Former No. 1 Overall Pick Bryan Berard Is Suing The NHL Over Brain Injuries
Former New York Islander and the no. 1 overall selection in the 1995 NHL draft, Bryan Berard, is suing the NHL over brain injuries. According to TMZ, in his suit, Berard is claiming the league did not protect him enough during his career and that he suffered repetitive brain injuries and up to 5 concussions.
Berard played 12 years in the NHL, with the Islanders, Maple Leafs, Rangers, Bruins, Blackhawks, and Blue Jackets before finishing his career overseas. Berard was once dubbed a franchise defenseman after being taken 1st overall and then winning the Calder Trophy his rookie year.
So not a great look for the NHL to have a former 1st overall pick suing the league, especially at a time where the league’s commissioner doesn’t believe there is a direct link between concussions and CTE.
Former NHLer Daniel Carcillo recently came forward after Bettman was elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame, saying he shouldn’t be rewarded for his denial of CTE.
Berards’s suit is also coming just after Eric Lindros came forward saying the NHL should remove all body contact from the game, which like Jordie said, is very tough to agree with.
The NHL is a different game than it was 10-15 years ago. There aren’t guys on the ice whose sole purpose is to go out there and hurt people. You don’t have guys like Scott Stevens lining people up every night. You don’t get to see big hits and fights on a nightly basis.
Now, does that stink for the fans? Yes, absolutely. Seeing guys like Scott Stevens line people up every night was one of the reasons I fell in love with hockey. But does that mean the game isn’t fun to watch anymore? Not a chance. It’s evolving. One could even argue that this is the best time ever to be a hockey fan. Every team has a superstar, there is a ton of parity, and players are more skilled than ever.
Berard is joining about 100+ former NHLers who are suing the league for not properly protecting them during their careers and to be honest, I think this is just the beginning. Now that a big name like Berard has come forward and announced his lawsuit against the league, I think you’ll see a lot more players who are suffering come forward.
Maybe this lawsuit will open the owner’s eyes too? Maybe they’ll actually learn what CTE is? Because who could forget that ass hat Jeremy Jacobs having no fucking clue what CTE is when asked about it.