nhl concussion protocol – CanucksBanter

TORONTO –Nazem Kadri won’t receive a suspension for his hit on Daniel Sedin in Saturday’s Leafs-Canucks game, Sportsnet has learned.

The NHL’s department of player safety reviewed the play and determined that Sedin’s shoulder, rather than his head, was the principal point of contact.

Kadri was assessed a charging major at 6:42 of the third period after swooping into the defensive zone and levelling Sedin from the blindside just as he scored a goal. The collision knocked the helmet off the veteran Canucks forward, who smacked his head as he fell to the ice.

Sedin was put through the concussion protocol by trainers and returned to the game.

Tempers then flared up repeatedly on a night where 171 minutes in penalties were assessed, including game misconducts to both starting goalies:: Ryan Miller and Frederik Andersen.

Toronto won 6-3.

Kadri has been one of the Leafs most effective players this season while being deployed in a shutdown role. He has six goals and nine point in 12 games.

The 26-year-old has been suspended three times by the department of player safety and would have been considered a repeat offender if it elected to do so again. He has forfeited nearly $400,000 in salary during his NHL career for the suspensions, two diving fines and a fine for making a throat-slash gesture at an opponent.

Source: Nazem Kadri won’t be suspended for hit on Daniel Sedin – Sportsnet.ca

October 11, 2016

NEW YORK/TORONTO — The National Hockey League (NHL) announced today the implementation of a number of new policies and procedures to enhance the NHL/National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) Concussion Protocol. While it remains an individual Club’s responsibility to identify a Player who requires removal from play and evaluation for possible concussion, the NHL and the NHLPA have agreed to provide additional support to help identify Players who require evaluation under the NHL/NHLPA Concussion Protocol. A new staff of Central League Spotters will monitor all games from the Player Safety Room in New York and will be authorized to require a Player’s removal from play for evaluation for concussion if the Player exhibits certain visible sign(s) under the Protocol, following a direct or indirect blow to the head. In-Arena League Spotters and On-Ice Officials will complement the Central League Spotters and will also monitor play for signs of possible concussion.

Specified sanctions will be imposed on Clubs that violate the Concussion Protocol. Clubs that do not remove a Player who requires an evaluation will be subject to a mandatory minimum fine for a first offense, with substantially increased fine amounts for any subsequent offense. Additionally, any Player designated for a mandatory evaluation will not be permitted to re-enter the game unless and until he is evaluated by his Club’s medical staff and cleared to play in accordance with the Protocol.

The staff of Central League Spotters that have been retained by the League are all certified athletic trainers who have clinical experience working in elite level hockey, and have received training on the visible signs of concussion in the Protocol. The Central League Spotters will observe every NHL game via television broadcast. The In-Arena League Spotters are also employed by the League as Off-Ice Officials. In-Arena Spotters also have received training on the visible signs of concussion and will be assigned to ensure that they will be dedicated solely to the spotting function during games in which they have been designated as the In-Arena Spotter. The In-Arena League Spotters will observe games live, in the arenas. While all Spotters (Central and In-Arena) will be able to communicate freely with one another during games, only the Central League Spotter will communicate with the Club’s medical staff if a Player requires removal and evaluation under the Protocol.

On-Ice Officials are also authorized to require a Player’s removal for evaluation if they observe a Player displaying visible signs of concussion under the Protocol, following a direct or indirect blow to the head. In addition, On-Ice Officials now have the authority to mandate the removal of a Player from the game if the Player continues to play after the Central League Spotter has communicated to the Club medical staff that a mandatory evaluation is required.

Read entire Concussion Evaluation and Management Protocol for 2016-17 season (PDF)

Source: NHL updates concussion protocol