The NHL doesn’t appear to be changing its position on the link between chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and repeated hits to the head.
Deputy commissioner Bill Daly told NHL insider Frank Seravalli that the NHL hadn’t changed its view on the degenerative brain disease and that the “science is still lacking.”
This comes amid a renewed spotlight on the issue in the wake of former NHL enforcer Chris Simon’s suicide this week at the age of 52.
The former Islanders and Rangers forward’s family said in a statement via his former agent that the “family strongly believes and witnessed firsthand, that Chris struggled immensely from CTE which unfortunately resulted in his death.”
Ex-Islanders and Rangers forward Chris Simon died by suicide, his family said. Neil MillerCTE is only diagnosable after death, and his family’s claims won’t be able to be firmly proven unless his brain is donated and examined by scientific researchers.
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NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said the league has made “progress” to make hockey safer for players.
“Chris’ passing is tragic, it’s sad,” Bettman said in Florida on Wednesday, according to Seravalli. “We extend our deepest condolences to his family and friends. And, you know, on all of these matters, we wait to see what the medical experts tell us.
“Having said that, I think it’s well documented with all of the progress that we’ve made over the last couple [of] decades to make the game as safe as possible.”
Simon previously told an Ottawa court in 2017 when he filed for bankruptcy that he was unable to work due to injuries sustained during his hockey career.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, right, and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly speak to reporters before an NHL hockey game between the St. Louis Blues and the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. APThe former NHL tough guy had said in court filings that he had CTE symptoms that are “thought to be attributable to significant brain trauma during his hockey career,” the National Post reported at the time.
Simon said he had also been dealing with depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, which are symptoms linked to CTE.
The United States National Institutes of Health concluded in 2022 that repetitive traumatic brain injuries caused CTE.
The following year, a study conducted by Columbia University — examining more than 6,000 NHL players from 1967-2022 — found that players who had 50 or more fights in their career “died a decade earlier on average compared to their less pugilistic peers.”
Chris Simon’s family said the enforcer dealt with CTE. APIt also found that “enforcers” — players who racked up 50 or more fights while playing in the NHL — were “more likely to die of suicide and drug overdose, common occurrences in people with CTE.”
Simon fought more than 100 times during his NHL career.
Fighting has again been in the spotlight — especially in New York — as the Rangers’ Matt Rempe has engaged in a slew of scraps early in his NHL career.
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.
