Sidney Crosby: Will Concussions Ruin the NHL?

The NHL has a sweeping problem that is destroying the game you and I love.  Every night, it seems as if there is another superstar leaving the ice for an extended period of time because of a concussion. 

The poster boy for these concussions is Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby.  His concussion back in January 2010 has kept the face of the Penguins franchise off the ice for almost an entire year. 

Crosby did come back for a brief period of time in November; however, concussion-like symptoms have sidelined Sid once again. 

Shelly Anderson with the Pittsburgh Post Gazette who caught up with both Crosby and Penguins coach Dan Bylsma about Sid’s latest setback:

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"It is frustrating for Sid," Penguins head coach Dan Bylsma said.  "Sid knows his body better than anybody else.  He's not feeling 100 percent.  He'll return to practice and playing when he is 100 percent.

"I don't think 'frustrating' even describes it," Crosby said.  "It's not fun watching [games].  But at the same time, I look at my ImPACT and I look at some of that stuff and I'm way better off than I was dealing with that stuff in January."

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However, Crosby isn’t the only player who is out for an undisclosed period of time because of a concussion.  According to TSN.ca, the list is now over 30 players who are missing games every night. 

From The Tennessean, Nashville Predators head coach Barry Trotz was bombarded with questions the other night about when their captain Shea Weber would return from his concussion. 

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"I couldn’t tell you," Trotz said Wednesday when asked how close Weber is to playing.  "I mean, he’s skating.  There’s no time frame.  He’s looking better.  He’s out there."

When asked if Weber might play today, Trotz didn’t budge.

"I don’t think anything’s out of the question," he said.  "You’re asking me a question I can’t answer, so I don’t know what you want me to say.  Yes, he looks good; he’s 6-foot-4, he skates well, he shoots the puck like a ton."

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It's hard to blame the players for this growing trend of concussions in the NHL.  The game of hockey is incredibly fast; players have little to no time to react. 

Therefore, it can be hard to keep from hitting another player in the head, resulting in a concussion. 

For instance, Philadelphia Flyer Claude Giroux suffered an accidental concussion when his teammate Wayne Simmonds tried leaping over him but caught his knee on the back of Giroux’s head. 

And, with the Flyers already having lost captain Chris Pronger to a concussion earlier this year, Giroux's concussion was another injury they just couldn't afford. 

Luckily for Philly, Giroux was only held out for a couple of games. 

Until the NHL decides to improve their equipment to better cushion the players' brains, they will continue to see key players sitting out games due to concussions.

Hopefully, they act now, before the game suffers further from the lack of talent and star power caused by this recent plague of concussions. 

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