Paul Kariya gets Crunched

After suffering numerous hits in the NHL, Paul Kariya was forced to retire following the 2010-2011 with post-concussion symptoms. Kariya retired after 15 seasons in the NHL as a point per game player. While Kariya has accomplished great things as an undersized hockey player, he will always be remembered for the injuries he suffered during his career. Kariya suffered numerous concussions in his career; as well as, two brain injuries from 1996 to 1998 from dirty hits.

Kariya was selected third overall by the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, during the 1993 NHL Draft. He scored more than 50 goals during the 1995-1996 season, and scored more than 40 on two other occasions. Kariya will always be remembered as the captain of the Ducks and the face of that franchise for over nine seasons.

A player that dazzled many with his natural talent and faster than light speed, Kariya registered 989 points in 989 NHL games. All the speed in the world couldn’t prevent Kariya from connecting with Scott Stevens during the 2002-2003 Stanley Cup Finals. Kariya was flattened by Stevens in open ice, leading him to lay on the ice motionless for several minutes before being assisted off by the training and coaching staff. After leaving Anaheim to play for Colorado, St. Louis, and Nashville Kariya’s career was never the same. While Kariya is finally symptom free after 15 years in the NHL, he is still a strong advocate for concussion awareness. Kariya believes that players suffering concussions should re-habilitate themselves fully before returning to the ice. A player with amazing skill, and blazing speed was never the same after suffering this injury, showing readers how serious concussions can be.

 

 

Scott Stevens- Concussion Causer

After a career of successfully dealing concussions to his opponents, Scott Stevens was forced to retire after suffering post-concussion syndrome. Stevens was hit in the head by a puck during the 2003 NHL playoffs, en route to his third Stanley Cup with the New Jersey Devils. Scott Stevens’ impact on the NHL can simply be defined by his ability to destroy opponents through bone rattling hits (just ask Paul Kariya or Eric Lindros). To the surprise of few, Stevens originally wanted to become a football player. However, Stevens fell in love with the game of hockey which led him to becoming great NHL defensemen. Even though Stevens’ career was ended by a concussion, his impact on the game will always be for providing concussions.

During the 1999-2000 Eastern Conference Final series with the Philadelphia Flyers, Stevens would send Eric Lindros to the doctor with a levelling hit. Lindros was never the same after suffering this hit, leading to his decline. Although this hit was clean; it was a reminder to many, that any player was one hit away from being concussed at the hands of Scott Stevens (or should I say shoulder).

Controversy struck Stevens once again during the 2002-2003 Stanley Cup Finals series with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. Stevens would destroy Paul Kariya with a menacing hit that would knock him out cold. However, Kariya would return and finish the game leaving Stevens unpunished for what could be viewed as a dirty hit. Even though Kariya finished the game, similar to Lindros his career was never the same after being hit by Stevens.

 

Junior Seau- Hit Hard

A team of scientists, who analyzed the brain of NFL linebacker Junior Seau, have concluded that he most likely suffered from a brain disease caused by two decades worth of hits to the head. Junior Seau was a monster middle linebacker during his NFL career, racking up 1184 tackles, as a 10 time all-pro, 12 time Pro Bowler, and named to the NFL 1990s All-Decade Team. Seau was known as a passionate defender, dealing numerous punishing blows to his opponents on the field. Seau was the star of the San Diego Chargers defense for 13 seasons before playing for the Miami Dolphins, and New England Patriots. Seau retired after the 2009 NFL season without winning the vaunted Super Bowl Ring that he so desired.

In May 2012, Seau shot himself in the chest at the age of 43, leaving his four children puzzled. Seau's family donated his brain to neuroscientists at the National Institutes for Health who are conducting ongoing research on traumatic brain injury and football players. Similar to Bob Probert, Seau suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative disease caused by multiple hits to the head. One side effect of this disease is patients feeling deep depression that can lead to suicide. Unfortunately for Seau, the numerous concussions and hits the head he suffered as a warrior on the football field lead to his premature death. Junior Seau’s ex-teammate said that he suffered 1500 concussions. A case such as Seau’s raises much concussion awareness, due to the severity involved when ex athletes lives are at stake.

Aikman Hangs Up His Cleats

Troy Aikman hung up his cleats after nearly 12 years as the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys. After celebrating an illustrious career as a three time Super Bowl Champion, Aikman was forced to retire due to concussion issues. After being released by America’s Team near the end of his career, other teams weren’t willing to take a risk on Aikman due to various doubts surrounding his health. The fact that no team would take a risk on Aikman speaks volumes, considering the amount of talent he possessed as an NFL quarterback.

 Known as one of the most clutch and accurate quarterbacks in the history of football, Aikman ended his career with 2,898 completions on 4,715 pass attempts for 32,942 yards, and 165 touchdown passes. Troy will always be known as the leader of the great Cowboys teams of the late 80s and 90s.

Aikman suffered a variety of injuries in his career which also included as much as 10 concussions. Due to the severity of the concussions he suffered, Aikman said he would never encourage his son to play football. Even though Aikman suffered vicious head shots that have knocked him out cold, he currently has no post-concussion symptoms. Aikman is 46, completely healthy, and lives an active lifestyle. Aikman is one of the few athletes who can celebrate a clean bill of health after suffering various concussions.

The Chris Benoit Tragedy

Doctors have pointed to the fact that Chris Benoit’s tragic death can be attributed to years of concussions. These concussions led to premature dimension, causing Benoit to kill wife and son before killing himself. Doctors stated that Benoit had “shocking” brain damage, due to tests showing Benoit’s brain was so damaged from concussions from wrestling that it was similar to Alzheimer patients.

 Benoit spent a majority of his life in the ring as a professional wrestler, most notably with the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) from 2000-2007. Benoit celebrated much success as a wrestler winning the WWE and WCW World Championships during his illustrious career. Also known as the Canadian Crippler, Benoit’s success was attributed to his skill within the ring rather than his persona. With high flying moves like the diving head-but, and vicious submissions like the sharpshooter and crippler cross face, Benoit became a fan favourite. Chris Benoit was always known a kind and caring person, which led many to surprise after hearing of the murder-suicide.

The wrestler’s father, told reporters he agreed to brain testing due to the murder-suicide being out of character for his son. Later after the killings, he discovered a diary written by his son, indicating he was extremely disturbed at the time.

The human brain is not built to withstand the blows to the head from tables and chairs that professional wrestling provides. The level of brain damage Benoit had was most likely the cause of his depression and irrational behaviour. Benoit’s brain showed the same kind of damage effecting former football players who also committed suicide. In Benoit’s case concussions not only stole his career, but his life and families as well. This case should raise awareness to the danger and severity of concussions if they are not noticed and treated effectively.

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Sid the Kid Battles Concussions

Sidney Crosby can finally play hockey concussion free, after dealing with headaches for over 2 years. During his long battle with concussions, many questions surrounded the best player in the game. The pain began during the 2011 January 1 Winter Classic, when Crosby was blindsided by a dirty hit from Washington forward David Steckel. Like most young athletes Crosby rushed his recovery, and re-aggravated his injury with a hit from behind on January 5 2011. After being evaluated further the Pittsburgh Penguins announced that Crosby would miss at least a week. At the time of this injury Crosby was dominating the NHL with 66 points (32 goals, 34 assists) in 41 games. Unfortunately, after showing all the potential to break numerous records, Crosby missed the remaining 42 games of the 2010-2011 season; as well as, the playoffs.

 

Due to the severity of this injury Crosby had to wait until March 14 just to resume skating for a 15 minute workout. Shortly after this Crosby suffered a setback that caused him to miss even more time. After waiting vigilantly and training hard for his return, Crosby played for nearly a month of the 2011-2012 season suffering another concussion setback. After this setback the Pittsburgh Penguins announce that Sidney Crosby is out indefinitely. Following nearly 2 months of mystery, the Penguins and Crosby’s agent announce that he has been diagnosed with a soft tissue injury in his neck, which is most likely causing concussion-like symptoms.

 

 

Crosby returned early in March and has been concussion free since. In this case a dynamic and heavily skilled player is still able to play hockey at a high level, even though he has dealt with numerous concussions. For the sake of the NHL and fans alike; hopefully Sidney Crosby can enjoy a long and successful career concussion free.

Mike Richter Can’t Stop Concussions

Former NHL goalie Mike Richter is known as one of the most successful American Goaltenders to ever play in net. Richter led the New York Rangers to a Stanley Cup Championship in 1993-1994, and represented America in goal for various international tournaments. Due to much success in his playing career, Richter was inducted into the U.S Hockey Hall of Fame in 2008.

After suffering 2 concussions in 8 months, the American born talent was regrettably forced to retire. After suffering these concussions Richter noticed that his thought process was altered dramatically, as the once sharp mind he had felt less effective. Richter’s heart was struck with deep sadness, after being forced to stop playing the game he loved due to concussions. As a father of 3, he was aware that playing after these injuries would be a great risk to his health. Richter played in 666 games, winning 301 of them, after spending his whole 14 year career with the New York Rangers.

After his retirement, Richter felt that he had more game left in him which made his final decision all the more harder. Richter played his final game on November 5, 2002 after he was involuntarily hit in the head by Todd Marchant. Richter then missed the last 9 games of the season with a fractured skull and concussion after being hit with a shot in the mask. Any hope Richter had of playing again were crushed, after neurologist Karen Johnston, told him his prognosis was not getting better over 3 months. A warrior like Mike Richter could have played through various injuries, but a concussion was not one of them.

Bob Probert- The Enforcer

Unlike most athletes discussed on this blog, Bob Probert was not one that relied on skill or finesse during his hockey career. Probert was an enforcer; and he did a good job of doing it, winning most of his 246 fights on the ice. After 16 seasons in the NHL with Detroit and Chicago, his 3,300 penalty minutes make him fifth on the league’s career list. Similar to other NHL enforcers, Probert suffered from alcohol and cocaine addictions during his career. Probert died of heart failure at the age of 45.

After examining Probert’s brain tissue, researchers at Boston University said that he suffered from degenerative brain disease - Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). This disease was also present in more than 20 deceased professional football players, which led to the NFL changing rules and policies in an effort to limit head injuries.

Although the NHL is trying to reduce hits to the head in hockey, they are still allowing players to fight. This puts enforcers in a dangerous position, due to possible brain diseases caused by fighting. The NHL will eventually have to ban fighting, if more enforcers continue to suffer from depression, brain diseases and alcohol and substance dependencies. The death of Probert has raised concussion awareness in the sport, and will continue to be monitored in order to ensure the safety of players.

Wasted Talent- Pat Lafontaine

Pat Lafontaine was widely known as one of the best American born players to ever play in the NHL. However, after suffering six concussions in seven seasons, he was forced to cut his career short in 1998. Lafontaine celebrated 468 goals and 545 assists in 15 NHL seasons with the New York Islanders, Buffalo Sabres, and New York Rangers, on his way to the Hockey Hall of Fame.

 At 5 foot 10, and 180 pounds; Lafontaine was able to dazzle with his amazing puck handling and scoring abilities. Even though he was immensely talented, he could not overcome the dreaded post-concussion syndrome. Lafontaine career was tragically cut short, as the talented center could have posted even more impressive numbers; had he not suffered numerous concussions.

He believes that once you get to a certain point with head injuries there is no turning back; which is why most players are cut short because of them. A muscular tear or sprain can heal with time; however, the human brain is a complex organ that sometimes takes years to recover from- if that. Lafontaine is making a large impact off the ice through his Companions in Courage Foundation, which helps children and their families overcome life-threatening obstacles. Lafontaine’s advice to young hockey players is to not come back too early from any concussion. Concussions are easily aggravated and can persist if athletes return to the ice without being fully recovered.

Lafontaine was first diagnosed with concussions after a vicious hit from Francois Leroux. Doctors advised Lafontaine not to return, but he did and was never the same player. Lafontaine finds it ironic that even 13 years after he was hit, there are a lot of similar situations left in the game. Hockey needs to be made safer and better for players, in order to ensure long and healthy careers and lives.

Keith Primeau

 

Keith Primeau was another NHL power forward whose career was affected by concussions. Primeau was a two time All Star in the NHL, and scored 266 goals with 353 assists from 1990-2005. Primeau suffered four documented concussions in the NHL, the last of which forced his early retirement.  

Primeau is actively involved in raising concussion awareness, through his website stopconcussions.com, along with former European pro Kerry Goulet. They also have a book called "Concussed! Sports-related Head Injuries: Prevention, Coping and Real Stories," which was recently released. He is also appearing in the concussion documentary, called “head games”.

 

Even after being seven years removed from pro hockey, Primeau still has headaches daily. He realizes that the stuggles he has gone through mentally and physically would be too hard to overcome in order to make a comeback to hockey. Similar to Eric Lindros, the more concussions Primeau suffered from, the harder they became to recover from. Recovery wasn't the only issue, as the post-concussion symptoms increased, making it harder for him to complete daily tasks without pain. He was unable to work out for years due to headaches and dizziness, but has recently been able to do so.

 

 Primeau has reached out to other players suffering from symptoms similar to his. He has found some comfort in being able to help guide others through his tough ordeal. Keith Primeau wants the NHL to take further steps in order to help limit concussions in hockey. He will continue to raise awareness by sharing his experiences, and become an inspiration to players who are affected by concussions.

 

The Case of George Visger

George Visger, former NFL offensive lineman has lived the last 20 years of his life in a post-concussion daze. Visger uses hundreds of small notebooks in order to remember the minutiae of his daily life. He is unable to remember where he lives, or even the closest coffee shop. His notebooks are his only source of memory, and if it isn’t written down it doesn’t exist to him.

Visger’s memory started to fade in 1982 due to a bone crushing hit that led to a concussion. His career was very brief because of this injury. After the hit, Visger went into a coma that would have led most men to death. The injury itself can also be identified with a life-time of using his head to make hits. He is just one of several former NFL players suffering from depression, memory loss, and sudden bouts of rage. Experts and doctors alike all believe that the source of the symptoms described above are from concussions. Visger believes that he had been suffering from concussions since childhood football, although they were never identified. Even though the medical community has become more educated in concussions, there are still many mysteries in this field.

Scientists have spent years explaining concussion symptoms, by examining athletes brains after they die. Visger believes he is getting worse from year to year and fears that his fate will be that of other concussed athletes. Many before Visger suffer from brain damage, or even deep depression that has led to suicide. Visger believes that the fish oil supplement he was prescribed to take has had some success in controlling his depression. George Visger wants to find some kind of resolution for his concussion symptoms, before it affects the relationship he has with his wife and children.

The Eric Lindros Story

Far too often concussions are downplayed by professional athletes as well as coaches and local media. However, they not only take a devastating toll on athlete’s careers, but also on their mental and physical health. Concussions have been known to cause serious brain trauma that can lead to anxiety, headaches, irritability and so forth. This blog will be used to demonstrate the effects of concussions on professional athletes, and the negative side effects they had on their careers.

Former NHL player Eric Lindros’ career was derailed due to a variety of concussions. Eric Lindros entered the NHL in 1991 as the first overall draft pick. He would enjoy large amounts of success early in his career with the Philadelphia Flyers winning the Hart Memorial Trophy as MVP, and Lester B. Pearson award for the 1994-1995 seasons. Lindros also recorded over 40 goals 4 times with the Flyers, and over 70 points 7 times. Lindros was a prime example of an athletic specimen at 6 foot 4 and 255 pounds. Much of his success can be attributed to his hardnosed power forward style, which also contributed to much of his injuries.

After Lindros suffered his first concussions in 1998, he became susceptible to further injuries and trauma. There were obvious signs that the concussions Lindros suffered transformed him for the worse mentally and physically. Lindros stated that he became very sarcastic; as well as, selfish and didn’t treat people in a polite manor. After Lindros began suffering from numerous concussions, his playing style changed for the worse. He wasn’t able to use his power and strength down the middle of the ice, and played with the fear of suffering further injuries. Due to this Lindros was never the same, and was mediocre for the rest of his career. Unfortunately, this very talented athlete never skimmed his potential due to dreaded concussions.