Review: Game Modify (2017)

By Ken Dryden

You're likely heard virtually the problems that the National Football League has been having amongst concussions inwards recent years. Several players who have got been diagnosed amongst encephalon harm afterward their deaths (the best examination solely tin live done at that point), together with the numbers maintain to grow amongst each passing month.

The National Hockey League has similar problems. It but hasn't received every bit much attending every bit the NFL.

But it's sure there. Ask the identify unit of measurement together with friends of Steve Montador, who was diagnosed amongst chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) afterward his decease inwards 2015. He'll sure teach a poster man child for the dependent area thank you lot to the novel book, "Game Change" past times Ken Dryden.

Montador wasn't a superstar at whatever betoken inwards his career. He worked difficult during his days every bit a youth together with junior player, doing what it took to brand the squad better. Montador wasn't drafted past times an NHL team, but he constitute a agency to compass the big leagues. The defenseman was a classic 5th or 6th defenseman - non proficient plenty to remain amongst i squad for a especially long menstruum of time, but ordinarily proficient plenty to province a project somewhere else. Montador bounced from Calgary to Florida to Anaheim to Boston to Buffalo to Chicago.

The work was that Montador picked upward to a greater extent than or less concussions all along the way, together with had to a greater extent than or less after-effects that were serious. He also had to a greater extent than or less alcohol together with drug abuse issues every bit an NHL player. Montador seems to live well-liked past times teammates, together with was considered a proficient person. One administrative worker tells the even out virtually how the defenseman bought 2 flavor tickets, together with asked that the seats live given to a couplet of deserving fans every nighttime - together with that those fans live brought to the locker room afterward the game to run into Montador personally. 

Dryden is a smashing alternative to write a majority similar this. He evidently knows hockey, every bit he was a Hall of Famer every bit a fellow member of the Montreal Canadiens. Dryden has written 5 books, together with they are all superb. The ex-goalie is a patient, intelligent observer together with doesn't immature adult woman much. Dryden's other books were all extremely good done. He is evidently had sum access to Montador's identify unit of measurement together with friends, together with and then gives the reader an upclose await at Montador's problems until his decease at the historic menstruum of 35. By the way, nosotros withal don't know much virtually Montador's lastly days.

Even to a greater extent than interesting is the agency Dryden moves into other areas. He has to a greater extent than or less smashing analysis virtually how the game of hockey has changed over the years, every bit it has gotten faster together with faster inwards its evolution. The work is that a faster game tin Pb to to a greater extent than serious caput injuries, but that the league hasn't been inwards a hurry to accept a long await at the issue. It's a await at the history of the sport from a completely dissimilar perspective. Dryden also talks at length amongst players similar Keith Primeau together with Marc Savard, who saw their careers cease prematurely amongst concussion-related issues.

The ending is a petty dissimilar too. Dryden has written virtually the problems of caput issues elsewhere, such every bit editorial pages, but this is a long (43 pages) handling on the subject. His solution comes inwards 2 parts together with is pretty uncomplicated - outlaw hits to the caput of whatever sort (including fighting), together with no "finishing a check."  Would it help? Probably. Is the NHL willing to move to that point? Not together with then far.

It's slowly to teach bogged downward inwards the tidings of concussions inwards sports, generally because the answers aren't clear. We don't know when the problems started, together with then it's tougher to assess blame. Some people recover from caput injuries quickly; others never create come upward around. But clearly this isn't an number that's going away soon, no affair what's responsible for it. We'll consider if Dryden's well-reasoned await at the dependent area volition assistance deed the tidings forward.

Five stars

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