Chris Pronger’s Season Ends Due to Concussion: A Fan’s Reaction
The Philadelphia Flyers got some terrible news regarding Chris Pronger. As a result of his concussion symptoms, the season is over for the Flyers captain . The bad news comes shortly after another star, Claude Giroux, went down with a concussion. This is a huge blow for a team that has been one of the best in the NHL so far this season. As a Flyers fan, I know the team will still do without Pronger. However, that doesn’t make the news regarding his healthy any less troubling.
Pronger took a stick to the eye on October 24. It is unclear if that is the exact cause of Pronger’s head injury. However, it did cause Pronger to miss a couple of weeks. He returned for a couple of games and took another brutal hit on November 14. Pronger played after that but began complaining of a virus. It turned out the virus was related to severe concussion symptoms. Pronger has been out for several weeks since that time because of this and a knee injury. After meeting with concussion specialists in Pittsburgh on Wednesday, December 15, the verdict was out on Pronger. The Flyers took a day to evaluate things before ending his season.
This is crushing for Flyers fans. I love Pronger and I know that he is one of the best defensemen in the NHL. Now, there are serious questions about Pronger ever playing again. Flyers fans are well aware of the impact of concussions. Recent history has seen the careers of fan favorites like Keith Primeau and Ian Laperriere end because of concussion related injuries. At this point, it is hard not to think that the same fate won’t fall on Pronger. I’ll hope for the best, especially for his health outside of hockey. But if I see Pronger in a Flyers uniform again, I would have to say it would be a surprise.
The Flyers are off to a strong start but the injury bug has been cruel. With the Pronger news now a reality, fans will await to hear the fate of Claude Giroux. Giroux was the leading scorer in the NHL when he took a knee to the head on Saturday, December 10. Like Pronger, he was ruled out indefinitely. There will no doubt be ongoing evaluations of Giroux’s status in the coming days of weeks. All fans can do is hope that the news is not as grim as the news involving Pronger.
The Flyers will be fine and they know how to win without Pronger. But for fans of hockey, this is just the latest example of concussions hitting home. The league has already seen Sidney Crosby lose nearly a year because of concussion symptoms. He is out indefinitely again. Pronger is another superstar that the league could lose for good. I’m not sure what can be done to change these problems, but I believe something has to happen. It should be obvious to everyone that the impact of head injuries is out of control. I don’t care what it takes, but I don’t want to see another NHL player see their careers or lives threatened because of concussions. I realize accidents happen, but the NHL owes it to everyone to explore every possible measure before it is too late.
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