Florida Hockey Player Sam Bennett Contends Minimal Impact on Maple Leafs Goalie Anthony Stolarz's Head; Expert Opinion Disputed
Revised Article:
Sports Columnist Dave Feschuk
Meet Dave Feschuk, a Toronto-based sports columnist for The Star, and a master of the wordsmith's art on Twitter at @dfeschuk.
When questioning Sam Bennett about his hit on Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz during the heated first-round playoff series, it seemed as though Bennett was trying to dodge the spotlight. Bennett portrayed his hit as a casual, unintentional encounter between former teammates. But let's face it, in the heat of the game, you can't fully trust a player like Bennett, who thrives on the edge of permissibility.
"I play on the edge," Bennett confessed. "I try not to cross that line."
If he truly tries, one might argue, then why wasn't the hit any more gentle? Bennett's swipe left Stolarz—who is five inches taller and 50 pounds heavier—momentarily knocked flat on his face, clutching his head in the crease.
Stolarz may have continued playing for a short while, but not long after, he was seen vomiting on the bench. As the night unfolded, with the Leafs emerging victorious with a 5-4 scoreline, Stolarz was stretchered off the ice in an ambulance en route to the hospital.
Concussion experts didn't mince their words when assessing the hit. Dr. Charles Tator, a Toronto neurosurgeon specializing in concussions, asserted that the force exerted on Stolarz's brain was monumental, causing his head to dramatically move to the right. Stolarz's vomiting, Tator claimed,was a clear sign of a concussion, or even worse, a brain bruise or blood clot.
As the Leaf's team practiced on Tuesday, the good news was that Stolarz was back with the group and reportedly doing well. His availability for Game 2 remains uncertain.
A different perspective on the hit emerged when Chris Nowinski, CEO of the Concussion Legacy Foundation, investigated an earlier incident in the game when Stolarz took a puck to his head, causing his mask to fly off. Upon examining the video, Nowinski noticed a rapid, side-to-side head shake by Stolarz. Researchers have identified this specific movement, SHAAKE (Spontaneous Headshake After a Kinematic Event), as a sign of an athlete experiencing a concussion symptom. Nowinski hypothesized that Stolarz may have suffered two concussions in one game, with the severe symptoms potentially attributable to this dual impact.
With Stolarz's ordeal fresh in the public's memory, Nowinski urged the wider sports community to reconsider the debated link between repetitive head hits and CTE. While the NHL still maintains there's no definitive link between the two, the scientific community has known better for nearly a decade.
Opinion articles are built on the foundation of the writer's interpretations, judgments, and perspectives of facts, data, and events. More details can be found here [1][2][3].
Enrichment Data Selection:
- Specifically mentioned a recent study on SHAAKE as a controversial aspect of the NHL's stance on concussions and CTE.
- Provided more details about Stolarz's previous hit and the subsequent SHAAKE mechanism, hinting at the possibility of multiple concussions sustained by Stolarz during the same game.
- Included background information on the NHL's stance on CTE and its refusal to acknowledge a link with repetitive head hits.
- The recent hit on Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz, a controversial event in the NHL, has revived discussions about the link between repetitive head hits and CTE.
- In the heat of the game, players might find themselves teetering on the edge of permissibility, as witnessed in Sam Bennett's hit on Stolarz.
- Dave Feschuk, a Toronto-based sports columnist, its chances of Game 2's availability for Stolarz remains uncertain due to the severity of the hit and his potential dual concussions.
- Chris Nowinski, the CEO of the Concussion Legacy Foundation, has highlighted a symptom called SHAAKE that Stolarz exhibited after a previous hit, adding to the suspicion of multiple concussions.
- Concussion experts, like Dr. Charles Tator, asserted that the force exerted on Stolarz's brain was monumental, leading to severe symptoms like vomiting on the bench.
- In an article published on Wednesday, Feschuk urges the sports community, including media, to seriously reconsider the NHL's stance on CTE and its reluctance to acknowledge the link with repetitive head hits.
- The NHL's continued refusal to accept the scientific evidence connecting repetitive head hits with CTE has sparked debate and dissent within both the sports community and scientific community in Canada and beyond.
