On a scale of one to ten, fighting would seem to be less of a danger to life and limb than getting hit while in goal w/o a mask--imagine stopping a shot by Bobby HULL or Maurice RICHARD,--or diving to the ice to stop the puck, or being hammered with a hockey stick which was the case with the confrontation between Ted Green and Wayne Maki. Yet so many enforcers have perished, or suffer concussive effects years after retiring. Dave Schultz, main enforcer of the Broad Street Bullies who even beat up Bill Chadwick while he was broadcasting the game, has never suffered , as far as we know from blows to the face in his many confrontations with opposing players. Likewise for those "gunners" brought down from Edmonton in the 1990's, who helped Rangers win the Stanley Cup: Anderson, Messier, O Connor, inter alios.Exception was Jeff Beukaboom who did suffer from intense headaches and retired prematurely.in the 1980's there was a bar opened up by Phil Esposito and Ron Dugay, STICKS, which I frequented on 79th and First Avenue. Dugay seemed fine, although in subsequent years he complained of the effects of concussions,But Dugay played without a helmet.
3
Sad. As the father of a 12 year old boy, my heart aches for Stephen Peat and his father.
When a sport values a "best fight" of the year then there is no doubt the league encourages the type of violence that leads to CTE. Shame on the NHL. I will not watch another NHL game.
When a sport values a "best fight" of the year then there is no doubt the league encourages the type of violence that leads to CTE. Shame on the NHL. I will not watch another NHL game.
3
So the guy is an alcoholic and HEAVY poly substance abuser (narcotics, cocaine, and who knows what else)and it's clear that mild head injury is responsible for his condition? Sorry, but it's at least as likely this is substance abuse related as it were to from a handful of fights (which tend to be low energy insults compared to hitting your head on the ice or football H2H collisions, for example)
Great article, but a very sad one. Am reminded of the sorrowful end of REG FLEMING,the Rangers main enforcer in the late 1960's.He suffered so many concussions that he could barely walk or even put a sentence together in the months preceding his death. Yet other players, Gretzky or Richard , just two examples, never suffered the same fate. Lindstrom quit hockey in his prime because of concussions. Always believed that fist fights between players were almost anodine compared to other dangers of playing the game , like being hit by a puck,being speared or being severely body checked. Each case is different I suppose, but the number of enforcers who have died prematurely is staggering and so fighting must have something to do with it.Any way u look at it , its a tough game. Be interested to know average salary of a medium talented player like PEAT, and how much he has been compensated by the NHL for everything he has gone through. Good luck to him, and I hope he emerges from this painful interlude. He is a brave man.
5
I'm not going to use this opportunity to bash NHL-style hockey; it's pretty obvious what the problem is anyway. What I'm pondering is the tragedy of a healthy young athlete whose career ended at the age of 25 because of a mis-application of his talent. May his case be a lesson to others coming up through the ranks to say, "I want a career in hockey, not as a brain experiment."
2
The real tragedy here is the adaptation of these young men from hockey players to enforcers. No doubt that the Proberts, Peats, Belaks, etc., grew up dreaming of scoring goals, helping their team win through dynamic, skillful play. Furthermore, they all pursued this dream through the Canadian Hockey League. Somewhere along the line they either realized or were told they simply weren't good enough and the only way to realize their dream was to be the "enforcer". When will the CHL be held accountable for their exploitation of 15/16 year old boys? It has to start with the NHL and Gary Bettman. There has to be pressure from the top down to fundamentally alter the culture of the sport and steer it towards a skillful game with zero tolerance head contact. As a CHL alumnus and an NHL player, these stories hit very close to home. I always come back to the same sentiment; barring radical change, there is no way I will allow my son to play ice hockey.
19
if he reads this or any friend of his does. get in touch with Dr. Daniel Amen in the Boston MA. area. he has had several football players helped by him and his healthy brain shows from PBS.
that being said HOCKEY; a game played by football players on ice skates with sticks!
right now the playoffs are on going, no whistles are blown (hardly) as play goes on not
supervised by rules. it happens every year. rules are made then ignored.
I wrote the NFL and NHL back in the 1990's about the upcoming concussion problems I could see in the players. right now they are coming to the surface and the public is starting to take notice.
note to self more concussion problems coming. I will bet his started in his youth.....
that being said HOCKEY; a game played by football players on ice skates with sticks!
right now the playoffs are on going, no whistles are blown (hardly) as play goes on not
supervised by rules. it happens every year. rules are made then ignored.
I wrote the NFL and NHL back in the 1990's about the upcoming concussion problems I could see in the players. right now they are coming to the surface and the public is starting to take notice.
note to self more concussion problems coming. I will bet his started in his youth.....
3
We've been calling ex-boxers 'punch drunk' for over a hundred years. You can't be telling me this is new! Help these men.
9
But we have a fancy name for it now, so it's being taken seriously.
2
It's entirely plausible that as between choosing a career in astrophysics or as hatchet man, it never occurred to anyone that...oh, never mind, but it sure is a shame that global warming doesn't have deep pockets, not like the NHL, anyway.
4
This is heartbreaking on so many levels. How much money did the fights bring in for the NFL? Mr. Peat requires a significant amount of therapy - perhaps some variation of applied behavioral analysis and assistance with finding strategies to manage the memory loss.
Why does the NHL keep sending him to rehab when he has a serious pain management issue? It is possible to treat the pain while keeping his pain medication usage at a sustainable level. I've used the candy bar method of managing pain that Mr. Peat uses and it sucks. Luckily for me I was able to drive home at the end of the day and take my pain medication. What is being done to Mr. Pray is torture!
Why does the NHL keep sending him to rehab when he has a serious pain management issue? It is possible to treat the pain while keeping his pain medication usage at a sustainable level. I've used the candy bar method of managing pain that Mr. Peat uses and it sucks. Luckily for me I was able to drive home at the end of the day and take my pain medication. What is being done to Mr. Pray is torture!
4
These sports leagues (NHL, NFL) need to take responsibility for the devastation they wreak on the lives of their players.
10
Fighting with fists is less dangerous than with boxing gloves...just saying.
A concussion is a concussion, gloves or no gloves.
5
The only way that that could be true is that fighting with fists doesn't last as long.
2
An MIT academic was - recently published in this paper - statistically argued hockey became more violent the farther it was played from Cdn police outposts (RCMP). But you hardly need an in-depth study to know this about violence in sports: It's bred in the bone. Families, communities and coaches need to take a stand against encouraging youth to inflict harm upon an opponent. It's unacceptable. I continue playing hockey in middle age, have experienced a lot, but play for the joy of its beauty and camaraderie. As the game evolves, for God's sake NHL and NHLPA, loosen the damn purse strings and help your brethren in their time of need.
11
We did not NEED to be violent to be good players.
I'm old and, so far have lived in good health almost 50 years past my playing days.
I'm all for hard hitting and playing at high skill level butt, even as a fan, I do not need to see fighting.
Hopefully someday they will be able to disgnose CTE in living human beings.
I'm old and, so far have lived in good health almost 50 years past my playing days.
I'm all for hard hitting and playing at high skill level butt, even as a fan, I do not need to see fighting.
Hopefully someday they will be able to disgnose CTE in living human beings.
4
The good news for hockey is that head injuries can be dramatically reduced without changes to what makes the sport truly exciting and entertaining for most players and spectators. Maybe it is my age, but I enjoy watching NHL hockey more now than I did back in the 1960's and 70's, when fighting and hooking and holding took a fair amount of the speed and skill out of the sport. Even as to high checks, they can be minimized without altering the basic nature of the game. I am also a football fan, and am not so optimistic for football. The basic nature of football makes it much harder to reduce contact to the head without dramatic changes to the way the game is played. As to the past, the NHL has a moral obligation to take care of these guys/
1
Of course what about the spectacle of fans jumping up and roaring when there's a fight on the ice? Internal psyche of insuuring enforcement by fighting has always been a tool of coaches who have pressured certain players to be thugs. It was no coincidence that when Wayne Gretzky came to LA from Edmonton, Marty Sorley [sp] did as well. But just as bad is a blood thirsty crowd that seems to get its kicks by watching a couple of players beat each other up on the ice, knocking helmets and how many times do heads hit the ice. One thing good about the playoffs is that stuff doesn't occur as much. But the players themselves, have to put their foot down, and the NHL really has to get even more serious about not just penalties for fighting, but expulsion.
1
I watched the link for the supposed best fight of 2012. It had no drama, excitement, skill. These guys looked like they were on auto pilot.
I'd rather see these athletes skate and pass and dodge and slice their way to the goal. I wonder how many more people would watch hockey if that was the focus.
I'd rather see these athletes skate and pass and dodge and slice their way to the goal. I wonder how many more people would watch hockey if that was the focus.
1
The NY Times had done a great public service with its article on Derek Boogaard and follow-ups like this one. The NHL - probably solely for PR and legal reasons - is getting rid of the enforcers of the old days and the number of fights is declining. I think the Times' investigation has a lot to do with that. Hockey is better since they replaced goons with skilled players; the play is faster and there are fewer interruptions. Fighting should be punished with suspensions and fines so that it is eliminated from the game. Hockey will still be a risky sport but it can be made safer.
In the meantime, shame on the NHL for not providing more than a few token months of help to brain-damaged former players. For years enforcers were in demand in the league, teenagers were encouraged to pursue that sort of career and now they are cast aside like yesterday's lunch. The NHL and the PA owes them compensation and help. Stephen Peat is still a young man and could perhaps have a decent life still if the league accepts its moral responsibility to provide assistance to him.
In the meantime, shame on the NHL for not providing more than a few token months of help to brain-damaged former players. For years enforcers were in demand in the league, teenagers were encouraged to pursue that sort of career and now they are cast aside like yesterday's lunch. The NHL and the PA owes them compensation and help. Stephen Peat is still a young man and could perhaps have a decent life still if the league accepts its moral responsibility to provide assistance to him.
7
Such a heartbreaking story. I don't understand the draw of violent sports, but there it is. People devour these games, and the more violent the better - women too. It depresses me greatly.
3
I don't understand why he was charged with arson when it seems he did not deliberately cause the fire.
Definitely a sad situation that is only going to get worse if sports in general are not made safer for the participants.
Definitely a sad situation that is only going to get worse if sports in general are not made safer for the participants.
5
Too many PERsecutors need to have a win, regardless of the truth.
BTW-There is no such word as "irregardless".lol
BTW-There is no such word as "irregardless".lol
I was wondering that, too. Was he convicted? Anyway, anyone can absentmindedly leave something burning. It happens every day.
He's an adult.
It's the kids I worry about.
High school kids and younger are playing these contact sports.
CTE has been found in the autopsied brains of high school players.
It's the kids I worry about.
High school kids and younger are playing these contact sports.
CTE has been found in the autopsied brains of high school players.
2
This guy needs a good lawyer.
And the NHL needs to start putting money aside and finding and helping these guys.
Then stopping concussions.
And the NHL needs to start putting money aside and finding and helping these guys.
Then stopping concussions.
8
For every father and every mother and every son, I hope soon to read the end to fighting in hockey. I also hope to read about increased rule changes in all professional sports that currently accept concussions as "part of the game." For all of us.
6
Hockey is about getting a puck into a net using a stick. That's it. Fighting need not be a part of the game and should be made illegal.
Imagine a runner in baseball taking out the first baseman who is about to catch a throw. It's unimaginable, not to mention un-sportsman-like as is brawling which usually results in ejection. It should be the same way in hockey. No fighting, and if you do fight, you're out of the game or suspended if you do major harm. Stick to the basics, use your stick to get that puck into the net.
Olde joke: I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out.
Imagine a runner in baseball taking out the first baseman who is about to catch a throw. It's unimaginable, not to mention un-sportsman-like as is brawling which usually results in ejection. It should be the same way in hockey. No fighting, and if you do fight, you're out of the game or suspended if you do major harm. Stick to the basics, use your stick to get that puck into the net.
Olde joke: I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out.
19
agreed....and why don't these people get arrested for assault? Odd cultural thing....one of these goons hits a ref and the police are on the ice in 12 sec...but they can kill each other.
1
Unimaginable? Didn't I just read about a certain player causing injuries while sliding into base?
1
Fighting IS illegal in ice hockey. Players are penalized, ejected, fined and suspended for fighting. In hockey a 3rd man into a fight is automatically ejected from the game.
Now, what about a "civilized" sport like baseball where the pitcher throws a rock 100mph at a batters head, then the batter retaliates and suddenly there are about 100 people on the field fighting each other
Now, what about a "civilized" sport like baseball where the pitcher throws a rock 100mph at a batters head, then the batter retaliates and suddenly there are about 100 people on the field fighting each other
3
You know your game is boring when you need show some blood in order to entertain your fans. Sports are pretty silly to begin with, but Hockey is stupid and barbaric.
6
clearly not a fan of the fastest game on earth. hockey requires speed and unbelievable skating skills as well as hand/eye coordination with an object (puck) that moves faster than any other object in any other game. as my 16 year old son and 14 year old daughter (both hockey players) tell their other friends who think hockey is easy/stupid/boring compared to their sports, "try playing your sport, basketball/football/soccer, on ice".
8
There's no excuse for the violence allowed in Hockey.
There needs to be zero tolerance for fighting, beginning immediately.
There needs to be zero tolerance for fighting, beginning immediately.
12
Tragic and so American: turn a sport violent. Accidents happen in all sports, but the official's "now boys" expression in the face of what most of us see as shocking violence kind of says what hockey has become.
1
So Canadian, maybe, in this case?
9
i guess you would mean "American" in the sense of North American but somehow I doubt it. Remember Canadian players (including Peat) have dominated the NHL throughout its history and if you think the fight culture isn't present in the Canadian leagues where so many NHL players and coaches are developed, you are wrong.
5
Boffo. Agree completely. Sorry.
This is another story of another hockey enforcer who was developed as a fighter in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) as a teenager. The CHL developed Peat as a fighter.
If you'd like to know what Stephen Peat, has in common with Steve Montador, Bob Probert, John Kordic, Rick Rypien, Wade Belak, Derek Boogaard, Todd Ewen. They all signed contracts as young teenagers to play hockey in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). They all entered the CHL as 16/17 year old hockey players but they all left the CHL as enforcers. The Canadian Hockey League commissioners must be held accountable for the destruction of young lives, forcing young 16 year old hockey players out onto the ice to fight 20/21 year old men in the hopes that more tickets will be sold to their games.
If you'd like to know what Stephen Peat, has in common with Steve Montador, Bob Probert, John Kordic, Rick Rypien, Wade Belak, Derek Boogaard, Todd Ewen. They all signed contracts as young teenagers to play hockey in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). They all entered the CHL as 16/17 year old hockey players but they all left the CHL as enforcers. The Canadian Hockey League commissioners must be held accountable for the destruction of young lives, forcing young 16 year old hockey players out onto the ice to fight 20/21 year old men in the hopes that more tickets will be sold to their games.
47
I understand your point, but really, there are enforcers with college degrees (John Scott to name one, and George Parros, another, has a degree in Economics from Princeton). Yes, it's part of the culture, but it's not like the CHL is the only place this influence exerts itself. Fully one-third of the NHL's rosters have come through college hockey. And most guys and not "one and done," but stay for 4 years. The fighting can be driven out of hockey very easily. A minor change in the rules - ejection for the first fight, suspension for the second, and a major suspension beyond that. No other hockey-playing country allows this, and it's past time it stops.
I'm responding to you on this as you obviously know something about hockey. There's a lot of knee-jerk (emphasis on that second word) posting here that is done totally from ignorance and personal moral codes. And I'd add, if one is so up-in-arms about violence, hockey is pretty low on the list of things to be upset about.
I'm responding to you on this as you obviously know something about hockey. There's a lot of knee-jerk (emphasis on that second word) posting here that is done totally from ignorance and personal moral codes. And I'd add, if one is so up-in-arms about violence, hockey is pretty low on the list of things to be upset about.
5
Professional hockey is a ridiculous and barbaric sport. Right up there with MMA and boxing. But ... people love to watch a train wreck. We really have SO much evolution yet to do!
6
It only appears barbaric because it is the world's fastest team sport. In no other sport do players travel at speeds over 30 mph. In no other sport do players play on a rock hard surface (basketball comes close.)
Hockey has always been viewed as violent because it is fast.
Hockey has always been viewed as violent because it is fast.
3
You think that ONLY because you deliberately look for anything that might be construed as "violence".
Due to your fixation, you are unable to see the athletic control of the REAL stars of hockey such as Patrick Kane.
He is not the only one.
REAL hockey fans love to see what players like Kane are able to do and, HE HAS NEVER HAD A FIGHT.
I also live in WI and know better than to fall into your way of selective thinking.
Due to your fixation, you are unable to see the athletic control of the REAL stars of hockey such as Patrick Kane.
He is not the only one.
REAL hockey fans love to see what players like Kane are able to do and, HE HAS NEVER HAD A FIGHT.
I also live in WI and know better than to fall into your way of selective thinking.
1
I am not surprised that people equate violence with hockey. It's the only sport in which fighting is considered an actual part of the game. The fans expect it, and demand it. I attended an Oilers game in the Gretzky era and well into the third period no fight had yet occurred. The fans were restless. They started shouting "drop the gloves, drop the gloves" and soon enough a couple of guys did. They had at each other pretty good. All the while the referees stood there with their arms folded and watched the clock. Then after a decent interval they stepped in. Pre-programmed for the circus monkeys to perform. Disgraceful.
I'm not a big fan of hockey but it *is* a great sport (I love the Penguins). The athleticism is extraordinary. (They do this on skates!) And the pace is amazing. How would you like to be a goaltender in hockey? It's only the NHL variety that is a perversion of the game. Watching the first two finals games I think I noticed a reduced level of gratuitous violence which made the games much more enjoyable. But I guess I'm the wrong demographic.
I'm not a big fan of hockey but it *is* a great sport (I love the Penguins). The athleticism is extraordinary. (They do this on skates!) And the pace is amazing. How would you like to be a goaltender in hockey? It's only the NHL variety that is a perversion of the game. Watching the first two finals games I think I noticed a reduced level of gratuitous violence which made the games much more enjoyable. But I guess I'm the wrong demographic.
"A few days of stubble almost overgrew a soul patch under his lip, like weeds overtaking a garden"...really? This is a relevant example of the growing realization of the dangers of contact sports and the author is inclined to add flowery, pun intended, language that is totally out of place with the seriousness of the subject matter. If you want to write poetry dude, go write poetry.
13
The great Fran Lebowitz ntoed that there is no news reporting anymore just prose like what you mentioned. The writer is very detached from the subject, hence the flowery insensitive prose.
I liked that line. pfft.
2
Dear Scott R--Do you object to hockey itself using images of one thing for something else? Chiclets, howitzer, saucer pass, grind make mental pictures and are part of hockey language. Here's my take on the comparison of Stephen Peat's rapidly growing stubble--it almost covers his soul patch-- to weeds overtaking a garden. Obviously it shows his particular kind of beard, thick and quick, which not every man has, and it brings us close to his face. The isolation of his lower lip tuft, the soul patch, being potentially obscured is vivid and strange. As weeds harm or cannibalize a garden, so something that doesn't belong there is taking over Mr. Peat's brain, choking it. A big part of what makes him himself is being terribly harmed--and he knows it. Now.
2
This is tragic and in the bigger picture senseless. Parents should understand the risk that is present in this type of sport.
The NHL could eliminate fighting very easily. 1 fight = 20 game suspension. 2nd fight full season. No pay for the player and the club has to pay the full salary into a players fund. Fighting would end in one season. I don't think this will happen until something more catastrophic occurs.
What will stop this immediately is when parents stop letting their kids play hockey. When the pool of talent starves the NHL the NHL will react.
The NHL could eliminate fighting very easily. 1 fight = 20 game suspension. 2nd fight full season. No pay for the player and the club has to pay the full salary into a players fund. Fighting would end in one season. I don't think this will happen until something more catastrophic occurs.
What will stop this immediately is when parents stop letting their kids play hockey. When the pool of talent starves the NHL the NHL will react.
18
I for one would go one step further. any one hit with a head shot is suspended as long as the player is out. if player never returns suspension for just as long.
if the NHL would just enforce the rules it has instead of the whistles going into the referee's pockets during the playoffs......
if the NHL would just enforce the rules it has instead of the whistles going into the referee's pockets during the playoffs......
1
I'm sorry, but you can't tell me these guys didn't know full well that what they were doing wasn't good for their health.
8
When these guys were making the fateful choices as teenagers, do you think that they received more information about the fame, fortune, and social acceptance they might gain, or the specific health problems they might suffer? Those who provide the rewards (fans, coaches, franchises, etc.) are obviously complicit in these outcomes.
17
You read this article and your conclusion was "this guy knew this is the life he'd have to lead after the game was over for him"? I find that remarkable and very hard to believe.
4
The multi billion dollar professional sports machine is an exploitative one, especially for those from low SES backgrounds or backgrounds of low educational attainment. From childhood grooming of raw talent to the favors bestowed upon these players while playing on the collegiate team, to the salaries, contracts, fandom and team "camaraderie" that likely encourage these young men to play sport in ways in which they risk their health, sanity and future earning potential, it is no wonder that so many of these players leave the leagues with serious neurological injury and little financially to show for their work. It is difficult to place the blame squarely on the shoulders of one childhood authority (given that brain maturity is not reached until age 25) at the exclusion of others, however, it is also very difficult to argue that many of these players have played a truly active role in their own demise. At the very least, these sports franchises must provide adequate medical care,rehab and pensions for these men upon whose backs and broken bones they have made their revenues. To them, these players, groomed in their system, are interchangeable and replaceable, but these players who retire due to injury, especially the ones who didn't sign big money contracts, are solely at the mercy of their broken bodies, diminished abilities, and limited skill sets.
3
I am so glad that over the course of the last few decades ice hockey has evolved from its rough and tumble Canadian roots with emphasis on hitting, dirty stick work and fights to the European model that stresses skating, stick handling and play making.
The game is so much enjoyable today and it is by no means a push over.
The game is so much enjoyable today and it is by no means a push over.
12
very true. as a result of the changes in the game over recent years, where there are very few true "enforers" left in the league, this article and the emotion being evoked is irrelevant
So long as the NHL permits - indeed, encourages - fighting among players it'll always be branded a third-rate sports/entertainment league. And their players as gifted but flawed athletes for partaking in such a brutish lack of sportsmanship - whether by participation or by silent condoning.
Hockey's a beautiful sport. But the NHL as it stands is a down-market thug enterprise.
Raw, unregulated violence in a controlled sport is the stuff of mental clods. And if you can't admit it - hey, check with your doctor...You might have been struck in the head once too often.
Hockey's a beautiful sport. But the NHL as it stands is a down-market thug enterprise.
Raw, unregulated violence in a controlled sport is the stuff of mental clods. And if you can't admit it - hey, check with your doctor...You might have been struck in the head once too often.
22
So, you're describing all the major sports? It may not be permitted in other sports but it happens plenty. And when you say "raw, unregulated violence in a controlled sport" I instantly think of a basketball game in Michigan not hockey. How about you stop commenting on here and try and stop the brutish lack of humanity in society instead of silently condoning it.
3
with the whistles in the pockets of the ref's during the NHL playoffs it is uncontrolled!
Basketball can be very brutal too, been there done that. displaced nose from a head shot did that.
Basketball can be very brutal too, been there done that. displaced nose from a head shot did that.
Simple fix. Require full face guards for all and suspend any player who removes his helmet. How many fights do you see in college hockey?
4
And this will somehow prevent the opioid, cocaine, and alcohol use that are just as likely to be the cause of Mr. Peat's cognitive problems as is head trauma.
Think the NHL will have to have a total lobotomy for them to change their personality and even then I don't believe they will do the right thing and help the scores of former players with their medical issues brought upon by playing and fighting in hockey.
The NHL instead of fighting a losing war should come up to the plate and provide the Peats of this world with the tools to help guide them in their health problems caused by the many concussions.
Don't throw the money away on hiring lawyers, please contact the injured players and start whatever is necessary to help them.
The NHL instead of fighting a losing war should come up to the plate and provide the Peats of this world with the tools to help guide them in their health problems caused by the many concussions.
Don't throw the money away on hiring lawyers, please contact the injured players and start whatever is necessary to help them.
2
The pressure needs to be placed on the Junior Hockey franchises - from the NFL, from medical and governmental entities in the US and Canada, and from parents to clean up their act. The kids in those Leagues need concerned oversight that I do not think they receive.
1
Maybe players should think twice about being enforcers.
1
Boohoo! hold the NHL responsible, get rid of fighting, outlaw hits. I'm willing to bet that the vast majority of former "enforcers" would take the exact same route if they had it to do over even knowing what they know now. Players that fought, did it because they weren't skilled enough to stay in the league otherwise. So it was either fight or go get a real job.
2
So where is the NHL on this issue? Why isn't it aggressively pursuing a variety of measures to address violence on the ice and the aftermath impact for "enforcers" like Steve? And not the normal corporate-line "blah bah blah" from the NHL, please (e.g. "we have programs in place, we are monitoring the situation, we are committed to this and that, we have an office of Player Safety, etc. etc.") but rather pursuing highly creative, progressive and perhaps even revolutionary "out of the box" approaches and thinking. Why isn't the NHL and the Players Association declaring "war" on finding answers - and holding a wide ranging summit meeting on this subject and acting forcefully to come up with ideas and measures. Why isn't there action as if lives were at risk - which they are.
6
I don't get it - nowhere in this article is there any mention of medical help other than rehab for addiction and prescriptions for pain medication.
We know that BU is doing research on brains of people who have died. What is the medical profession doing to treat those who are still living? Or is there treatment available and Mr. Peat is unable to access it?
We know that BU is doing research on brains of people who have died. What is the medical profession doing to treat those who are still living? Or is there treatment available and Mr. Peat is unable to access it?
4
I don't think there's any known treatment for CTE. The only recourse I'm aware of besides painkillers and rehab is pain management. Some of the most promising results in this arena have been found with Jon Kabat-Zinn's work on using mindfulness meditation to reduce the psychological distress caused by chronic pain. It may not get rid of the physical ailment(s), but with super-hard work chronic sufferers can change for the better how they perceive their pain, effectively reducing their suffering. Many people are not aware this treatment exists. See http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7654964.
1
Since Canada has universal health care, paying for medical treatment is not an issue as it would be in the US.
Dr Amen from the PBS series 'healthy brain' says he has helped several football players suffering from CTE. http://danielamenmd.com/ I do not know if Peat has tried that route, I know he is in Canada but they may cover his medical costs.
1
A professional sport that allow fighting is not logical. Unless its boxing.
1
It is not allowed. You are penalized, ejected, fined for fighting in hockey. In fact, hockey is tame compared to baseball, where the entire bench and bullpen empties out during a brawl.
2
Both times each season that happens, and punches are landed as if thrown by kindergarteners. With just as much accuracy.
1
Shame that lawyers are ruining hockey along with lots of other things.
Hypothesis: If you stand outside any NHL arena on a regular season game night, before the game, and ask the fans "What do you want to see most tonight?", then the answer you will hear far more than any other will be "A FIGHT!".
4
I love sports and think hockey is a great sport. I don't understand why any "fan" would want to interrupt an exciting match with a fight.
7
Its not too late for NHL to do the right thing and take care of players.
I don't believe NFL ever will unless court mandated
I don't believe NFL ever will unless court mandated
11
There really is a pretty simple solution here. If you play in the NHL and are involved in a fight, you receive an immediate 10 game suspension. 2nd time, 20 game suspension. 3rd time, out for 76 games.
Not rocket science.
Not rocket science.
30
And that's going to help him how?
Here is a faster cure- if you play hockey you get healthcare for life. And if your life is shorter your family gets, say $500k a year for every year under the expected lifespan.
Here is a faster cure- if you play hockey you get healthcare for life. And if your life is shorter your family gets, say $500k a year for every year under the expected lifespan.
why not make any injury to any player that was intensional a suspension for as long as the player is out. like a head shot that is bad the player may never come back...suspension to last just as long......life.
For me, the caffeine in Coke or coffee or even tea or chocolate can be helpful with headaches; moreso I think than the sugar in Coke or O Henrys. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspirin#Pain https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffeine#Chocolate
4
Imagine the hidden suffering going on among former minor league hockey players who played the same role as Stephen but never quite made the NHL grade. The NHL will find a way to pay for the long-term health care of former players but the minor league guys are, sadly, on their own.
24
"...they presume that Stephen’s problems are rooted in concussions" ...once the science catches up with the obvious correlations, the world will have to rethink the entertainment value of hockey, football, soccer, action sports, etc... it's just a matter of time. Even sports as culturally essential as hockey in Canada won't be immune to the legislation to come
2
The NHL is responsible for this. They use fighting as a way to sell tickets, and this is the end result. I hope they end up being successfully sued for billions.
13
What will be the size of the audience for skill - hockey as opposed to fight - hockey? Larger or smaller? I can see skill - hockey being attractive to a shifted set of fans, perhaps even more fans than come to see fight - hockey. Looks like the Indy 500 was splendid with a strategic finish, and did not rely on crashes for excitement. Would football still be football if played with smaller faster guys depending less on padding? Or is the only way to enjoy football as a player or as a spectator of violent hits? Who watches prize fights now? Will the men who comprise the audience for hard-hitting football feel disgusted at wussing up the sport? or would they roll with it? And why do we waste so much energy, money and life on sport ball?
1
What kind of sport has a specialized job as "enforcer", intended to fight, and then pretends there are not human consequences.
63
The NHL, and in particular the referees who see it as their job to stand aside while these players destroy each other, should be ashamed. They should also be held legally responsible. Any hockey fan who gains satisfaction from watching these fights should ask themselves what the heck they are thinking.
13
It's a show. The referees are doing what they are told. They is not interpreting the constitution, (although that's a show too), they is doing what the boss wants. It is Big time wrestling on ice. All pro sports are. Nothing more.
What got the violence out of baseball? Owners losing money when stars couldn't play - see Buster Posey. Nothing else, don't kid yourself. They do not, repeat, do not care about players. You gonna tell me they didn't know about steroids? Ha!
What got the violence out of baseball? Owners losing money when stars couldn't play - see Buster Posey. Nothing else, don't kid yourself. They do not, repeat, do not care about players. You gonna tell me they didn't know about steroids? Ha!
I haven't been a hockey fan for years and yes I was Bruins fan. I remember the days of Bobby Orr and the agility he showed on the ice. I got tired of turning on game and watching the never ending fights. I realize it's what the majority of the fans want and the owners don't care if thy are throwing young athletes lives away. It's all about making the buck.
1
You perhaps forget that Bobby Orr was one of the toughest guys in the league and had his share of fights. Yes he was agile but he could also fight when he had to. In Orr's day there was a lot more fighting than there is now. I have watched many of the playoff games this year and have not seen a single fight.
1
I believe the fighting started during the 1960's in Boston as a way to fill so many empty seats......and it did.
too bad it caught on. I remember seeing Rocket Richard in the Boston Garden way back.....
5 years old and cried all the way home. the Bruins wee beaten badly by the Stanley Cup champs. I wanted the Bruins to win.
too bad it caught on. I remember seeing Rocket Richard in the Boston Garden way back.....
5 years old and cried all the way home. the Bruins wee beaten badly by the Stanley Cup champs. I wanted the Bruins to win.
The Times might have mentioned that opioid, cocaine, and alcohol abuse, all of which Peat suffers from, are just as likely to be the cause of his behavioral problems as is CTE.
But of course as far The Times is concerned, when it comes to cognitive problems in former athletes, CTE is always the answer.
But of course as far The Times is concerned, when it comes to cognitive problems in former athletes, CTE is always the answer.
12
While that may be true I strongly suspect the reason he takes the drugs is to fend off the crippling headaches.
As the "enforcer" he was constantly in fights and considering the players, the team and the fans all wanted to see blood and gore (and still do), would bet you 99% CTE is the answer whether NYT wrote the article or not.
As the "enforcer" he was constantly in fights and considering the players, the team and the fans all wanted to see blood and gore (and still do), would bet you 99% CTE is the answer whether NYT wrote the article or not.
5
Lydia,
Go to an AA meeting sometime and ask how many people there once had plenty of excusess to explain why they drank. I'll bet you every single hand in the room will go up.
Mr. Peat may use these drugs to treat his pain but that is the same reason why heroin users say they are using it.
Go to an AA meeting sometime and ask how many people there once had plenty of excusess to explain why they drank. I'll bet you every single hand in the room will go up.
Mr. Peat may use these drugs to treat his pain but that is the same reason why heroin users say they are using it.
I've been clean & sober for 33 unbroken years.
You speak the truth about those excuses.
Only those of us who are C&S understand these truths.
Outsiders are often fingerwavers in the style of Alanon.lol
You speak the truth about those excuses.
Only those of us who are C&S understand these truths.
Outsiders are often fingerwavers in the style of Alanon.lol
Looking back at Bob Probert's playing days in Detroit, it was all for that moment that Probe had to pay the price for. It's not right. I'm glad the game is at least slowly changing.
2
Wish him the best....he has a long struggle ahead of him Praying he makes it and finds some peace and happiness/Amen
18
Pray in one hand and do anything else into the other and see which fills up first.
And it's very unlikely he will have a long anything.
And it's very unlikely he will have a long anything.
1
I guess this is different from the head injuries of football players as there is no mention of a possible connection. And it is pleasing that the world of hockey management sees no connection with anything. Note the indifference of the referee in the picture who is probably looking at his phone.
3
Not saying that you're wrong about the world of hockey being indifferent to the damage, but the article itself mentions both CTE and its prevalence amongst former football players.
1
"Perhaps, like several dead enforcers and roughly 100 former N.F.L. players, one day he will be found to have chronic traumatic encephalopathy, the degenerative brain disease caused by repeated blows to the head."
6
let me see, hockey player: Football player on ice skates with a STICK!
So if I spent years knocking my head against the wall people should feel sorry for me now?
8
irate: Yes, and while you would have been doing it too.
9
Be fair. It is only recently that we've come to understand the brain damage that these hockey enforcers ended up with. Same for football players. It used to be thought that only boxers sustained this sort of damage, which tended to be portrayed almost comically.
9
Jonathan, funny but in my case nah! Only thing people should feel sorry for me is that I got drafted and had to go to Nam.
Professional sports understands the long term effects of concussions, regular hits in contact sports like football, hockey.
In hockey it would be easy to remedy the situation. Adopt Olympic size ice, outlaw all hits. Make hockey a game of speed, skill vs. fights, boarding, brutal hits. Players would likely welcome the changes. Players would avoid injury, avoid suspension for fights, hits. All in time...
Football is a game of hits. Players play understanding the risk.
In hockey it would be easy to remedy the situation. Adopt Olympic size ice, outlaw all hits. Make hockey a game of speed, skill vs. fights, boarding, brutal hits. Players would likely welcome the changes. Players would avoid injury, avoid suspension for fights, hits. All in time...
Football is a game of hits. Players play understanding the risk.
39
No, they understand and see glory very clearly, but through an f1.1 lens, everything just the other side of glory is very fuzzy. And the coach keeps turning the lights down.
1
We are in the midst of a big change in professional sports. Within a few years, the rules and practices that have led to debilitating, permanent injuries such as Peat has suffered - will stop occurring as rules and equipment change. The leagues will face unacceptable legal and financial liability otherwise. It's too late for Peat. His fate seems sealed, and it's hard to read about. But today's 15 year old hockey players who make it to the NHL will be better off. My prediction - once the NHL does the math to estimate its liability based on an extrapolation from the NFL's $1 billion settlement with its concussed players - is that they'll ban fighting in hockey starting this October.
32
Only if more stories like this get told. Over and over. And lawsuits cripple them. Sports is big business, they care not about players. Anybody who thinks otherwise is delusional.
It's no different than tobacco, they knew for decades they were killing customers, and they still are. They found it cheaper to buy politicians.
It's no different than tobacco, they knew for decades they were killing customers, and they still are. They found it cheaper to buy politicians.
4
Looks like the father is finally reaping what he had sown.
5
That's heartless! No parent wants to see their child suffer in that manner and at the time he entered little was known about the long term effects of concussions.
27
I bought a car at a dealership owned by a former NHL "goon". Great guy. Proud of having played NHL hockey. Gave me a good-natured hard time for being a Bruins fan. (I suspect that added $50 to the deal.) Respected Wayne Cashman and tried to stay out of his way. Reasonably successful. Good family. I guess that is not newsworthy.
8
I'm a life-long hockey fan (and not of the Bruins!). I am totally against fighting in hockey and I beg the NHL to bring the game closer to the European style. What happened to Peat is a totally unforgiveable tragedy, and this trend can be easily countered. Will Gary Betman put people ahead of profit?
72
People before profit?
See also NFL...
See also NFL...
3
The place of the goon and the toe-to-toe brawls that go with it are exiting the game on their own. Few teams even have a classic enforcer on their roster, and fighting doesn't occur in the playoffs.
A few points:
To read this article, one would think Peat had had an extended career in the NHL. He played in 130 NHL games--the equivalent of about 2 seasons. Even his career in the minor professional leagues was not extensive. However, it is disturbing to see he played about 5 seasons grooming as a brawler in junior hockey--an amateur level for teenagers.
Also troubling is his "admission" to the reporter that he was taking pills again. If these were indeed nonnarcotic medications like Tylenol (acetaminophen), it's odd that he would feel compelled to "admit" to taking them, since even an addiction counselor or pain specialist might not see a problem in taking a nonaddictive remedy for genuine pain. Especially given the fact that he continues to drink alcohol and has a history of addiction treatment, one must wonder what is really going on. He needs active monitoring and appropriate treatment, and it should be paid for by the hockey mill that brought him to this place.
To read this article, one would think Peat had had an extended career in the NHL. He played in 130 NHL games--the equivalent of about 2 seasons. Even his career in the minor professional leagues was not extensive. However, it is disturbing to see he played about 5 seasons grooming as a brawler in junior hockey--an amateur level for teenagers.
Also troubling is his "admission" to the reporter that he was taking pills again. If these were indeed nonnarcotic medications like Tylenol (acetaminophen), it's odd that he would feel compelled to "admit" to taking them, since even an addiction counselor or pain specialist might not see a problem in taking a nonaddictive remedy for genuine pain. Especially given the fact that he continues to drink alcohol and has a history of addiction treatment, one must wonder what is really going on. He needs active monitoring and appropriate treatment, and it should be paid for by the hockey mill that brought him to this place.
36
What's going on is he is in pain.
I have been studying CTE for a while, as I am getting more positive by the year that I will be diagnosed with it when I die.
It's unfortunately hard to explain to people who don't know the pain, who don't know the feelings. NOTHING makes you happy. NOTHING makes the pain go away.
Peat's life must be like that of so many others: a crushing imprisonment from which there is no escape but death.
I have been studying CTE for a while, as I am getting more positive by the year that I will be diagnosed with it when I die.
It's unfortunately hard to explain to people who don't know the pain, who don't know the feelings. NOTHING makes you happy. NOTHING makes the pain go away.
Peat's life must be like that of so many others: a crushing imprisonment from which there is no escape but death.
9
His "admission" isn't troubling at all, or an indication that he's really taking narcotics again. He uses the word "admit" because he feels, whether right or wrong, that he should be able to handle pain without taking any pills. He tries accupuncture, caffeine, etc and feels like using a different substance, acetaminophen, in pill form is a failure on his part. One doesn't need to wonder "what's going on."
6
A heartbreaking true story. I am so sorry for the pain you and your son are suffering, while watching the fight between the regular hockey player and the corporate giant that all major league sports are. I pray that parents everywhere will take their children's health seriously when choosing sports, and that they stay active in changing the games for the safety of the participants. I see this as a bottom up movement, where the parents in this country and Canada, have more rights than they think they do, and have the power to affect change around youth league sports. I have waited patiently for the major leagues to step up to the plate around this issue, only to be disappointed. The top down approach is not going to happen here. They don't want to lose money-for them it's all about money, which brings me right back to my philosophy of sport class as a sophomore in college-the question, is major league sport actually sport? or just business? This concussion debate for me means, that major league sports are business, because in sports, teamwork requires: cooperation, trust, listening skills, 100% participation, respect-all the things that Stephen Peat is not be afforded right now.
15
That the NHL CONTINUES to do nothing except make changes to the game that DISCOURAGE hits to the head, is absolutely appalling. The way they treat players who have left the game prematurely due to head injuries. Why do they not provide life-long injuries, so players can start & continue medical care? Why is there no plan in place to provide now-ex players with therapists? True, TBI & CTE have no cures & are unable to be managed, but the symptoms can be lessened for the patient's comfort, without the use of addictive pharmaceuticals.
It is just obscene and frightening that, despite this being the "new NHL," boys are still receiving damaging hits to the head, face, and neck. Something has to give, and we can only be hopeful that positive changes come, without anymore loss of life.