The NHL reportedly isn’t funding any concussion research, unlike its peers

The NHL has not joined its pro sports colleagues in donating money to research aimed at finding a link between CTE and concussions in sports, according to a report from USA Today.

USA Today reached out to the four leading institutes researching links between football, hockey, and the development of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) after retirement. It turns out the NHL has not funded any research at Boston University, University of Western Ontario, the University of North Carolina, and the National Institutes of Health.

The NHL is currently being sued by 100 former players accusing the league in a class-action lawsuit of negligence in protecting them or making them aware of the dangers concussions could cause. The NHL has yet to admit even the link between CTE and concussions exists, showing a defiant stance not shared by the NFL, which faced and settled a similar lawsuit in 2013.

On one hand, this looks like a bad move for the league. On the other, is it surprising? As usual, it’s best to talk these things out. Because it’s complicated.

It sure does. Armour’s piece for USA Today begins with a strong point: no matter how much the NFL has been criticized for the way it handles CTE research, at least it funds in some capacity.

The NHL’s decision to not join other sports leagues in research at those four leading universities doesn’t bode well from a public relations standpoint. Especially when their own player’s association is donating half a million dollars to Western Ontario, as the USA Today report notes.

Right. Just last week, BU’s CTE Center rejected the NHL’s request to turn over all of its CTE research that might aid in its lawsuit. From TSN’s Rick Westhead:

The NHL sent a subpoena to Boston University on Sept. 1, 2015. It wants the school to produce documents that show which study subjects were examined and were not diagnosed with CTE, documents to identify all athletes who have donated or who have agreed to donate their brains to be examined, as well as any pathology photographs related to the study of the brains of former hockey players.

The NHL also wants the school to hand over any communications that discuss whether there is any variation in CTE diagnoses in the brains of former boxers, football players and athletes from other sports compared with those of hockey players.

Boston University has refused the NHL’s request, citing the confidentiality of study subjects.

The emphasis in there was mine, because I think that part is important. So far, as the USA Today story notes, the NHL has refused to even admit that there is a link between CTE and concussions. And trying to force BU to release information that could let them legally argue that concussions in hockey are less of a lingering problem than in football seems like they’re going all-in on trying to make that conclusion viable.

A good question. And one I’m not smart enough to answer accurately, so one I’m not going to try and touch.

Fine. Liability. And even giving a little bit of ground by admitting a possible CTE-concussion link could lead them closer to having to settle a lawsuit.

Not exactly. I mean, it would be great for the families and players leading the lawsuit. But for the league? The cost would be ... costly.

Shut up. The NFL settled its concussion lawsuit for $1 billion, paid over 65 years. By contrast, the NHL has no interest in reaching such a settlement. Publicly, it cites the very lack of definitive proof of a link between CTE and concussions. But keep in mind that the NHL is worth $4 billion, per USA Today.

Well, no. The people inside big companies aren’t necessarily bad people. Remember that. Broad demonization is generally a bad thing. They’re just doing a job. Gary Bettman’s job is to keep the NHL afloat in the face of a super-costly lawsuit, even if he privately sympathizes with the players leveling the lawsuit at him.

And what are the odds we’d be trusting the research the NHL funded anyway? All four of those universities are doing great, independent research. Maybe that’s why the NHL just decided to stay out of it. Remember that the NFL’s history with funding research is incredibly messy and exists in murky ethical waters. It’s doubtful those institutes would’ve responded well to any suggestion of direction from the league, no matter how direct or subtle.

Just last year, a congressional investigation claimed the NFL tried to “improperly influence” concussion research it was funding when Boston University researchers got involved. The same BU team that the NHL is fighting in courts with. In general, it’s not a guarantee donations from the NHL to these universities would be impactful or sincere anyway.

But it’s another chapter in an ugly lawsuit saga that won’t get any clearer in the near future.