Sidney Crosby Could Have Died: The Real Problem in the NHL Concussion Debate

Concussions, concussions, concussions. By now, this term has been burned into your consciousness, and there is a very good reason for it.

The NHL is getting bigger, stronger and faster. Last season, there were approximately 55,000 documented hits during the season. That was a 40 percent increase since 2003. So far this season, the total number of official concussions has reached 70.

If you Google "NHL concussions", you will find numerous articles and debates about the topic. You will come across Elliotte Friedman's feature on CBC, a press release from the NHL and an ESPN panel discussion, among others.

In them, you will find a lot of useful and insightful information. Some recommend changes to the equipment and glass, while others suggest rule changes. However, what you likely won't find is any discussion about second-impact syndrome (SIS).

The severity of Sidney Crosby's current concussion is probably due to SIS. It is defined as "the result when an athlete who has suffered a concussion returns to activity too soon and receives another blow to the head that can result in much greater trauma to the brain than that initially experienced."

In other words, he could have died due to brain swelling. No two people react the same after a first or second concussion, which makes it all the more scary.   

The most disastrous risks associated with concussions aren't the long-range effects like what Bob Probert had in chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), but it is the risk of a second impact too soon after the first.

In sports, we see it all the time. Two seasons ago in the NFL, running back Brian Westbrook suffered a concussion in which he was knocked out cold on Monday Night Football. He was barely out a couple of weeks before he returned. In his first game back, he received another blow to the head, but this time, it was much more minor. 

What was the effect on his brain? A much more significant head injury because it compounded the original one. He was put on injured reserve for the remainder of the season.

The same thing happened to Sidney Crosby, Marc Savard and many others. 

The real problems with this whole debate are the horrible screening standards, a medieval, hyper-masculine player culture and lack of appropriate post-concussion care.

Take a look at the absurdity coming out of Leafs GM Brian Burke's mouth.

"I think the league has been a leader on the concussions. I think other leagues are looking to us on how we diagnosis and treat concussions. I think we're a leader on it. It's a serious issue in our game. It's always going to be an issue in our game."

What planet is he living on? Anyone with half a brain could tell that Crosby's original hit in the Winter Classic left him feeling "not right". Keep in mind this is the same GM that saw his team allow Mikhail Grabovski to return to the ice after a clear-cut head injury vs. Boston.

As it stands now, there aren't standardized test procedures to diagnose concussions, and this is what needs to change as soon as possible.

In the NFL, if a player gets a head injury, he is immediately pulled out of the game so he can be re-evaluated over the coming days. An NFL player must be symptom-free for a minimum of five full days before he can be cleared to play. These are the very bare basics and conditions that the NHL does not currently have.

Gary Bettman has gone on record to say that "accidental hits" are to blame for the increased concussion rates.

Who exactly are these people? If these are the leaders of the issue in the game today, then I fear for the players' safety. 

There is no way on earth that Crosby should have been allowed to return to the ice in the Winter Classic, and now he is probably out for the year because of it. Going forward, another significant blow to the head could end his career.

When will the league wake up and realize that its current standards are archaic?

Personally, I find it pathetic that the Pittsburgh Penguins haven't come under much greater scrutiny and criticism for the way they handled the league's prized possession. Too many players are being allowed back onto the ice too soon.

Common sense dictates that a whole host of changes can be made, and God only knows what they are waiting for.

Let's just hope that it happens before it's too late.