Former Chicago Blackhawks Daniel Carcillo and Nick Boynton have sued the National Hockey League, alleging that the league had information about the risk of CTE and withheld it.
Carcillo played in 474 NHL games over nine seasons for the Phoenix Coyotes, Philadelphia Flyers, Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers and Los Angeles Kings. Boynton’s 605-game NHL career included playing for the Boston Bruins for seven seasons and the Blackhawks for two.
Both players claim they suffered repeated concussive and sub-concussive brain injuries throughout their careers and were never warned of the significant risk of brain damage because the League withheld the information from them and other players of their era.
The NHL consistently “allowed and encouraged” Carcillo and Boynton, after suffering concussions, to return to play in the same game or practice, the complaint alleges.
Attorney William T. Gibbs of Corboy & Demetrio, which represents Carcillo and Boynton, suggested that the league should be held accountable. “The NHL is long overdue in acknowledging the significant risks inherent in their style of game,” he said.
“I’m doing this on behalf of all former NHL players that are struggling with the difficulties of transitioning from a life in the NHL with brains that have been damaged.” Carcillo said. “Players today are still being denied proper care for concussions. It’s time for the NHL to finally acknowledge that serious, permanent damage can be done if head trauma is ignored or neglected. I hope that any proceeds that we recover can be used to further concussion research. Furthering research is paramount in this fight for proper understanding, diagnosis and care for traumatic brain injury.” he added.
According to Gibbs, Daniel Carcillo, Nick Boynton and others have seen, “first-hand, how playing in the NHL can cause CTE.”
In addition to representing Carcillo and Boynton in the instant case, Corboy & Demetrio also represent the estate of Steve Montador; the estate of Dave Duerson, the late NFL player who asked that his brain be studied for CTE at the time of his suicide; the estate of former San Francisco 49er, Forrest Blue, who was also diagnosed with CTE in an autopsy after years of battling Lewy body dementia; and former NFL player and broadcaster Mike Adamle.
Case info: Carcillo and Boynton v. NHL, 18-CV-01715, filed in U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota on 6-21-18.
