NHL owners should have taken hit

To use a hockey analogy, the NHL owners had the puck on their stick at the side of a wide-open net and deliberately shot it wide. How else to explain the cold, callous approach to the concussion-related lawsuit brought by hundreds of their former employees?

The NHL had the chance to become the first major professional sports league to fully accept responsibility for the head trauma suffered by its players and actually do something for them.

But instead, the billionaire owners chose to protect only their immense personal fortunes by continuing to deny liability.

The cost to them is just $18.9 million to settle – with no prejudice – lawsuits with about 300 exNHL’ers, each of whom stands to collect $22,000, plus get $75,000 worth of medical treatment.

The players’ lead lawyer said he recommended his clients accept the deal because the NHL had showed it was willing to drag out the matter in court for years at great expense – far greater than his guys could afford.

Yes, accepting liability for what some of these former players have become – or would have, had they not killed themselves – would have opened up the owners to vast liability, but that’s what lawyers are for.

They could have drawn up some kind of immunity agreement limiting past damages that would have allowed for real action in the future. How can anyone work on a problem without first admitting there’s a problem?

If you saw the TSN documentary about Joe Murphy that aired this summer, you know how urgent this issue has become. The former Penticton Vees star was filmed wandering aimlessly around Kenora, Ont., having descended into mental illness suspected to have been caused by concussions from his playing days.

Yes, the NHL and lower leagues, right down to minor hockey, have taken aim at head shots in a bid to get them out of the game. Helmets have improved, and who even heard of a “concussion protocol” five years ago?

Those are all positive steps, but they offer no help to those for whom those protections come too late.

To use another hockey analogy, the NHL owners could have taken a hit to make a play for their team, but instead chose to just turn the other way.