A link between concussions and chronic traumatic encephalopathy, the brain disease commonly known as CTE, "remains nascent," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman reiterated in his response to a recent inquiry by a United States senator.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., a member of the Senate’s Consumer Protection subcommittee, requested last month that Bettman explain the NHL's stance on the effects of head injuries in hockey. Bettman, long dismissive of claims linking CTE to the sport, returned a 24-page letter Tuesday that did little to answer Blumenthal's specific questions directly and repeatedly accused the news media of blowing the issue out of proportion.
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“The science regarding CTE, including on the asserted ‘link’ to concussions that you reference, remains nascent, particularly with respect to what causes CTE and whether it can be diagnosed by specific clinical symptoms,” Bettman wrote in the letter, which was first obtained by The New York Times. “The relationship between concussions and the asserted clinical symptoms of CTE remains unknown.”
The letter was filed in United States District Court in Minneapolis as part of an ongoing lawsuit between the NHL and dozens of former players who accuse the league of negligence in protecting them from the long-term effects of head injuries.
Blumenthal's questions, according to the Times, included: “Do you believe there is a link between CTE and hockey?” and “Do you dispute that the documented CTE of former N.H.L. players, like Derek Boogaard, is linked to injuries sustained while playing in the NHL?”
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Boogaard is one of six former NHL players whose recent deaths were tied in various ways to head injuries suffered while playing hockey.
Bettman's responses to the questions were more general and legalese-laden. More than once, he said media and lawyers representing the ex-players in their concussion lawsuit were responsible for perpetuating incomplete or false information.
“This, sadly, is precisely the type of tragedy that can result when plaintiffs’ lawyers and their media consultants jump ahead of the medical community and assert, without reliable scientific support, that there is a causal link between concussions and C.T.E.,” Bettman wrote. “Certainly, a more measured approach consistent with the medical community consensus would be a safer, more prudent course.”
