Another Lawsuit Against The NHL

The National Hockey League has been hit, again, with a class-action lawsuit tied to concussions. Filed in the U.S. District Court in Minnesota, the only plaintiff is the former NHL defenseman John Rohloff. The suit is open to former NHLers and their families.

The New York Times says, “The suit says that the league concealed the dangers of concussion and did not pass rules designed to reduce the risk of brain injury until recent seasons. N.H.L. representatives did not respond to a request for comment late Tuesday afternoon. After a similar suit was filed in April, Bill Daly, the deputy commissioner, said, “We are completely satisfied with our record on player safety, including as it relates to head injuries and brain trauma.”

The suit declares the following: “Former NHL players are uniting to send one resounding message: they signed up to play hockey knowing that they might get injured and dinged, but they did not sign up for brain damage. Over the course of an NHL season, a player will sustain hundreds of hits to the head during games, contact in training camp practices, and from contact in some regular season practices. These concussive and sub-concussive impacts, particularly when multiplied over the course of an NHL career, result in impaired brain function or deadly brain disease. The NHL knew this, but did not take measures to adequately inform or protect its players.”

The suit seeks financial compensation for medical monitoring, legal costs, and other damages tied to the league’s alleged misconduct.

The NHL has recently become more strict as to hits on the head and new rules have gone into place to help lessen the number of fights on the ice.

Source:
CBS Sports