Game changer

The first 22 chapters of Ken Dryden’s new book Game Change: The Life and Death of Steve Montador and the Future of Hockey reads nearly identical to John Branch’s Boy On Ice: The Life and Death of Derek Boogaard. Two tough, team-first guys who were never the best player on any team they ever played for somehow make it to the NHL. Beloved by friends and teammates for their energy and their enthusiasm. Dreaded by everyone that had to play against them.

Fan favourites for their willingness to do whatever it took to win.

Sadly, Boogaard and Montador met the same tragic fate. Boogaard dead at 28, Montador at 35, both diagnosed post-mortem with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a traumatic brain disease brought on by multiple concussions and other head injuries.

Both grieving families suing the NHL in the wake of their deaths for not doing enough to protect their child from head injuries and from playing while hurt.

The authors of the books about them, however, couldn’t be more different.

Branch is an award-winning New York Times sports reporter but his work is rarely seen or discussed in this country.

Dryden, of course, is Canadian hockey royalty – six-time Stanley Cup champion, Hockey Hall of Fame inductee, former president of the Toronto Maple Leafs, named to the NHL’s 100 greatest players ever list, Order of Canada officer, his number permanently retired by the Montreal Canadiens 10 years ago.

As a result, Dryden has the authority to speak his mind about hockey and so he uses the 23rd and final chapter of his book to write what amounts to an open letter to longtime NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, imploring him to take action on head injuries.

Dryden, a lawyer, is not fooled by the “more study is needed,” “look how far we’ve come” and “we’re the only professional league with a department of player safety” excuses from Bettman, also a lawyer.

Dryden lays out his case to Bettman in lawyerly fashion, pointing out that significant improvement could be made simply with proper enforcement of the law (or the rule book, in this case). Rule 48 reads: “A hit resulting in contact with an opponent’s head where the head was the main point of contact and such contact to the head was avoidable is not permitted.” Stop getting hung up on “avoidable,” Dryden argues, and enforce the rule the same way as high sticking, where intent is irrelevant because the player is expected to have control of his stick at all times.

For added emphasis, he uses a quote from Sidney Crosby, no stranger to concussions himself: “Players are asked to stay in control of their sticks or risk being penalized; why not ask them to control their bodies?”

Dryden dismantles the “finishing the check” argument used to justify “unavoidable” hits, pointing out that the phrase didn’t even exist 30 years ago so it has no historic claim as “part of the game” and the National Football League has a “roughing the passer” rule it rigourously en- forces if the quarterback is hit after throwing the ball.

If defensive linemen can time their hits on quarterbacks to avoid penalties, why can’t NHL players, he asks?

Dryden then appeals to Bettman’s ego, stating that while he never played the game, he has transformed the league since he became commissioner in 1993 and is undisputedly the most powerful man in hockey in the world. If he took ordered action on hits to the head, including fighting, every league in the world – amateur and professional – would be forced to follow.

Finally, Dryden makes the legacy argument.

Noting that Bettman, now 65, recently signed a new contract that will carry him to 2022, Dryden begs Bettman to get on the right side of history regarding head injuries, demonstrate fearless leadership that he will be remembered for and make the changes to protect the safety of all players, not just those in the NHL, while still maintaining the integrity of the game the fans and players love.

The volume of the demands for Bettman and the NHL to do something about head injuries is getting louder. Now, a legend of the game has joined the cause. Hopefully, Dryden’s plea will be heard.

— Editor-in-chief Neil Godbout

...(Ken) Dryden has the authority to speak his mind about hockey and so he uses the 23rd and final chapter of his book to write what amounts to an open letter to longtime NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, imploring him to take action on head injuries.