News Article: Steve Downie, Mike Peluso and the NHL's "League of Denial" Moment

[Gordoff]

The devil made him do it.

 

[Bridges31]

Unless I'm understanding this wrong, what he's saying is the same as people saying video games made my son/daughter violent?

This whole concussion lawsuit is going to completely ruin the game by removing the majority of hitting and all of the fighting.

A majority of these player knew what they signed up for when they played the game. I guarantee you that none of them would have turned down their contract even knowing what the results would be. The only thing they would have done differently is plan their finances a little better to ensure that retirement would treat them better.

 

[Dr Hook]

Unless I'm understanding this wrong, what he's saying is the same as people saying video games made my son/daughter violent?

This whole concussion lawsuit is going to completely ruin the game by removing the majority of hitting and all of the fighting.

A majority of these player knew what they signed up for when they played the game. I guarantee you that none of them would have turned down their contract even knowing what the results would be. The only thing they would have done differently is plan their finances a little better to ensure that retirement would treat them better.

No, it's not really the same argument at all. There is empirically verifiable medical evidence that what he says is true. The video game argument has nowhere near the science behind it. The bolded bit I think is pressing it a bit too far here: when you have a league, team doctors, panels of medical experts, trainers etc. all telling a player that hey, repeated hard blows to the head aren't really going to do any long term damage to you, then how can you really blame the players for agreeing to keep doing the job?

If someone told them, yeah go out and fight every night, take shots to the head, then in about 10 years after you retire you'll have all sorts of psychological and physiological problems, you'll be an Alzheimer's patient at 45 or 50, how many do you think would still have done it? Some, probably, but it is just as good a bet to say that a bunch would not have.

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

No, it's not really the same argument at all. There is empirically verifiable medical evidence that what he says is true. The video game argument has nowhere near the science behind it. The bolded bit I think is pressing it a bit too far here: when you have a league, team doctors, panels of medical experts, trainers etc. all telling a player that hey, repeated hard blows to the head aren't really going to do any long term damage to you, then how can you really blame the players for agreeing to keep doing the job?

If someone told them, yeah go out and fight every night, take shots to the head, then in about 10 years after you retire you'll have all sorts of psychological and physiological problems, you'll be an Alzheimer's patient at 45 or 50, how many do you think would still have done it? Some, probably, but it is just as good a bet to say that a bunch would not have.

The ones who earned that type of money playing that style likely would... they weren't the players employed for skill!

It's all about the $$ and these former players know it and know to align themselves correctly going forward, for $$.

 

[Dr Hook]

The ones who earned that type of money playing that style likely would... they weren't the players employed for skill!

It's all about the $$ and these former players know it and know to align themselves correctly going forward, for $$.

Well, I guess we'll never know because the league was not on the level about it. Whatever the case might have been, It doesn't relieve the NHL and the clubs from the responsibility to give their employees all the information so they can make an informed choice.

I'm not at all for banning fighting or hitting- it has its role in the game and is part of what makes hockey unique and great and I doubt we'll see the game become radically different as a result of this, but I do hope that A) the players are fully aware of the risks and B) The league and clubs do more to take care of their players not just when they're under contract, but also afterwards.

 

[BNHL]

EXACTLY what I was thinking. If he had a crystal ball at the beginning of his career, knowing he'd type these types of comments one day while his career was over, would he have left XX $M's on the table? Me thinks NOT. Definition of HYPOCRITE.

If we age without changes to our thoughts and opinions,then we're not growing. BTW,every living being is a hypocrite.

 

[BMC]

No 18 year old on the the threshold of achieving his dream of being drafted & playing for an NHL team is going to listen to anyone telling him about the dangers of such a career. The NHL could mandate that they attend a seminar where a neurosurgeon would explain exactly what happens to the brain after it is concussed and it wouldn't make a damn bit of difference. 18 year olds are 10 feet tall, bulletproof and nothing bad is ever going to happen to them.

Until it does.

Regarding Downie- what a five star hypocrite. He got his ($) and got it by injuring people & now he wants to be a crusader for safer hockey? Just shut.the.****.up. and count your money pal, your credibility is zero on this topic.

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

Well, I guess we'll never know because the league was not on the level about it. Whatever the case might have been, It doesn't relieve the NHL and the clubs from the responsibility to give their employees all the information so they can make an informed choice.

I'm not at all for banning fighting or hitting- it has its role in the game and is part of what makes hockey unique and great and I doubt we'll see the game become radically different as a result of this, but I do hope that A) the players are fully aware of the risks and B) The league and clubs do more to take care of their players not just when they're under contract, but also afterwards.

Have players sign a waiver with the information laid out in black and white.

I bet most still sign and play, and then the NHL doesn't need to remove hitting or fighting.

 

[Oates2Neely]

Downie is one of the biggest dirt bags in recent NHL history. Complete loser

 

[Morris Wanchuk]

I would be more interested if this was written by lane macdermid

 

[Dr Hook]

Have players sign a waiver with the information laid out in black and white.

I bet most still sign and play, and then the NHL doesn't need to remove hitting or fighting.

No problem with that whatsoever

 

[Gee Wally]

Have players sign a waiver with the information laid out in black and white.

I bet most still sign and play, and then the NHL doesn't need to remove hitting or fighting.

Yeah. That wont work for a number of reasons.

First fighting as well as hits to the head and boarding are against the rules. So thats an issue.

Then, and I love this one, its not the same as boxing or MMA unless the league wants to give up governance to each individual state and province commission.

Then there are currently the 6 , at last count, class action suits against the NHL for supporting and turning a blind eye to this isduw while the league says nay nay. I bet the courts plaintiffs would love it. This reversal.

And on and on and on.

Its evolution. Plain and simple. I think it sucks but I can see it coming.

 

[22Brad Park]

I believe 100% what he said about Colin Campbell.I watched how Bettman threatened city of Calgary over new rink not being built.Its what they do.Control freaks.

 

[Dr Hook]

Y
First fighting as well as hits to the head and boarding are against the rules. So thats an issue.

Its evolution. Plain and simple. I think it sucks but I can see it coming.

You raise a really interesting point here. It seems like the league has boxed themselves in on this. If their defense is to say "hits to the head etc. are against the rules already" then it really is incumbent on them to illustrate how their rules are actually being enforced. We all know that they really aren't in the sense of discouraging the behavior. So then they get stuck with having to levy draconian penalties to insure they have a protection against litigation. There goes hitting and fighting in all meaningful sense.

Or, the league owns up to their deception and acknowledges what is already known, takes it in the shorts in the current litigation, and works harder on the player safety, disclosure, and prevention end going forward. Clearly the NFL is surviving something similar because if they don't, football is dead as a sport. Hockey can survive a ban on hitting and fighting even if we would hate the product. It works in European leagues. So, if the NFL can do it and keep their sport intact, then so can the NHL.

If they want to continue to deny responsibility, not only for the injuries and damage players have sustained, but for having a league in which cheap shot artists like Downie can play for years without any meaningful consequences, then yeah, they probably end up with something none of us wants.

 

[Dr Quincy]

Well put.

There are inherent dangers in many, many professions. I wouldn't want my children to be "child actors/singers" because so many of them end up on drugs or with significant mental health issues.

Nor would I want them to become police officers, despite my admiration for anyone courageous enough to chose that profession. Too much danger and dysfunction related to that line of work as well.

I'm not saying that I have no sympathy for those that suffer in their post career lives, and I'm not saying that the NHL or any league should be deceitful in regard to the information they have regarding injuries or conditions like CTE, etc.)

But, if my kids were talented enough to have a chance to play pro hockey, we'd certainly go into it knowing all the risks and rewards and make decisions based on those.

Sarge, you drive every day. I assume if your kids are old enough they do as well (if not, they will). You do this knowing of all the risks involved in it.

But let's say another drive is negligient in some way (running a stop sign, speeding, drunk driving) and crashes into you causing damage to your car and or person. Do you not sue their insurance company or them personally?

The point is this: while hockey may indeed have inherent dangers, that doesn't absolve any party from negligience. We now have good evidence that a team not only hid medical information from a player, but lied to him about that information. You can make some be aware of the risks all you want, but a party that is acting like that is absolutely civilly AND criminally liable for damages.

I see over and over and over fans here say "Well, they know the risks..." and I say this over and over to them and they never respond: US Law is very clear that it does not see "assumption of the risk" as a strong defense in employee-employer situations. There is a duty an employer has to create the safest working environment that it can. Any business owner "knows the risks" of starting a business when it comes to that and must follow the law.

 

[BklyNBruiN]

Steve Downie, Mike Peluso and the NHL's "League of Denial" Moment

I must be honest, and by that I mean this article made me think long and hard about the game of Hockey and what is it about the game that I love so much.. It still has me thinking..