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.