Clune was pressured by his parents to play hockey at Harvard University when he was younger, but he begged them to let him play in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) instead, where he would be drafted to the Sarnia Sting in 2003. The following year, the OHL gave him the Bobby Smith Trophy, which is awarded to the player who “best combines high standards of play and academic excellence.” In his article, Clune writes that he accomplished these feats “while binge drinking every single day, often alone in [his] room.”

“Plenty of teammates and coaches had suspicions about me over the years, but nobody knew how bad it was” Clune said. In 2008, after he was drafted by the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League (NHL), he began going on spurts where he would abuse cocaine for several consecutive days at a time. Soon after, his family sat him down for an intervention, and this is when Clune first realized there was no way he could “bullshit [his] way out of it anymore.”

He checked in to rehab that summer, but still didn’t believe in the least that he was an alcoholic. “An alcoholic is a person passed out on a park bench,” he thought. After four days of repetitive questions such as “Rich, when was the last time you cried?” he decided to leave rehab, saying, “This is insane, I’m out of here.”

Clune explains that his problems with drugs and alcohol stemmed from existing in a constant state of fear. “I put on a mask to deal with the fear,” he states, explaining that once you get drafted to the OHL as a sixteen year old, you forced to be part of a culture which involves heavy drinking and constantly being surrounded by men. Clune talks about putting on a mask to deal with the state of fear. “You put on the mask, and it never goes away. When you get drafted, you put on the mask to deal with the pressure of getting a contract. When you get your contract, you put on the mask to deal with the sleepless night before you know you have to go out and drop the gloves with the 6’5” monster on the other team. When you finally pull on that NHL sweater, you put on the mask to deal with that ever-present fear that it could all go away in an instant.” Clune says.

One day, he woke up and realized he had had enough. He writes that he wished he had arrived at the realization earlier, when his parents and the assistant General Manager of the Los Angeles Kings Ron Hextall asked him to get help. “A lot of guys never got so lucky. We have lost too many of them over the years to the darkness of depression and drug abuse and alcoholism,” he says.

Several other players in the NHL (both past and present) have suffered from problems involving alcohol and drug abuse, but most have not and will never open up about it. Luckily, Clune is one of the few athletes who have been able to come forward with his story, and hopefully will now be able to serve as an outlet for other players who do suffer from the same problems he once suffered from, and help them on the path to recovery.

Derek Boogaard, a notable 6’7”, 265lb left-winger who played for the Minnesota Wild and the New York Rangers, was considered to be one of the most intimidating players in the NHL. Boogaard was found dead in his bed after overdosing on a mixture of alcohol and prescription Percocet. While his death may have been accidental, other issues were raised on how the situation may have been prevented. Boogaard’s father expressed concerns to the NHL about the way Derek’s drug abuse had been handled, and maybe even enabled, by the two teams he played for.

Two other players, Rick Rypien and Wade Belak, were also both found dead within a four-month span following the death of Boogaard. Rypien was playing for the Vancouver Canucks but was then assigned to their minor team, the Manitoba Moose. A few months later, he signed to the Winnipeg Jets, and had another shot to play in the NHL, but soon after was found dead in his home in August 2011.

The deaths forced past enforcers of the NHL and sportswriters to question the role of ‘the enforcer’ and how the league was dealing with the stress of the position. An enforcer generally plays the role of the intimidator for their respective team, and is known to be the fighter and instigator. Another well known enforcer of the NHL, Georges Laraque stated that he never liked being in the position he was in, something that Clune also agreed with, but they both made careers serving the same role.

Following the deaths of Rypien and Boogaard, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman told the media that the League would begin looking into reinforcing the Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Programs. This requires players to be provided with educational programs on substance abuse, counseling programs, and other forms of treatment, administered by doctors once every year, all of which is to be paid for by the NHL or by the players’ respective teams.

Although the NHL’s Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Program is available to all players, it has not seemed to function to the best of its ability, as there are players still struggling with substance abuse and alcoholism. Most hockey players have the mindset that they need to be another level of ‘tough’ and feel as if they could fend for themselves in situations like these, but as Clune wrote in his article, he is definitely not the only NHL player who suffers from alcoholism and substance abuse.

The NHL needs to find another way to deal with this issue across the entire league, because money isn’t the only thing players and their families care about when they are suffering from mental illnesses. The league needs to take preventative measures for situations like these, and also make several changes to its Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Programs, to stop these issues from occurring, rather than attempting to deal with them after it is far too late.

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Although neither of McGill’s basketball teams brought home the gold trophy, there was no lack of success for either program. The men’s basketball team finished with a final record of 18-12, losing their shot to compete at the national level with a loss to the Bishop Gaiters in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) championship game. Three athletes from the team–Francois Bourque, Dele Ogundokun and Vincent Dufort–earned all–star honours and earned spots on the conference all-star teams. Bourque was also named the RSEQ player of the year, and earned Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) All-Canadian honours, while Ogundokun was named the RSEQ defensive player of the year. Of course, some of this success can be credited to head coach David DeAveiro, who was also named the coach of the year by the RSEQ.

For the first time in school history, McGill’s women’s basketball team earned a spot at the CIS championship game. Despite losing the game to the Windsor Lancers, the team finished with an overall record of 26-5, and placed second in the country at the CIS Final-8 Tournament their best finish in history. Gabriela Hebert was one of the tournament all-stars with 34 points and 29 rebounds, while Mariam Sylla was voted RSEQ player of the year, finishing fifth among scoring leaders with 12.4 points per game. Sylla also earned CIS All-Canadian honours for the second time in her career, after being named the CIS rookie of the year in 2013.

The McGill women’s hockey team finished with a record of 15-4, earning gold in the RSEQ Championship, and ranking as the number one team in the CIS after the regular season. The team advanced to the CIS championships, where they were shut out 5-0 by the Western Mustangs, finally taking silver. Forward Gabrielle Davidson and defenceman Kelsie Moffatt were named CIS All-Canadians.

The men’s hockey team finished with an impressive record of 21-5, finishing first in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) East Division and fourth in the playoffs after losing the bronze medal game to the Windsor Lancers. Defenceman Samuel Labrecque, goalie Jacob Gervais-Chouinard, and centre Cedric McNicoll received all-star honours in the OUA. McNicoll was also named the MVP of the league while earning CIS All-Canadian honours.

McGill’s athletics were well represented by the hockey and basketball teams in their respective conferences with one first-place finish, two second-place finishes, and a fourth–place finish. We will see if these teams are able to generate a little more success next year and bring home the gold.

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In 2005, there were 13 CrossFit -affiliated gyms in the U.S.. There are now just over 10,000 CrossFit affiliates around the world. Over 5,000 of those affiliates are in the U.S., with others in Asia, Europe, Latin America, and Australia. Canada itself has just over 500 affiliates, most of which are on the eastern side of the country. CrossFit can be a financially inaccessible to some as rates are upward of $100 per month. But, it isn’t necessary to train at a CrossFit affiliate to adapt CrossFit’s methods of training, and this is one of the reasons that the sport has grown so rapidly.

In an email to The Daily, McGill Kinesiology student and CrossFitter Patrick Vellner said, “CrossFit does a phenomenal job of making itself very accessible to all types of people. What allows CrossFit to be so accessible is that one of its major staples is that the training is universally scalable and adaptable to all skill levels. This basically means that all of the weights can always be adjusted, and movements modified to allow any individual to take part, and adjust the intensity of training to be appropriate to them. Because of this, physical disabilities generally do not limit individuals in their potential for participation. Where there is a will, there is a way.”

CrossFit holds an event every year called The Open, where athletes worldwide do a series of five workouts. They can do this either at a local CrossFit affiliate, where they will be judged in person, or they could film their performance and submit it to be judged that way. There are various categories, including ones based on gender (men and women), and on age (‘Teenagers’ between the ages 14 and 17, ‘Open,’ where anyone can compete and ‘Masters’ for those older than the age of 40). Furthermore, instead of participating as individuals, athletes can perform as a team consisting of at least three men and three women, and do all of their workouts together.

For the first year ever, the Open is now separated into competitive and non-competitive divisions. Those who wish to compete in the CrossFit Games would do the Open in the competitive division, and those who simply want to be more involved with the sport would participate in the non-competitive division. Those who place highest in the competitive division of the Open go to the CrossFit Regionals. A certain amount of athletes who place highest at the Regionals (which vary year to year) will then be able to move onto the CrossFit Games that are held every summer.

Aside from the CrossFit Games themselves, there are various other competitions hosted by affiliates at their own gyms. This is another way in which CrossFit is inclusive: there can still be a competitive aspect to the sport for those who aren’t quite ready to compete at the Games. There are even competitions for those who are disabled. Kevin Ogar, a very respected CrossFit athlete has excelled at the sport, while doing his workouts in a wheelchair. Ogar is a member of WheelWod, a group of athletes whose mission is to make all forms of fitness adaptable and accessible for everyone. They also host seminars, done by a system of trial-and-error, for other disabled athletes.

Having said that, I should point out that CrossFit isn’t only about competition; it is also about preparing people for any physical contingency, which is yet another reason the sport has grown so quickly among people. The sport doesn’t set unrealistic standards like many other sports do, meaning people can feel comfortable knowing they aren’t the top athletes in the world.

Vellner said, “I think that it is important to understand that CrossFit is not defined by its big competitions like the CrossFit Games. These are only a small part of CrossFit, a celebration of its elite athletes, but anyone can enjoy it without competing at a high level. The community, camaraderie, and ideals surrounding CrossFit are what really make it amazing. There is universal acceptance and everyone is always trying to help each other out. The main goal is to live a healthier life and the most important competition at the gym is against yourself.”

Vellner has been doing CrossFit since 2013, but even before CrossFit, he said he had a great athletic background in gymnastics that was sure to help him excel. Remembering his first year doing CrossFit and participating in the Open, he said he “had some reasonable success for a beginner, but it was a big reality check as to what it takes to compete at the next level.” The following year, he continued to train on his own, and again decided to compete in the Open. He qualified for Regionals, decided to compete yet again, and finished in fifth place – only two spots away from making it to the CrossFit Games. After his successful campaign at the Canada East Regionals, a few athletes from CrossFit Plateau approached him, and asked him to begin training at their gym. He has been training there since the fall of 2014. He says that he loves the sport, and is shooting for the 2016 CrossFit Games.

Training in accordance with the methods of CrossFit, an average person could potentially become a strong and well-rounded athlete, with the foundation of general physical preparedness. When done safely as a sport, CrossFit provides an interesting and real challenge with plenty of potential for personal growth and achievement, which is why it has grown so rapidly across the globe, and will continue to do so. CrossFit has revolutionized the way people think of fitness, and that in itself proves why CrossFit is perfect for everyone.

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In no way was this the first time the issue of race has been seen in sports, but this situation gathered the attention of many people, and has opened the eyes of those who were blind to racial politics in the National Football League (NFL). Since Super Bowl XLIX was just yesterday, and the Seattle Seahawks were back in for another battle in the trenches, it seems fitting to speak of the inequality that athletes of colour have experienced, not only from the media, but also from the NFL.

Marshawn “Beast Mode” Lynch, one of Sherman’s teammates – and also currently considered one of the most powerful running backs in the NFL – has seen his fair share of discrimination. While signing an NFL contract, there are rules that athletes must obey, one of which requires players to answer questions from the media after games. On November 19, Lynch was fined $100,000 for refusing to speak with the media, despite receiving a warning for the same reason a few weeks before. A couple of days later, after the Seahawks beat the Arizona Cardinals, Lynch was pounded with questions in the changing room. He answered 21 out of a total of 22 questions with one word answers. A month later, he answered nearly every question with, “thank you for asking,” and other answers of the same sort. On January 27 during the NFL’s Super Bowl Media Day, Lynch again avoided questions. He responded to the majority of the questions with the answer, “I’m here just so I won’t get fined.”

The NFL portrays Lynch as a stubborn athlete who doesn’t want to speak to the media, and the media is quick to thrust racist stereotypes on players of colour which is a part of a larger narrative of how the NFL and mainstream sports commentators treat non- white players. As Jamilah King of Colorlines points out, “perhaps his biggest mistake is being unapologetically black and rebellious in a league business that depends on military-like obedience.” In reality, Lynch has the best possible reason not to talk to the media: it makes him anxious. Lynch has been medically diagnosed with anxiety, a fact that he has made clear to the league and one that it refuses to validate. So basically, the NFL is twisting this player’s arm to put him in situations that are harmful to his mental health while using racist stereotypes to place the blame on the player.

However, with the NFL, it doesn’t stop with policing players’ actions, but also with their clothing choices. Hours before this year’s NFC title game, a photo went viral: a pair of 24-karat gold flake painted cleats, estimated to be worth just over $1,000, that Lynch had custom-made for the game. He was told by the league that if he wore the cleats, he would be violating ‘uniform code’ and wouldn’t be able to take part in the game. He also wore a ‘Beast Mode’ baseball cap to the interview, and the league was not okay with it.

However, the league made no such threats toward the New England Patriots, which is under investigation for deflating balls. Why does this matter? Because teams provide their own balls that they will use on the offensive. If the ball is a little deflated, you have an unfair advantage, making it easier to grip, throw, and catch – especially in shitty weather. Sherman replys to this hypocrisy, saying, “You suspend Marshawn for gold shoes, then you’ve got balls being deflated and that’s the issue.” It has become clear that the NFL is quick to chastize a player of colour, but is more hesitant to penalize a franchise where the quarterback, star receiver, star tight end, coach and owner are all white. With the Super Bowl having just being played the issue wasn’t resolved; nobody was be penalized, fined, or anything of the sort, and the Patriots competed against the Seattle Seahawks.

Another example of the NFL’s hypocrisy is how differently it has treated Tim Tebow and Husain Abdullah’s touchdown celebrations. Tebow is a devout Christian, who had a short-lived but very hyped career in the NFL, and was known for his post-touchdown celebration, which was quickly trademarked as “Tebowing.” After scoring a touchdown, Tebow would drop to one knee, his elbow on his knee with his head resting on his hand, and start praying. Not only was this permitted by officiating crews and the NFL, but it was widely accepted by fans, some of whom created a website dedicated to the act of Tebowing. On top of the fame this movement received, Tebowing was also recognized as a word in the English language by Global Language Monitor.

On the contrary, in September, , the Kansas City Chiefs played against the New England Patriots. During the game, Kansas City free safety, Abdullah intercepted Patriots quarter back Tom Brady’s pass and took the ball back for a touchdown. Once in the endzone, Abdullah, a devout Muslim, dropped to his knees, placed his head on the turf and came up to yellow flags being thrown around. Both players engaged in a post-touchdown prayer, yet only one was penalized. This is clear discrepancy on how the NFL treats white and non-white players, and only serves to further cement their hypocritic legacy.

The simple fact is that the NFL is still complacent about this institutionalized racism, and change has to come immediately. Until then, one of America’s favorite pastimes will serve as a constant reminder that racism is alive and well in sports.

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The first difference you will notice between Canadian and American football is the size of the field and the number of players. In Canada, the field is ten yards longer and wider, and each end zone is also ten yards longer. In order to compensate for the larger field in Canada, the game is played with one extra player, allowing 12 players per team on the field at once (as opposed to 11 in the U.S.). Another important difference to note is the number of downs, or attempts the offence has to move the ball ten yards, resetting the play. In Canadian football, a team only has three attempts, which makes the passing game more dominant, as opposed to the running game. This is because the ball is more likely to travel the ten yards needed for a first down with a pass. However, despite the differences in rules and style of play, there is still a large amount of potential for Canadian players and teams to compete in the American system.

In May, the NFL hosts its ‘Draft Day’ at the Radio City Music Hall. The majority of the players that are drafted over the span of three days come from collegiate level-football in the U.S., called the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Most ‘up-and-coming’ football players play at this level. This is where athletes are able to develop to the best of their abilities, which could earn them a spot on a professional football team. The NCAA is so large that it not only provides the NFL a bountiful pool of players to choose from, but it also provides CFL teams with the same option. The reason that Canadian players make the jump over to the NCAA is because the sheer size of the program allows for more options for scholarships and visibility to NFL scouts.

The CFL draft also draws players from Canada’s collegiate division, the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS). The CFL has rules based on the eligibility of players on their respective teams. Since the CFL is allowed to draw players from the NCAA to their teams, the league has implemented a rule on how many non-import players need to be part of the 41-man roster. A non-import player is simply a Canadian citizen, and there must be 21 of them on the team. The majority of these players will come from the CIS.

The CIS is separated into four divisions that are divded by geographical area. In the middle of Canada, we have Ontario University Athletics (OUA) which consists of 11 teams. A little to the east we have the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ), which consists of six teams. Further east there is the Atlantic University Sport (AUS), which consists of four teams, and all the way to the west we have the Canada West division, which also has only six teams. The CIS is represented by a total of 27 Canadian teams spread across four divisions, which is much smaller than the NCAA, which has over 600 teams spread out over 67 divisions.

Is it possible that a CIS football team could compete in the NCAA? The simple answer is yes. The caliber of football is generally based on the division, where Division I is the highest. Simon Fraser Univeristy (SFU) was initially a part of the NCAA up until 2001. In 2002, SFU transferred into the CIS. For six out of eight seasons in CIS play, SFU was unable to make it to the playoffs and overall had a record of 16 wins, 47 losses, and two ties. Now, since transferring back to the NCAA, playing in Division II, SFU holds a record of 13 wins and 33 losses.

Depending on the NCAA division, there is potential for a few CIS teams to actually compete in the U.S.. The majority of CIS teams could play competitive football against certain teams in Division III, but for the most part, there are only a few teams who have shown they could compete in the higher-level Divisions I and II.

In the last 12 years, three CIS teams have dominated the league, making multiple appearances to the Vanier Cup. These teams include McMaster University, the University of Calgary, and the CIS powerhouse, Laval University. I strongly believe that all three of these teams could make a large impact in Division II of the NCAA if they were ever given the opportunity to do so. I also believe that Laval has proven itself good enough to be able to compete in Division I of the NCAA, having made eight appearances to the Vanier Cup in the last 12 years, and having won seven out of eight times.

Aside from CIS teams being able to compete in the NCAA, the CIS itself has developed individual players who have gone on to have successful NFL careers. Last year,Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, an offensive lineman from McGill, was drafted to the Kansas City Chiefs 200th overall. Not only was he drafted to the NFL, but he also earned a spot on the the Chiefs’ dress roster, and has seen action on the field.

In 2001, Randy Chevrier, a long snapper from McGill who won the J.P Metras Trophy (the award for the most outstanding lineman in the CIS), was drafted to the NFL by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the seventh round of the 2001 draft. He later moved on to play in the CFL where he earned the Tom Pate Memorial Award (an award for outstanding sportsmanship and community contributions) in 2014.

Of course the majority of players in the NFL are from the U.S., but there are currently 17 Canadian athletes on their dress rosters. This statistic goes to show that there is always potential for Canadian athletes to make it to the ‘big leagues.’

Canada has played host to its fair share of talented football but overall, both games are completely different. The games differ in the rules, number of players, field size, and most of all, the size of the sport in its respective country. The U.S. is always thought of as the football nation, but interestingly enough, the first ever modern game of football was played between McGill and Harvard in 1874, showing that Canada has deep football roots as well. Yes, football is much smaller in Canada than it is in the U.S., but you wouldn’t guess it by the sound of the cheers when the Alouettes are in.

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McGill took an early 1-0 lead before the clock even started. Nils Jonkman, the Redmen kicker, put the ball through the end zone on the opening kick-off with a little bit of help from a gust of wind.

The Redmen carried the lead until the very end of the first half, when McGill kick returner Kenny Baye fumbled the ball in the end zone, and Stingers defensive player Jordan McLaren jumped on it for the touchdown, making the score 21-18 for the Stingers.
Later in the fourth quarter, Stingers kicker Keegan Treloar kicked a 15-yard field goal, making it 28-25 for McGill with only six minutes and 18 seconds remaining.

As usual, McGill decided to take a knee in the end zone, surrendering two points to the Stingers and making it a one-point lead with little to no time left.

On the Stinger’s last drive of the game, they failed to reach the ten yard mark on second down, and their only hope for victory was to send out Treloar for a 45-yard field goal attempt. McGill ran out of luck, and the field goal was made. Concordia took a two-point lead, leaving the Redmen only 28 seconds to come back, where they had an unsuccessful four play drive, dropping the last game of the season with a final score of 28-30.

For McGill, points came from Jokman, who kicker two rogues and three extra points; punter Rémi Bertellin, who also added a rouge; and receiver Raphael Casey, quarterback Joel Houle, and running back Pelle Jorgen, who each had one yard rushes for touchdowns. Concordia also kneeled the ball in the endzone twice, giving the Redmen an extra four points.

Since the opening game of the season, the Redmen have faced anuphill battle. A total of nine players faced season-ending injuries throughout the year, including starting quarterback Dallon Kuprowski with a concussion, defensive tackle Olivier Cain-Tremblay with a fractured fibula; defensive end Carl Laverdiere with several concussions; and defensive back Alexandre Lefebvre-Tardif with an assumed torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).

Aside from injury-related issues, McGill running back Luis-Andres Guimont-Mota was arrested mid-season after he faced charges of domestic assault. Soon after, he was suspended from the football team.

The suspension of Guimont-Mota also prompted the resignation of head coach Clint Uttley. One of the reasons Guimont-Mota was suspended was due to his previous criminal record; however, Uttley said that he believed in the rehabilitation of players.
Since the team no longer has a head coach, both offensive coordinator Patrick Boies and defensive Coordinator Ron Hilaire have stepped up as interim head coaches.

McGill Athletics will put up a job posting next week in hopes of hiring a new head coach for the 2015 season, with the goal OF turning the football program in the right direction. McGill Athletics will announce the new hire soon after the winter break.

The last time the Redmen had a winning record was in 2002, where the team went 7-1 and placed first in the Québec University Football League (QUFL), which has now been renamed the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ). Over the last ten seasons, McGill has played 82 games, only 17 of which have been wins. That puts their overall record for the past ten seasons at 17-69.

With the hiring of a new head coach, there’s a possibility of change, which we can only hope will bring victory to Redmen. It has yet to be seen if McGill will look to hire internally or will look for external candidates, but both Boies and Hilaire have been asked to submit applications for the position.

The most positive aspect of the 2014 season for the Redmen was the success of rookie all-star linebacker Karl Forgues, who came through with a break-out season. Forgues lead the RSEQ in total tackles, and finished second in the forced fumbles category. Nationwide, Forgues came second in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) standings with total tackles, third with eight total sacks, and tied for fourth in the tackles for loss category. This puts Forgues in very good standing to be named the RSEQ Rookie of the Year, and even potentially the CIS Rookie of the Year.

Overall, this wasn’t the season the Redmen were hoping to have, but at this point the only way to go is up. McGill will recruit heavily this off-season in hopes of building up for future seasons, but the main priority will be to hire a head coach who has the ability to bring the McGill football program back to the top of the RSEQ, and hopefully the CIS.

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In 1997, the NHL implemented a concussion policy, making it the first professional sports league to start a working group that focused on the study of concussions. They created a neuropsychological baseline testing program, and claim to be working on and continuosly updating the program based on newer research. Ruben Echemendia, the Director of the NHL’s Neuropsychological Testing Program and Co-Chair of the NHL/NHLPA Concussion Working Group, claims that this will improve ‘‘conditions for players”- but has it really? Concussions are injuries that can take out the most talented players for an entire season in the blink of an eye.

Take the case of Sidney Crosby. Most NHL fans would consider Crosby to be one of the top players in the league. In just his second season, Crosby was awarded the Art Ross Trophy for receiving the most points in the NHL, becoming the only teenager to ever win a scoring title in any major North American sports league and has been named an All-Star multiple times.

On January 1 and January 5, in 2011 Crosby suffered blows to the head from Dave Steckel and Victor Hedman, respectively. In both cases he did not see the hit coming. He missed the final 41 games of the season after experiencing several concussion symptoms. He also missed the first twenty games of the following season due to nagging symptoms, but was finally medically cleared to play against the New York Islanders on November 11, 2011.

Crosby is arguably one of the most talented players in the league; we have seen him deke through players and score numerous game-winning goals. The ugly nature of concussions is that one hit can destroy a season; in Crosby’s case, two hits for him made him miss 61 games in the 2010 and 2011 seasons. Even when Crosby felt better it only took one more hit from David Krejci to put him out for another forty games. He returned in March of the following year and was able to finish the season.

Usually the saying goes, ‘with risk comes reward’- but what about ‘with reward comes risk? Most professional athletes are putting themselves at physical risk simply by participating in these high-intensity sports. Although the nature of the sport is high-contact, it is the league’s responsibility to put rules in place to prevent the types of hits that lead to career-ending injuries and long-term health concerns.

Although current fans know of Crosby and his injuries, he is not the only professional hockey player to experience concussions. Some of hockey’s greatest players including Eric Lindros, Paul Kariya, Keith Primeau, and Marc Savard all sat out for lengthy periods of time due to concussion-related injuries.

In the 2013-14 season, concussions in the NHL were at an all-time high. Within only the first three weeks of the season, which included 136 games, there were over ten concussions or suspected concussions.

In July 2013, an extensive study done by Dr. Michael Cusimano, whose specializations include Clinical research in neurosurgery, he and his team found that there are 5.23 concussions or head injuries per 100 NHL games. This study was published two years after Rule 48 was introduced, finding that even though Rule 48 was supposed to reduce the number of concussions, it has not been efective. Rule 48, according to the NHL’s official rule book, states that an illegal check to the head, or “a hit resulting in contact with an opponent’s head where the head is targeted and is the principal point of contact, is not permitted. However, in determining whether such a hit should have been permitted, the circumstances of the hit, including whether the opponent put himself in a vulnerable position immediately prior to or simultaneously with the hit, or whether the head contact on an otherwise legal body check was avoidable, can be considered.”

This new rule will penalize all hits where the head is the primary point of contact. The previous rule only made blind-side hits illegal, but now the penalty will also be based on whether or not the player is putting himself in a vulnerable position or if the hit is unavoidable.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and league representatives have been aware of how severe concussions have been amongst players, but it seems like the only changes that have been made in recent years are to gameplay rather than to rules to improve the health and safety of its athletes.

In the summer leading up to the 2014 NHL season, the league imposed new rules which included the expansion of the size of the goalie’s restricted area behind the net, new game misconduct penalties, diving and tripping penalty reviews (including fines), as well as new overtime and face-off rules.

The league’s competition committee has manipulated the rules this season, primarily in an attempt to speed up the game and generate more offense, which may have its consequences. With a quicker game speed comes the opportunity for more high-speed collisions, some of which may end up being to the head.

Since the league’s games have commenced on October 8, there are already six players on TSN’s injury report list with head-related injuries. Marc Savard of the Boston Bruins and Chris Pronger of the Philadelphia Flyers are two players that have been placed on the injured reserve due to injuries from previous seasons. Both have post-concussion syndrome, where symptoms may persist for days, weeks, or months after inital injury. Forward Jeff Skinner of the Carolina Hurricanes was diagnosed with a concussion after getting hit by Washington Capitals defenceman Matt Niskanen. Colorado Avalanche forward John Mitchell is out with concussion-related symptoms, Washington Capitals forward Aaron Volpatti is out with neck-related injuries, and Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender James Reimer left midway through a New York Rangers game after a collision where he hit his head.

If the NHL’s plan is to speed up gameplay, they’ll also need to plan how to deal with the amount of head-and concussion-related injuries they will face this season. On March 2, 2013, the Montréal Canadiens played the Pittsburgh Penguins, ending in a score of 7-6 – does that sound like the NHL really needs to improve scoring? This is not to say that all of the games end in this high of a score, but what if that game were to be played this season with all of the new rules put in place?

The league doesn’t need to improve the speed or scoring of the game, they need to learn how to prevent injuries. The average length of an NHL career is 5.65 years, and it is an easy assumption that some of those were due to career-ending injuries. With five concussions per one hundred NHL games, it’s absurd that the league hasn’t taken a stronger and more in-depth approach to injury prevention.

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As it was the home opener, McGill fans came out in full force to support their team, fans wearing mittens and covering themselves in blankets to fight off the eight-degree weather was a common sight.

Before fans even had a chance to settle into their seats, Concordia scored. Stingers kicker Keegan Treloar registered a 15-yard field goal just a minute into the game, sparking anger and disbelief in the crowd. The McGill faithful would have to endure a great deal more before the game’s finish.

The Redmen were unable to stop the Concordia offence from scoring relentlessly, and the Stingers scored four more times before the home team was able to retaliate. By the start of the second quarter, Concordia was already up 21-0.

The Redmen were finally able to answer the Stingers’ onslaught with a 57-yard drive, and executed a six-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Dallon Kuprowski to receiver Louis Brouillette with under ten minutes remaining in the first half. Although seeing a spark of life from the Redmen was good, it’s hard to get too excited when the score is still 21-7.

To end the first half of the game, McGill gave up another two points to Concordia by avoiding punting, and instead kneeling the ball in the endzone, hoping the Stingers wouldn’t capitalize on good field positioning and score another touchdown.

After halftime it appeared as though most of the stadium had cleared out as fans left in disappointment, and the fans who stayed didn’t seem too happy about being there. Some of the home team fans even moved over to sit with the Concordia fans and started cheering for the Stingers.

After halftime the game only got worse for the Redmen as the Stingers steamrolled through the defence once again, this time scoring six consecutive times while staying strong on the defensive side of the football.

The second half started with the Stingers kicker’s second field goal of the night, kicked from 24 yards, after a 55-yard drive by the offence.

Next, for the fourth and final time, the Redmen gave up a safety, putting Concordia up 28-7. Treloar rounded off the third quarter scoring with a 42-yard field goal.

It seemed like things could not get any worse, but the Stingers offence kept rolling in the fourth quarter, where Concordia slotback Daniel Skube, scored another touchdown on a 34-yard pass from Dessureault. To finish, Treloar put another field goal through, beating his last distance by a yard with an impressive 43-yard kick with just over five minutes left in the game, making the score 41-7.

This was a dismal home opener for the Redmen; not only was the offence inactive, but the defence could not find an answer to Concordia’s offence. The team gave up 125 yards on 18 penalties, making it that much harder for the Redmen to earn any territory on Concordia.

The Redmen defence was not exactly impressive against the Stingers, but a few players do deserve individual mention for their efforts. Defensive end Devon Stewart led the Redmen defence with 7.5 tackles, while Redmen linebacker Karl Forgues had seven tackles and a forced fumble which was recovered by defensive tackle Kadeem Lewis. Among defensive leaders for the game was standout rookie linebacker Ricard Lubin, who recorded four tackles, 2.5 tackles for losses, and the only Redmen sack of the game. Although the Redmen defence had some solid performances overall, the defensive core will have to come together and form a cohesive unit to avoid such uneven scores.

On the offensive side of the ball for the Redmen, Dallon Kuprowski went 13-24 for 122 yards passing, with a solo touchdown and one interception. Joel Houle relieved Kuprowski at half time and went 12-25 for 113 yards passing. Brouillette led the team in receptions with eight catches for 78 yards and caught the team’s only touchdown. Receiver Yannick Langelier-Vanasse tallied five receptions for 71 yards. Running back Luis Guimont-Mota had eight carries for 30 yards, as well as two receptions for 13 yards. Again, the offence has to improve in the same areas as the defence in coming together and playing a solid four quarters of football.

On special teams, Pelle Jorgen received four kick returns for 52 yards, while Langelier-Vanasse also returned six punts for a total of 46 yards.

The Redmen will have to improve on all sides of the ball, but this improvement was not seen on friday night against the University of Montreal Carabins, where the Redmen lost 43-17. After losing their first two games, it looks like a long season for the Redmen faithful.

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