Editor’s Note: We at LWOS are always looking to add passionate fans to our writing team. We are excited to have Deidre Matthews join our hockey department. Welcome to the #LastWordArmy!
When it comes to competitive sports there is an intense training load before the actual performances begin. In hockey, most players start playing at a very young age until they are ready to quit and move on.
The players who make it into the NHL are usually drafted when they are in their late teens and from there they continue to play for their junior team, or if lucky enough they are signed to play right away by their respective NHL team. Most players usually play until their early to mid thirties before retiring or being forced to retire due to an injury. Then there are players who play when they are much older. An example would be Gordie Howe from the Detroit Red Wings and Hartford Whalers. Howe played until he was just over 52 years old, finally retiring from the NHL in 1980. A modern example is Jaromir Jagr, whom at the age of 41 years old signed a contract with his 7th NHL team, leaving the Boston Bruins to head to the New Jersey Devils.
The NHL is very lenient when it comes to playing at whatever age, as long as it is not under the age of 18. It would be a good idea if the rules were extended a bit to have a retirement age. However, many players have the health to keep playing at a major level while others cannot.
Maybe a retirement age is not credible but putting a restriction on the amount of concussions or serious injuries players receive that force them to take time off should be considered. 25-year-old Blake Geoffrion of the Montreal Canadiens played for the Hamilton Bulldogs during the lockout season and got checked hard, landing freakishly with his head hitting his opponents skate. Geoffrion ended up with a concussion and a fractured skull. After almost a year of therapy and trying to make a comeback he made the difficult decision to retire. The NHL should have forced him to make that decision right after the medical diagnosis along with many other players who get badly injured but still technically stay on an NHL roster.
With the prevalence of concussions today, is there a certain number that a player can suffer before it becomes too many and they should be forced out of the game?
In other words, should the NHL put in a better rule forcing players off the ice when they are considered too old for the sport, or when they have major injuries that can cause a lot of trouble later on in life?
As we learn more and more about the after-effects of serious injuries, its something the league may one day consider.
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