Shocking report leads to demand for Gary Bettman’s firing!

NHL agent Allan Walsh has had enough of Gary Bettman not taking responsibilities for some of his decisions and has publicly derided the commissioner after the executive denied a potential correlation between the league and deaths that have been attributed in part to Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), the brain-withering disease linked to repetitive brain trauma in contact sports.

Just recently, former NHL player Greg Johnson’s family and the Concussion Legacy Foundation disclosed that the forward has been posthumously diagnosed with CTE. Johnson was just 48 years old when he took his own life on July 7, 2019, by a self-inflicted gunshot wound after playing 14 seasons in the league.

Walsh spoke about this issue in an interview with concussion specialist Chris Nowinski in which he berated Bettman and his denial of a connection to CTE, found after a player’s death, and after a life of severe neurological issues associated. CTE can also mimic some symptoms of Dementia, including memory loss and sporadic behavioral changes.

Johnson became another victim of CTE as public records show that “the brains of 17 of 18 NHL players studied in the U.S. and Canada have now been diagnosed with CTE, including Ralph Backstrom, Henri Richard, Stan Mikita, Bob Probert, Steve Montador, and Bob Murdoch. CTE has also been diagnosed in amateur players.” It has been proved that CTE can cause physical and physiological impairments, and many athletes found to have the disease have died from suicide. Other notable deaths of past enforcers in the NHL include Rick Rypien, Wade Belak and Derek Boogard.

When NHL commissioner Gary Bettman spoke five years ago about concussions in sports, he maintained that no such association has been established in the league.

“Other than some anecdotal evidence, there has not been that conclusive link… there has not been conclusive determinations,” Bettman testified.

Walsh has had enough of Bettman’s denial and wants people in power to do something about this in order to save lives and allow players to get the necessary help when suffering from a concussion or post-concussion issues.

Will Bettman continue to deny CTE has a link between brain injuries suffered and the sport?