Hockey has always been a very physical and physically demanding sport for its players. This physicality of the game in its early stages led to the development of a player type for mainly that type of play. That play style was known as the enforcer. The enforcers job was to deter and respond to violent or dirty plays by the opposing team. The enforcer on a team was typically the biggest and strongest guy on the team. His role was to go out on the ice and be a physical presence. This typically led to very aggressive play between the enforcers on each team and a large amount of fights. As the game grew and progressed this play style began to disappear from the game and for a good reason.
The enforcer role was a dangerous role for the players fulfilling it. At the team people were unaware of the brain trauma that was happening to these players. During these fights enforcers would take countless hits to the head night after night for almost every game. The Length of one season in the National Hockey League (NHL) is 82 games. These players would go out and fight and get hit in the head almost every single game they played. Eventually that’s going to cause some permanent damage to them. Countless players suffered severe brain damage and even death in relation to how they played. These constant hits to the heads of these players lead to the development of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). CTE is “a progressive degenerative disease of the brain found in people with a history of repetitive brain trauma (often athletes), including symptomatic concussions as well as asymptomatic subconcussive hits to the head that do not cause symptoms”. CTE Is a disease that can not be tracked until it is too late for the player. Is causes memory loss, depression, and dementia in its victims. It also commonly results in substance abuse.
These greatly shortened the careers and lives of these players. Many of these enforcers were forced to retire early due to injuries they’ve sustained. Vancouver Canucks player Derek Dorsett retired from the NHL at age 30. Derek suffered a spinal injury because he was the play called upon in a game when the team needed a fight. Derek wrote a letter to the Vancouver fans about his retirement “I was starting to get some of that weakness, which felt like something more than general soreness. I got out of bed, my arm locked, and something was not right. I tried to practice, but when I reached for the puck, there was a pinch. It was time to dial back and get things looked at”. He was lucky and know something was wrong, other players didn’t have that kind of luck until it was too late for them.
Montador was another former player who also suffered and eventually passed away due to. It wasn’t known that Steve was suffering from CTE until he was tested after his death. Steve passed away at age 35, there is still many active players who are older than 35. Steve was young and had a whole life ahead of him. That was all cut short because he was an enforcer and fought. Steve played in the NHL for 14 season which may seem like a lot, but in reality is short for players. Steve has just recently retired from the NHL at the time of his death. Him and his wife were expecting the first child in just days. Steve suffered 19 concussions throughout his 10 years in the league. In an interview with Steve’s father, he was asked what he believes killed his son. He responded with “what brought him down was concussions”. These concussions Steve suffered were results of continuous hits and punches to the head that destroyed his brain overtime.
The NHL is the only league that still denies that the spot causes head injuries. After Steve passed away the NHL released a statement on the matter. “Our thoughts, condolences and prayers remain with Steve’s family and friends. However, we do not agree that the reports and allegations made today establish any link between Steve’s death and his NHL career”. The league blatantly disregards that fact that hockey can cause CTE and eventually death in its players.
Athletes have their own kind of relationship with pain. They play because they are so absorbed in playing that they don't notice injuries when they happen. The soldier who is shot keeps on going because the imperative to go on is so much more important than the imperative to fall. The explanation for such a miraculous act is purpose more than courage.
So players play. And players expect other players to play. Someone goes down in a hockey game and is helped off the ice. 'He'll be back,' the announcer says. 'He's a hockey player