy more anti-concussion helmets, they would not get injured as easy nor would the helmet-to-helmet hit rule need to take

In the event that a player makes a dirty hit on a skilled player, the enforcer’s role is to send a message to the other team. For fear that a skilled player will be hurt and unable to play, an enforcer will take matters into his own hands. As a result, skilled players feel protected and can do their job of scoring goals more effectively. All things considered, fighters are there for protection, not violence. Fighting as part of the game reduces injuries drastically. At the present time, fighting in the NHL is being heavily debated and there are two very different sides to the argument. In the meantime, with the stricter regulations against fighting, NHL injuries are at an all-time high. My coach, Kelly Chase—a retired NHL enforcer—says that with concussions being such a focus in sports, only 2% of the ones in the NHL are caused by fights. The other 98% are caused by dirty hits. In the background of the controversy, the game has evolved to where fighting is not an enforcer’s only role on the team. Beyond a reputation for being tough, an enforcer good hockey player. All things considered, fighters are here for protection, not

Helmets are a major guideline that needs to be improved because a helmet is there to protect the head and prevent concussions but it doesn't seem to be doing a good job. Now there's always that question of “why don't we just make the helmet better and more equipped to prevent concussions?”, well we've had football around for years now and if it hasn't been done yet I don't think it will ever be done. According to the North Eastern Undergraduate Writing Journal, since the 1970s, helmets have been made with a polycarbonate shell, a steel face mask, and padding which is just foam and inflatable air bladders. Even though modern helmets maybe more

On the word of Blaine Hoshizaki March 8, 2011 in the local news article entitled “Ottawa Researcher Rethinks Hockey Helmet,”” Most concussions occur when there is a hit to the head that turns the head at the same time, various design factors make current helmets ill suited to protecting players against this type of hit, including helmet shape.” As Hoshizaki stated previously, a hockey helmet’s basic shape is the shape of the player’s head. The problem primary problem with the shape is in accordance with players being directly hit by a forceful object, such as an elbow or even the hockey puck. Modern hockey helmets are designed with impact in mind; Meaning, helmets are not meant to withstand major blows from a body check, which physically move the receiving player’s head in a certain direction of which makes the brain collide with the inside of the skull. The reasoning behind Hoshizaki’s research is to maintain safety as well as effectiveness in player equipment.

In the Olympics for Hockey, they take the helmet and protecting the face rule very serious. During warm-ups, it has been required that all players wear helmets. If a player is not wearing his helmet correctly during the game, the game will be stopped and the player is penalized. The NHL is a little bit easier on players, it’s not required like in the Olympics where players have to wear a helmet during pre-game and if your helmet comes off in the during NHL play the game continues.

Barnett argues “Live contact during regular season and postseason practises will be allowed no more than three days a week and limited to no more than 30 minutes a day and a total of no more than 80 minutes a week. Contact also is not allowed on more than two consecutive days.”(Barnett, pg1) This will help decrease the number of concussions in children and teens in sports. Although it is not a way to prevent them it is still a serious injury that people of all ages should be cautious about. (HELMETS IN SPORTS) “Helmet use in sports spans such varied activities as race-car driving, motorcycling, baseball, hockey, football, lacrosse, equestrian activities, and bicycling. The substantial increase in helmet use is a tribute to the consumer's concern for safety, society's interest in minimizing serious injury, and the helmet industry's efforts to produce acceptable products. Generally speaking, however, helmet safety design has evolved slowly”(Coben, 1). Helmets in sports are the most important tool for protection from concussions. Even though concussions are not 100% preventable schools should pay the extra money to get the safest helmets. Helmet safety is evolving and there are new helmets specifically for concussions. “Forty-one states and Washington, DC, have youth sports TBI laws that require coaches and teams to remove young athletes from play if they are suspected of having suffered a TBI, and all of those states but Wisconsin and Ohio require

Sports is a major part of mostly everyone’s life either you watch it or just participate in it. Though it has it benefits, everyone has the reason why they participate or enjoy watching sports. With the benefits comes with some consequence. When a football player puts on a helmet, he knows what he gets himself into. Although they have a helmet on, they are not guarantee not to get a concussion, according to Press Release “there was a new study that found out that football helmets currently used on the field does little to no protection against hits to side if the head” (AAN).

Could you image you having a mild concussion? Or even your kid having one? Thinking that it will be gone in a few days, but not knowing that you could have life threatening injury to your brain, just by a blow to the head, by playing a sport. According to Sports Illustrated, in July 2014, a federal judge approved to the NFL, $765 million settlement, after 4,500 former players filled lawsuits against them, but recently, that settlement has been raised to $1 billion, covering more than 20,000 former players for the next 65 years. Professional organizations try there hardest to make the game as safe as possible, but like anything, there's flaws. Organizations like the NFL, NBA, NHL, and even the MLB, are trying to make sports as safe as possible

Head, Face, and eye injury in women’s collegiate field hockey can lead to a serious problem like a concussion. A concussion is an injury to the brain that is caused by something hitting the head very hard. In most colleges that sponsor the sport they have found out that most of the injuries that do occur are either related to the ball or stick hitting off of the head. In a recent study done by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) they discovered that concussions accounted for about 43 percent of the injuries. Collegiate field hockey rules and style of play are much different from the high school and elementary level of competition.

In the Olympics for Hockey, they take the helmet and protecting the face rule very serious. During warm-ups, it has been required that all players wear helmets. If a player is not wearing his helmet correctly during the game, the game will be stopped and the player is penalized. The NHL is a little bit easier on players, it’s not required like in the Olympics where players have to wear a helmet during pre-game and if your helmet comes off in the during NHL play the game continues.

In sports, especially professional sports injury is a great possibly, and a common and very serious injury is plaguing all sports. The concussion is that injury. And over the past few years the NHL and other leagues or trying to crack down on concussions; but those are only partial solutions. In hockey concussions, can come from anything and happen at any time. Thus, proposing a solution or a way to prevent them, is very difficult. As per a study that took place from 1997-2004, results published in 2011 by CTV, states “With averages ranging from 4.6 to 7.7 concussions per 100 NHL players per season, it’s likely that each of the 30 teams in the league will see at least one or two players miss time due to a concussion every year” (Tahirali). Thusly supporting how many players received concussions, even if this study is older. Many people are fighting to get the game changed to combat concussions, and just as many fight to not change the game; although they still do not want concussions.