Skinner Out, Concussion: Career In Jeopardy?

Pat LaFontaine, Eric Lindros……Jeff Skinner?

It’ s a conversation that nobody likely wants to have with the superstar Carolina forward. But after suffering his third concussion in four years and knowing what the cumulative effects of repeated head trauma can lead to, it’s entirely possible that Skinner could be seeing the twilight of his career if he wishes to lead a normal life post-NHL.

Skinner was trying to use his immense talent to make a play in the Canes preseason finale against the Washington Capitals. Shortly after an offensive zone face-off Skinner tried to spin toward the net and take a quick shot on Braden Holtby when Matt Niskanen stepped up to make a hit. As he got there……well, see for yourself.

The play continued to the far side of the ice but you can see right away Skinner wasn’t right immediately. As the whistle blew Skinner kept trying to pick up his stick and it was hard to watch him go full newborn deer knowing what he has been through in his young career, as well as what this means to Carolina having lost Jordan Staal into 2015 and having to deal with a deteriorating and untradeable Cam Ward. The Hurricanes did not have high hopes coming into the season and losing arguably their two most talented players is certainly going to put them in contention for the top players in the 2015 Entry Draft.

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But this is not about what it means to the Hurricanes. Because even if this season is a lost one next year will bring with it opportunity and hope that all teams share before the first puck drops. This is about Skinner and his long term health and well being. LaFontaine and Lindros both famously had their careers ended as a result of frequent head trauma. And they are far from the only players that have dealt with it. Heck, Eric isn’t the only Lindros – his brother Brett retired after less than three seasons as an act of self preservation.

One only needs to look at the NFL to see what frequent traumatic brain injury (TBI) can do to you later in life. All the talk about CTE is scary enough for the players but if you ask them you will likely hear that the risks are outweighed by the rewards, which is code for “I’ve always done it, I just don’t think about it”. And that’s the players choice and, quite frankly, the high majority of the players are not dealing with concussions despite the game being bigger and faster now that at any other point. But you can bet the NHL is paying close attention to the lawsuits the NFL is dealing with to try and obtain financial compensation for players that claim they were never fully informed of the risks the game and TBI would pose to their lives.

Which brings us back to Skinner. There is only so much that a brain can take before the injuries begin to leave a lasting and terrifying legacy. And science can barely tell you if that is the third concussion, the eighth…..or the first. Players would do well to remember that when they retire from this great game there will still plenty of life left to live. Player safety will continue to evolve but you will never achieve a perfect system. There will always be risks, injuries and accidents that can change the course of careers and lives. For as long as the league exists there will be another Jeff Skinner.

But for the man himself, he will never get another chance at this life. It may be time to reevaluate what he does with it.