When the NHL referees are concussed
Despite Wideman’s hit, Henderson stayed in the game.
On January 27, 2016, Calgary Flames defenseman Dennis Wideman hit linesman Don Henderson in the back as he was making his way towards the bench, a few seconds after being checked from behind by a Nashville Predators forward.
Henderson hasn’t been in an NHL game since.
On April 20, 2017, it was reported that Henderson had filed a $10.25M lawsuit against Wideman two days before in a Calgary court. In his lawsuit, the lineman cited several injuries such as a concussion, pain in his arm, depression and shock anxiety.
Despite Wideman’s hit, Henderson stayed in the game.
It’s well-known that NHL players can be pulled from games by concussion spotters, a system that was implemented by the league in September 2015.
But what about referees? Can they be pulled from the game?
In an email to The Pitchwriter, the NHL’s Group Vice President of Communications, John Dellapina, wrote that “Central League Spotters can make the determination if an official requires removal and evaluation” (you can read the content of the email at the end of the article.)
There are two types of concussion spotters: Central League Spotters (CLS) and in-arena spotters. The former are in the arena, while the CLS, according to NHL.com, “monitor all games from the Player Safety Room in New York.”
The CLS were only implemented in October, meaning after the Henderson hit. At the time of the incident, there were only In-Arena spotters and they did not have the authority to pull Henderson from the game.
This begs the question: Would Henderson’s injury have been as severe if he was immediately pulled from the game after the collision? Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid was pulled from a game this season for a lot less.
A study in August 2016 published by the American Academy of Pediatrics revealed that “SRC [sports-related concussion] recovery time may be reduced if athletes are removed from participation. Immediate removal from play is the first step in mitigating prolonged SRC recovery.”
The researchers compared 35 athletes that were immediately removed after a SRC with 34 athletes “who continued to play.”
The group of players that stayed in the game “exhibited significantly worse neurocognitive and greater symptoms” than the other group, according to the study.
The NHL has made steps towards the prevention of concussions, but they can’t forget the men in stripes who are athletes, just like their players.
The Pitchwriter is a Montreal-based media outlet created by passionate journalists who are committed to excelling at news-gathering, reporting and adapting to an ever-changing industry.
