Concussion City

A concussion epidemic has been spreading like a virus in the NHL, and Philadelphia seems to be the most affected by the storm. Seven of their players have been diagnosed with concussions, which is uncharacteristic for a team valued for its physical ferocity since the 1970s Broad Street Bullies era. 

The concussion awareness alert started with Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby. At the 2011 Winter Classic in Pittsburgh's Heinz Field, Crosby took a hit in the head by then-Capital David Steckel. On January 5, he was hit again, this time by Tampa Bay's Victor Hedman, ruling him out for the season. He made it back on the ice 10 months later, only to not suit up again after eight games. Crosby's on-ice popularity has raised awareness towards the concussion, which also hit numerous other NHL players. And no one was hit the hardest than the Flyers.

Seven players in the orange and black sweater have been diagnosed with a concussion: Chris Pronger, James van Riemsdyk, Claude Giroux, Matt Read, Ian Laperriere, and Brayden Schenn. Pronger has yet to play this season, but the captain has been ruled out for good. Even before that, the Flyers have been embroiled in a controversy involving former player Eric Lindros, whose tenure with the Flyers abruptly ended not only by a series of concussions, but also in a word war with then-GM Bobby Clarke. 

The defending champion Boston Bruins weren't spared either. Marc Savard suffered a concussion on March 5, 2010 when Penguins player Matt Cooke hit him hard on the boards. Savard did return in the playoffs, scoring a game-winning OT goal in Game 1 of the semifinals against the Flyers. He played another 25 games in the 2010-11 season before suffering another concussion at Denver on January 22. Savard has never played since, missing out on the team's Stanley Cup title run in 2011. Nathan Horton suffered a concussion of his own after a hit by the Canucks' Aaron Rome in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Horton ultimately survived this episode.

Several other players have been hit by concussions before, and despite the NHL's best efforts to revise the rules involving hits to the head, the concussion epidemic may continue for a long while. For now, the league needs to review even further, and hope they raise further awareness regarding the situation.