Flyers Dealing with More Concussion News: A Fan's View
When you look at the 2011-12 Philadelphia Flyers, the injury list is stunning. It seems like every week another prominent player is knocked out due to a concussion. Danny Briere is the latest member of the Flyers to be ruled out indefinitely due to a concussion. A total of six Flyers have had the same fate. Some have returned while others haven’t. The season is already over for Chris Pronger while forward James van Riemsdyk is still out. There is no set time for Briere’s return. As a fan, I am tremendously concerned with the issue and wish there was something that could be done to fix the problem.
Flyers fans are familiar with concussions. In the past, prominent players like Eric Lindros and Keith Primeau saw their careers seriously impacted by the injury. The Pronger news was particularly painful. He is still struggling to recover and it seems less and less likely that he will ever see the ice again. Claude Giroux, Brayden Schenn, and Matt Read have also been knocked out due to injury. They were able to return and seem fine. Hopefully the same will happen with Briere. He is one of the prominent offensive players on the team and an unquestioned leader.
The fact that the Flyers have been able to succeed is a testament to their depth. The rookies on this team have been incredible. The Flyers are among the best teams in the league despite missing six key players at various times due to concussions. Frankly, I speak for all of Philadelphia when I say how upsetting that is. Head injuries have become hot issue in sports over the past couple of years, especially in hockey. I am not sure what can be done but something needs to happen. Perhaps they can make better or strong helmets. Whatever the case, the NHL owes it to the players to explore all options.
I hope that Briere is back on the ice before too long. Of course, I hope he doesn’t rush back. I would hate to see him risk further damage by playing before he is ready. We have seen both extremes with the Flyers in terms of injuries this season. I hope Brier and JVR both end up on the more positive side of the spectrum.
* – Mark Paul is a Philadelphia resident and Flyers fan. Follow him on Twitter here.
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