{"id":133058,"date":"2022-10-25T11:44:59","date_gmt":"2022-10-25T15:44:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/?p=133058"},"modified":"2022-10-25T11:44:59","modified_gmt":"2022-10-25T15:44:59","slug":"brandon-carlo-concussion-struggles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2022\/10\/25\/brandon-carlo-concussion-struggles\/","title":{"rendered":"Brandon Carlo’s Concussion History, Timeline, and Long-Term Concerns"},"content":{"rendered":"

On Monday morning, Conor Ryan of the Boston Sports Journal specified Boston Bruins<\/a> defender <\/span>Brandon Carlo<\/span><\/a>‘s upper-body injury sustained against the Arizona Coyotes<\/a> in their home opener to be a concussion, on confirmation given by Carlo:<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Brandon Carlo confirmed he suffered another concussion during the home opener against Arizona.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) October 24, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It appears that Carlo will return to action in the upcoming days for the Bruins. But this concussion serves as a reminder of a much larger injury issue that has plagued Carlo throughout his playing career. Carlo has now sustained five concussions as a regular of the Bruins’ d-core. <\/span><\/p>\n

Five concussions are a staggering number for any given player. For Carlo, aged 25, this presents a boosted level of concern for the long-term health of the defender in both the future of his playing career and his life overall.<\/span><\/p>\n

Brandon Carlo’s Concussion History<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Timeline<\/span><\/h3>\n

Brandon Carlo made his NHL debut in the 2016-17 season, eventually cementing a permanent role within the Boston defensive core. <\/span><\/p>\n

Unfortunately, on the final day of the regular season, in a match-up against the Capitals, Carlo lost an edge as\u00a0<\/span>Alex Ovechkin<\/span><\/a> initiated and finished a check along the corner boards. His head became the primary point of contact (incidentally), resulting in his head making powerful contact with the glass. The injury kept him out of round-one action against the Ottawa Senators. And was revealed to be a concussion after the Bruins’ round one loss to Ottawa, in six games.<\/span><\/p>\n

The second concussion sustained by Carlo came a couple of years later in March 2020. It occurred just before the league-wide COVID pause. <\/span><\/p>\n

A poorly controlled elbow of <\/span>Evgenii Dadonov<\/span><\/a> rode up into the head of Carlo, causing his head to snap back as he tumbled into the corner. This concussion did not result in significant time missed. However, this wasn’t necessarily due to a quick recovery from the injury, considering the league’s pause a week later.<\/span><\/p>\n

Carlo’s toughest season of play arguably came in the 2020-21 season. He sustained two concussions and several other minor injuries, resulting in significant time missed in an already shortened season. <\/span><\/p>\n

Concussion number one came in a March 5th contest against the Capitals, in a somewhat infamous hit from the hands of <\/span>Tom Wilson<\/span><\/a>. This concussion kept him out until the end of the month. The second concussion Carlo suffered from in the season cut his play short, as a high hit from\u00a0<\/span>Cal Clutterbuck<\/span><\/a> in Game 3 of the second round in the postseason left him dazed and uncoordinated behind the Boston goal.<\/span><\/p>\n

Long-Term Concern<\/span><\/h3>\n

Five concussions in just over six seasons of play is an obvious concern for anyone. As concussion and head trauma research continues to develop, knowledge and awareness of the effects that just one single traumatic event places on the brain and its long-term concerns continue to spread across the sports world primarily. <\/span><\/p>\n

Understanding the general context of concussion effects holistically provides perspective on the magnitude of the seriousness of Carlo’s concussion history. On a mass basis in the NHL, five concussions (and recovering from all of them without significant issues) is quite rare. Carlo’s concussion history and general injury history may inspire inquiry on to what degree the injuries sustained by Carlo lie in luck.<\/span><\/p>\n

To answer these questions, understanding the play-style of Carlo may prove key.<\/span><\/p>\n

Embed from Getty Images<\/a>