NHL Says It Isn't Interested in Concussion Lawsuit Settlement

Despite facing a class-action lawsuit from a group of former players over concussion safety measures, the NHL does not have plans to engage in settlement talks.   

According to an internal memo from the NHL that was obtained by Greg Wyshynski of Yahoo Sports, the league feels it has taken the proper initiative to protect its players:

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While recent signals suggest plaintiffs are anxious to begin settlement discussions (similar to what transpired in the NFL), we have indicated to them no desire to engage in such discussions, primarily because we feel so strongly in the merits of our case and the leadership role (among all sports leagues) we have taken in the study, prevention, diagnosis and management of concussions. 

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The memo also mentions the NFL's concussion settlement, in which it could provide as much as $1 billion over the next 65 years to former players dealing with injuries related to their playing days, stating the league may have been concerned by "what discovery in those cases might reveal."

“By contrast, despite extensive discovery to date, we have yet to find any document or other evidence that would tend to support the plaintiffs’ theory of the case," the NHL memo states.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman raised eyebrows last May when he told reporters, per Chris Emma of CBS Chicago, that "from a medical science standpoint, there is no evidence yet" linking hockey with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). 

CTE is the disease that has been linked to numerous former NFL players who have had their brains studied by doctors. 

Wyshynski added the NHL and players who filed the lawsuit have not had "substantive talks" about a settlement. 

In February 2015, per Allan Muir of Sports Illustrated, a group of 29 former NHL players filed a lawsuit against the league alleging it "failed to protect them against the risks of the repeated head trauma they sustained during their pro hockey careers."

Muir's report notes an exact financial demand was not made, though the lawsuit does state "the overall amount in controversy exceeds $5,000,000.00, exclusive of costs, interest and attorneys’ fees.”

There's no way for the NHL to come out of this situation looking good, even if it believes its case is sound. Concussion and head injuries have become as much a part of the sports discussion as anything in recent years, as more information has come out.