NHL roundup: League: No concussion link yet in four deaths
ASSOCIATED PRESS
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said Tuesday that there was not enough data yet to draw conclusions about the link between concussions and a degenerative brain ailment that has been found in four dead hockey players.
The league wrapped up its Board of Governors meetings a day after The New York Times reported that former New York Rangers enforcer Derek Boogaard suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, an ailment related to Alzheimer’s disease.
The 28-year-old Boogaard, who died in May of an accidental overdose of alcohol and oxycodone, was found to have had CTE — which can be diagnosed only after the death of the patient. Boogaard is the fourth former NHL player found to have CTE by Boston University’s Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy.
“They’re still looking at a very limited database,” Bettman said. “There’s no control element because you have to look at everything that went on in a person’s life before you can make a judgment as to what a brain may show when you open it up. … There are no easy answers yet. I think it’s unfortunate that people use tragedies to jump to conclusions that probably at this stage aren’t supported.”
The disease was more advanced in Boogaard than it was in famed enforcer Bob Probert, who died of heart failure in 2010 at 45. He played 16 seasons in the NHL and often struggled with alcohol and drug addiction.
Reggie Fleming, who was 73, and 59-year-old Rick Martin, were other hockey players who were found to have CTE.
Winnipeg 2, Boston 1: Ondrej Pavelec made 39 saves and Bryan Little scored to help the Jets beat the Bruins, who lost in regulation for the first time since Oct. 29, ending a 15 game stretch in which they earned 29 of a possible 30 points.
St. Louis 3, Detroit 2: David Backes got the go-ahead score on the second straight power-play goal of the game for the Blues, who ended a 2-for-39 slump with the man advantage.
Columbus 3, Montreal 2: Rick Nash’s shootout goal lifted the Blue Jackets over the Canadiens.
New Jersey 3, Toronto 2: David Clarkson scored twice, including 2:40 into overtime.
N.Y. Islanders 5, Tampa Bay 1: Matt Martin scored his second game-winning goal in his three-year NHL career, and the Islanders shook off a slow start and routed the Lightning.
The Islanders are 4-1-2 in their past seven games.
Phoenix 3, Nashville 2: Keith Yandle scored with 1:45 remaining for the Coyotes.