Gary Bettman's 5 Step Plan For Curbing NHL's Concussion Problem

When the NHL General Managers' meetings took place on Tuesday, the topics right at the forefront of their discussions were expected to be hits to the head and concussions. In many cases, the two go hand in hand and they have been very prominent concerns over the last few years considering the consistency and frequency of NHL talent being put on the shelf with career- and life-threatening injuries.

The Commissioner of the National Hockey League, Gary Bettman, addressed this issue a day before those GM meetings in Boca Raton, Florida by outlining a five-step process that will be implement to try and curb the problem dangerous hits and resulting concussions have become throughout the league.

Bettman did caution that there is no quick, single fix considering there are various causes and results for concussions throughout the league. And that was made evident by the NHL reviewing each incident resulting in a concussion this year. But Bettman put into place a few procedures that can help slow down the problem.

1. NHL Vice President of Hockey and Business Development Brendan Shanahan will work with the NHL Players' Association in an effort to reform equipment mandates that will better protect players during gameplay.

2. The current concussion protocol will be revised within a week's time, according to Bettman. This week timeframe is so that the league can conduct conference calls with physicians in order to ensure they understand procedures.

The new procedures will call for the immediate removal of a player suspected of having a concussion from the game and bench area. He will be placed in a quiet area where a medical doctor will examine him. A SCAT Test will then be performed before a player is allowed to return to the game.

3. In the case of repeat offenders when it comes to hits to the head, penalties will be assigned to teams and head coaches in addition to the actual player. Possibly influenced by a letter from Pittsburgh Penguins co-owner Mario Lemieux, Bettman enacts this rule as a way to place some level of responsibility when it comes to discipline on the shoulders of the team employing players constantly making questionable plays on the ice.

4. A safety evaluation will be conducted by engineers in all 30 hockey arenas. Obviously brought upon as a result of the Zdeno Chara hit on Montreal's Max Pacioretty, areans may need to revise their rinks to conform to newer standards.

5. A panel consisting of retired defenseman Rob Blake, Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman, Dallas Stars general manager Joe Nieuwendyk and Shanahan will be established in order to monitor the issue of concussions.