Play it Cool Hockey

The impact of concussions in hockey is found throughout all levels of the sport. Play It Cool™’s chief relations officer, Keith Primeau is one player who’s career was cut short due to concussions. Keith Primeau The biggest enemies of the Philadephia Flyer Captain and All-Star were the concussions that eventually would force him to cut his playing career short. After suffering multiple concussions during his career Primeau was forced to retire on September 14, 2006. Prior to ending his career Primeau tried every means possible to recover from his latest concussion that occurred in 2005 when he missed 73 regular season games due to getting hit on October 25 by Montreal Canadiens Alexander Perezhogin. After sitting out the 73 games and playoffs Primeau’s side effects, which included extreme dizziness and even vision problems, subsided and he felt strong enough to make a comeback the following year. Prior to training camp Primeau was in a good frame of mind when he returned to Philly in August and began skating with his teammates in preparation for the season. “I just really looked forward to getting back on the ice and playing,” he said at the time. Unfortunately two days into the training camp the symptoms returned and after not getting clearance from the Flyers medical staff Primeau decided enough was enough and called it a career. “This decision will allow me to live a normal life and hopefully, with time, few reminders of my injuries,” Primeau who also suffers depression from the concussions said. “I’m sorry I couldn’t overcome this injury and dragged this out as long as I did. I did it all with the best of intentions and with the thought of returning home and playing in front of 20,000 screaming fans.” Here are some other current and former professional players whose careers have been impacted by concussions.

	Keith Primeau A third round pick of the Detroit Red Wings in the 1990 entry draft, Keith Primeau played his OHL career with the Niagara Falls Thunder. Heading to the NHL, he aimed to bring some size and scoring to the Wings. This did not come so easy for Primeau, having to play the wing, and competing with the likes of Yzerman and Federov for ice time. Eventually Primeau was involved in a trade that landed him in Hartford. Hartford gave Primeau the ice time he needed to excel, and he became a great physical player with soft hands. Primeau continued to flourish as the Whalers moved to Carolina, and even got the...

	Eric Lindros Dubbed the next “Great One”, Eric Lindros played his junior career for the Oshawa Generals of the OHL before being drafted in 1991 by the Quebec Nordiques first overall. Lindros would never play a game for the Nordiques, and was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers. His physical play and scoring ability were welcomed with opened arms in Philly. He set a Flyer’s rookie scoring record with 41 goals, and over the next few seasons continued to improve, winning the Hart Trophy in 1994-95 as the league’s most valuable player. He continued to be a dominant presence at both the NHL and international levels...

	Jonathan Toews Winnipeg Manitoba native, Jonathan Toews is a graduate of the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux. He played 76 games for the Sioux, tallying 85 points and helped lead them to an appearance in the 2007 Frozen Four. Playing for team Canada at the World Junior Championships, Toews captured two gold medals in 2006 and 2007. Toews was a 2007 3rd overall draft pick of the Chicago Blackhawks, and has played in Chicago ever since. Toews had the honour of representing Canada at the 2010 Olympics, winning gold on home soil in...

	Adam Deadmarsh Adam Deadmarsh was drafted 14th overall in the 1993 draft by the Quebec Nordiques after a successful junior career with the Portland Winter Hawks that saw him also play for the Canadian U-17 and U-18 teams and the USA U-20 team (a result of his dual citizenship status). Deadmarsh followed the Nordiques’ move to Colorado in 1995 becoming a member of the Avalanche. He won a Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 1996 over the Florida Panthers. Deadmarsh led the Avalanche in scoring the following season with 33 goals. They would make it all the way to the Western Conference Finals before being defeated by the Detroit Red Wings...

	Brent Seabrook Richmond, B.C. native Brent Seabrook is a junior hockey graduate of the WHL’s Lethbridge Hurricanes. This offensive defenceman played parts of five seasons with Lethbridge, and captured a World Junior gold in 2005 and was drafted 14th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2003 draft. He made his pro debut for the Hawks AHL affiliate in the spring of 2004-05. The following season Seabrook cracked the Hawks line-up and made his NHL debut. Seabrook has been with the young Hawks team since 2004-05, proving himself to be a dominant two way defenceman. He helped Canada capture gold at the 2010 Olympics, and...

	Brett Lindros Born in London, Ontario, Brett Lindros played his junior hockey career for the Kingston Frontenacs of the OHL. During this time he also skated frequently with the Canadian national team. This skilled power forward showed great potential and was eventually taken ninth overall by the New York Islanders in the 1994 NHL draft. Brett had suffered numerous unreported concussions during his junior career before entering the NHL. In his debut NHL season Lindros endured a series of concussions, each of which took progressively longer to recover from. After playing only 57 games for the Islanders, Brett...

	David Booth A native of Detroit, Michigan, David Booth is a graduate of the NCAA’s Michigan State Spartans. He was drafted 53rd overall in the 2004 entry draft as Florida’s third choice. He would make his NHL debut during 2006-07, splitting the season between the Panthers and their AHL affiliate. During 2007-08, Booth’s first season as a regular with the Panthers he notched 40 points in 70 games. Booth became part of the current blindside/headshot debate after being knocked unconscious in a game against the Philadelphia Flyers. Booth had just crossed the blue-line and dropped the puck to a

	Dean McAmmond A native of Grand Cache, Alberta, Dean McAmmond starred on both the St Albert Raiders and the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders before being chosen 22nd overall by the Chicago Black Hawks in the 1991 NHL entry draft. McAmmond has enjoyed 14 seasons in the NHL with Chicago, Edmonton, Calgary, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Ottawa, Long Island, and New Jersey. McAmmond’s NHL career has been riddled with concussions, causing him to miss numerous games. Two concussions in his career stand out against the rest; one suffered from an elbow by Chris Pronger, and the other on a dirty hit from Steve Downie...

	Kevin Kaminski Churchbridge, Saskatchewan native Kevin Kaminski was a WHL graduate of the Saskatoon Blades, scoring 99 goals and racking up almost 700 penalty minutes in three seasons with the Blades. Kaminski was taken 48th overall by the Minnesota North Stars in the 1987 draft. Playing only one game in Minnesota during his final junior year, Kaminski was traded to the Nordiques, where he would jump up and down between the Nordiques and their AHL affiliate. The Washington Capitals then acquired Kaminski for the 1993-94 season in order to add some grit and toughness to their squad. He spent two whole seasons with the Capitals before spending...

	Marc Savard A native of Ottawa, Savard began playing Junior B hockey before being noticed and called up by the Oshawa Generals of the OHL. He was drafted 91st overall by the New York Rangers in the 1995 NHL draft after winning the OHL scoring title with 139 points. Savard would return for another season in the OHL, before finally making his professional debut in 28 games with the Rangers, and the rest with their AHL affiliate. Savard was traded in 1999 to the Calgary Flames where he had back to back 20 plus goal seasons. After fighting for ice-time in the 2002-03 season, Savard was traded to the Atlanta...

	Mike Modano Born in suburban Detroit, Modano chose to join the CHL, playing his junior career for the Prince Albert Raiders instead of taking the NCAA route. After recording 127 points in his third season with the Raiders, Modano was chosen first overall by the Minnesota North Stars during the 1988 NHL draft. He would return for one more season with the Raiders, notching 105 points in 41 games. Proving he was ready for the big leagues, Modano joined the Stars and tallied 75 points in his rookie season. Modano encountered injury adversity during the 1994 season in a game against the New York Rangers. He was hit by a blindside body check from Mark Messier which left him in...

	Nick Kypreos A native of Toronto, Nick Kypreos played his junior years with the North Bay Centennials of the OHL. Known as a hard-nosed competitor, Kypreos notched 152 goals during his last three years of junior hockey before being signed as a free agent by the Philadelphia Flyers. Kypreos never fit in with the Flyers plans and was eventually picked up off of waivers by the Washington Capitals. Kypreos played two seasons with the Capitals before being sent to the Hartford Whalers where he enjoyed a brief stint before being traded to the New York Rangers and finally ending up a Toronto Maple Leaf in 1996...