2011 NHL Playoffs: Are the New NHL Concussion Protocols Really Working?

Each week on Gary Bettman's weekly radio show, "The NHL Hour", the commissioner is constantly praising how the NHL are leaders in the sports world when it comes to concussions.  He cites that they were the first to do baseline testing, implement return-to-play standards, etc. 

This season rule 48 was put into action to limit the amount of blindside hits to the head.  It seemed like a daily debate given how violent and physical this sport is.  Yet, despite these efforts, concussions were at an all-time high this year.

Was this due to more awareness?  Higher media exposure?  The fact that the face of the league in Sidney Crosby was out? 

Regardless of the reasons, NHL general managers took it one step further at their GM meetings and enacted a rule that required teams to take a player to a quiet and isolated place to be evaluated for a concussion for a minimum of 15 minutes.

Under the old system, players were evaluated at the bench.  This was grossly inadequate as players can easily wave the trainer away and shrug off the immediate effects of a head shot.  How are they supposed to compare results with a baseline test on the bench in the chaos of a live game?

All of these measures seemed promising.  The NHL seemed like they were going in the right direction.

However, many critics wondered how these standards would hold up in the playoffs when the stakes became higher.

Would teams sacrifice their chances in the name of player safety?  Would they be able to overcome the drive of competition to ensure a player isn't putting themselves in harm's way? 

Last night the resounding answer to all these questions was NO!

The much debated hit by Raffi Torres on Brent Seabrook was the center of attention and stands as exhibit A in this prosecution.

Every armchair doctor sitting comfortably at home could see that Seabrook got hit in the head hard and seemed a bit stunned immediately after the hit.

The commentators openly questioned if he might have suffered a concussion.  Yet, Seabrook remained on the bench and wasn't evaluated by a trainer. 

A few shifts later Seabrook took another hit, but this time it wasn't to the head.  After this second collision he skated off and was taken to the dressing room with time still remaining on the clock.

Seabrook later returned to game in the third period, but it's anyone's guess if the proper concussion protocols were carried out while he was out.

In my opinion, someone from the Blackhawks should be fired or reprimanded in some way.  I'm not sure who is solely responsible for getting a player off the bench for a concussion test, but this is not acceptable whatsoever.

We all saw what happened to Sidney Crosby when he had a second collision—second impact syndrome.  When the time frame is shortened between hits the consequences can be much more catastrophic.

Whether it is stricter penalties for trainers and coaches or a change to the hyper-masculine culture that hockey players cling to, something more needs to be done to protect players from themselves.

But how and when if the current system isn't working?