NHL makes major allegation against the late Steve Montador

The National Hockey League suffered a tragedy in 2015 when former defenseman Steve Montador passed away at the age of 35. It was soon discovered that he had been suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, the degenerative brain condition caused by repeated concussions. 

And it wasn't long ago that Paul Montador, Steve’s father, filed a wrongful death suit against the NHL for having allegedly  created a culture of violence and fighting that his son fell victim to. His lawsuit stated that Montador suffered at least 11 concussions during his NHL career, including a stunning four in the span of 12 weeks in 2012.

In their defense earlier this week, the NHL stated that Montador had substance abuse issues before his playing career began and also ignored warnings from doctors and trainers of the risks of continuing to play despite having suffered multiple concussions.

“During his life, Montador struggled with substance abuse, depression, anxiety, insomnia and strained/abusive personal relationships,” the NHL wrote. “Despite being repeatedly made aware of and informed about potential long-term risks of head injuries, including CTE, by numerous individuals as detailed above, Montador continued to play in the NHL for years.”

The NHL also stated that Montador suffered concussions while playing both in juniors as well as the KHL, the latter of which he concluded his playing career.

“Montador was told by multiple specialists that he should stop playing hockey due to his concussion history but ignored these medical professionals and continued his career, suffering additional head injuries,” the NHL wrote. “Montador also expressly told Blackhawks’ medical personnel that he assumed the risk of continuing to play hockey at the professional level.”

“In January 2013, Dr. Terry told Montador that he was still under playing restrictions and could not engage in any contact,” the NHL continued. “Montador was also told he should not work out at all – even without contact – through any symptoms associated with head injuries and should stop working out if any symptoms appeared. Nevertheless, in February 2013, Montador told Dr. Terry that despite those playing restrictions, Montador had worked out with other players and had participated in some contact and collision activities. Dr. Terry told Montador he had done this expressly against the Blackhawks’ medical advice and direction.”

Montador was a veteran of 571 career NHL games with the Calgary Flames, Florida Panthers, Anaheim Ducks, Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres and Chicago Blackhawks.