OHL Commissioner announced today a crackdown on the removal of helmets during fights. This comes in the wake of the recent death of Mr. Don Sanderson who played for the Whitby Dunlops in AAA senior hockey. He was 21. His head struck the ice during an altercation with an opposing player and his helmet was not on.
After years of losing players like Eric Lindros and many others to concussions, is hockey finally waking up to the caveman mentality that has guided it for the last century? The days of fighting should be numbered as well in junior and pro hockey as well. Medical imaging has proven the damage done to players' brains during fights and crashes to ice.
But don't get too excited yet. Players have even resisted wearing secure chin straps on their helmets. Watch for it at your next Knights game. house league hockey it's a penalty. It should be a penalty at the competitive level too. And let's not forget how long it took for professionals to even make helmets manadatory.
