part of the problem is that referees aren’t enforcing the rule

The senior author of the work says part of the problem is that referees aren’t enforcing the rule.

And Dr. Michael Cusimano says another issue is that these types of incidents aren’t the major cause of concussions in hockey.

Cusimano says fighting is a more common cause of concussions in the sport.

He suggests if the NHL is serious about protecting players from brain injuries it should dramatically increase the penalties for players and their teams when a player’s actions trigger a concussion in an opponent.

The study is published in the open access journal PLoS One. It compares concussions from the first two seasons after the rule change — which came into effect in 2010-11 — with those from the season before the new rule was brought in.

“I wasn’t totally surprised, but I was disappointed that we weren’t able to show a difference,” says Cusimano, a neurosurgeon who heads the injury prevention research unit at Toronto’s St. Michael’s Hospital.

“Part of it’s the way the rule’s written. Part of it’s the way the rule is enforced. Part of it’s the penalties associated with the rule. And part of it is that concussions are also coming from other causes like fighting, that is still allowed.”

Dr. Charles Tator, a brain surgeon with Toronto Western Hospital, says the findings are important because of the influence professional play has on lower levels of hockey.

Kids playing hockey emulate what they see in NHL play, he says, putting their brains at risk from concussions.

Tator estimates hockey has moved only about 10 per cent of the way down the path it would need to take to make the game safe for amateurs and professionals.

“In terms of injury prevention, it isn’t enough to enact regulations,” says Tator, who is project leader for the Canadian Sports Concussion Project at the Krembil Neuroscience Centre.

“The other half of the coin is enforcement. And if you really aren’t strictly enforcing a rule, the rule is going to be ineffective.”

Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 07.18.2013

714562 Ottawa Senators

Name’s Bobby Ryan: Drafted right after Crosby

By Don Campbell, Ottawa Citizen July 17, 2013

OTTAWA — Of all the questions the newest Ottawa Senators star fielded from the sports campers, and there were many, the one that threw him most was from a young lad in the back who raised his hand and asked: “So what round were you drafted in?”

Bobby Ryan, who had met the kids ranging in age from six to 13 at the Bell Sensplex only moments before, chuckled, settled himself, then chuckled again. Then, doing his best stickhandling since arriving in Ottawa a day earlier, Ryan politely told the youngster he had been drafted in the first round. Ryan then paused for a few seconds, thought and paused again before adding: “Perhaps you may know who was drafted ahead of me … Sidney Crosby.”

That brought laughter from many of the children and all the adults close enough to hear.

How’s that for a welcome?

By October he won’t need any introductions, but for now Ryan remains something of an unknown to Ottawa youngster, especially those too young to have been able to stay up late to watch National Hockey League Western Conference games involving Ryan’s former team, the Anaheim Ducks.

Nine-year-old Riley Greer, in fact, was one of the few with expectations upon meeting Ryan on Wednesday.

“I know he wears No. 9 and played in Anaheim,” Greer said. “And he is really good. I took him in my hockey pool.”

It has been less than two weeks since the Senators said goodbye to captain Daniel Alfredsson as a free agent and hello to Ryan, who was acquired in exchange for winger Jakob Silfverberg, forward prospect Stefan Noesen and a first-round draft pick in 2014.

Ryan’s previous links to Ottawa are minimal. He faced the 67’s as a member of the Ontario Hockey League’s Owen Sound Attack, spent 24 hours here for the 2005 NHL draft — just long enough for the Ducks to take him second overall behind Crosby — and played one regular-season game in the Senators’ home arena on Jan. 18, 2011, when he collected an assist and scored the shootout winner in Anaheim’s 2-1 victory.

This visit was really just a three-day drive-by, including a Thursday round of golf with new teammate Marc Methot, before heading back out of town, but Ryan made an impression with the kids in hockey camp, and he promised to return in early September to go house-hunting and to start getting ready for training camp.

“This is a pretty different culture than the one I’ve been in the last six years and I’m just trying to embrace and enjoy it,” Ryan said. “I’m beyond excited.

“I got a taste of it here in the OHL, but this is something I am really looking forward to being part of.”

Ryan has two years remaining on a five-year, $25.5-million contract he signed with Anaheim in 2010, but his name came up frequently around the NHL trade deadline, and he became even more available after the Ducks finalized lucrative long-term deals with forwards Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf.

“Once they signed, I told the girlfriend, ‘I think we’re out of here,’ ” Ryan said Wednesday. “I was always the odd man out.

“Honestly, there was a lot of elation (with the trade), but you never really understand it until you get the call. Then it took a couple of weeks to sink in.

“What (the 2013 Senators) did was incredible with all those injuries. They’ve got a very good young group, and I still think I’m young. This is a new start for me.”

Ryan, who turned 26 on St. Patrick’s Day, has been a consistent offensive producer since he joined the Attack as a 16-year-old in 2003. In four NHL seasons with coach Mike Stothers’ team, he produced 133 goals, matching the Attack’s 133 victories during that period.

In his first pro season, 2007-08, he picked up right where he left off in junior by scoring five goals in 22 games with the Ducks and 21 in 48 contests with the Portland Pirates of the American Hockey League.

He arrived in Anaheim to stay partway through the 2008-09 season and scored 31 goals, starting a four-year spree in which he added 35, 34 and 31 goals for a total of 131 compared to Crosby’s 102.

Then came the lockout, after which Ryan found himself sometimes behind Perry and Teemu Selanne on the Ducks’ right side.

That won’t be the case with the Senators. He’s expected to play first-line minutes beside centre Jason Spezza and to have lots of time on the power play.

“(Spezza) is a walking highlight reel,” Ryan said. “I think we could really work well together.”

Also on Wednesday, the Senators re-signed forward Mike Hoffman to a one-year, two-way deal worth $660,000 U.S.

Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 07.18.2013

714563 Ottawa Senators

Bobby Ryan comes to Ottawa for the first time as a Senator

By Tim Baines ,Ottawa Sun

First posted: Wednesday, July 17, 2013 05:50 PM EDT | Updated: Wednesday, July 17, 2013 09:20 PM EDT

The camera lights, a wall of reporters with microphones, the wide-eyed seven-, eight- and nine-year-olds gazing up at him like he was a hockey god ... on Day 1 of his Ottawa Senator inauguration, Bobby Ryan was a rock star.

Just like Eddie Vedder or Dave Grohl. At age 26, he's young enough to be Mick Jagger's grandson.

Except his pint-sized fans were more likely into Justin Bieber or whoever sings that Sponge Bob Square Pants song.

This rock star makes his music with a hockey stick. He's a big name NHLer, thrown into the middle of Hockey Country.

Ryan's first duties representing the Senators on the ice were to help out with the team's Summer Hockey Camp at the Bell Sensplex. He stood among the pint-sized players answering questions, with answers like: "I don't think I'm going to take Daniel Alfredsson's place. I don't think anybody is." And, "How do I feel? I feel very, very excited."

The excitement is mutual. Fans are happy to have a four-time 30-goal scorer on board to ignite the offence and hopefully become a sharpshooting sidekick to maestro Jason Spezza.

"I don't think I've stopped smiling since I got here," said Ryan, who was dealt to the Senators on the first day of free agency, July 5 -- with Jakob Silfverberg, Stefan Noesen and a first-round draft pick being shipped to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange. "It's been a whirlwind of a day. It started at 6 a.m. I'm beyond excited to get going. I can't wait."

The move at least somewhat pacified Senators fans who did plenty of moaning about the departure of longtime Senators captain Alfredsson to the Detroit Red Wings.

Ryan is stepping into the spotlight from the anonymity of Anaheim, where his name was often whispered about in trade rumours. He will pull in more than $5 million in each of the two years remaining on his contract.

"This is a completely different culture than what it's been like for the last six years," said Ryan. "It's something I've had a taste of in the OHL (as a member of the Owen Sound Attack), not quite on this scale obviously, but it's something I'm very much looking forward to being a part of. The history of hockey in the city is something I'll cherish and enjoy."

More than a week after the trade, Ryan has had time to digest the deal and do plenty of research on Ottawa, the city where he was drafted by the Ducks, soon after a season-long lockout ended -- July 30, 2005 at the Westin Hotel -- second overall, one spot behind Sidney Crosby.

It seems like a likely marriage -- that he'll be hitched to Spezza as his centre, but Ryan isn't going to get hung up on things like linemates.

"There's a feeling out process no matter what team you're going into," he said. "I pride myself in being able to adapt. You look at a guy like Jason Spezza and I'd love to stand in front of the net and have him shovel me passes."

He's anxious to get going, to prove that last season, when he had 11 goals in 46 games, was an aberration.

"Last year was kind of a writeoff," he said. "It was a tough year because of the lockout. Things never really took off for me."

As he stood and answered the media's questions, with a warm smile and glint in his eye, he looked to be in a happy place -- already. He may find it a bit, OK a lot, cooler here in the winter, but he's looking forward to being part of the Senators organization.

The kids lined up in single file. One by one, they skated up to Ryan, who signed each jersey, patting the kid on the head.

Soon, Day 1 for Bobby Ryan, rock star, was over. Welcome to Ottawa, Bobby, indeed.

HOFFMAN BACK

The Senators have signed restricted free agent winger Mike Hoffman to a new contract. TSN is reporting it's a two-way, one-year deal worth $660,000 at the NHL level and $67,000 in the AHL.

Ottawa Sun LOADED: 07.18.2013

714564 Philadelphia Flyers

Callahan: Laperriere hopes to make difference

Kevin Callahan

Early one morning last week, as the sun was still rising above the trees at a cedar lake in Medford, Ian Laperriere trudged out of the dark brown water.

The former Flyers forward had just finished a laborious two-mile swim. Laperriere hopes to make a splash by training for an Ironman triathlon and raising money to fight cancer.

The Haddonfield resident will compete in his first Ironman next month forthe Ronald McDonald House, the National Pancreatic Cancer Foundation and Go4theGoal Foundation-Tunes4Teens through the IRONMAN Foundation.

“I have the opportunity to raise money for three great causes,” Laperriere said, his eyes beaming with determination.

Laperriere took a puck to one of those eyes three years ago, ending his playing career with the Flyers when then New Jersey Devil Paul Martin took a shot from the point in a playoff game that Laperriere got to before goalie Brian Boucher.

Now he is using the same selflessness and grit to fight cancer.

“Anyone who takes to raising awareness like Ian is great,” said Haddonfield’s John Canuso, who started the first Ronald McDonald House in Philadelphia in 1974 after his daughter, Babe, was diagnosed with leukemia.

“Collectively we are trying to make a difference. And we are making a difference.”

Laperriere is almost halfway to his goal of raising $10,000.

Laperriere’s face shows the scars from his playing career as well as the loss of a loved one to cancer. Ten years ago, his father Michel, died of pancreatic cancer at 55.

Last year, Ian Laperriere ran in the Philadelphia Marathon to raise awareness for pancreatic cancer research.

Now, he is doing the Ironman — an athletic endurance competition consisting of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile run.

The Montreal native will compete in the Ironman Mont-Tremblant on Aug. 18 in Quebec.

“This year, I have been pushing myself to do a little bit more physically and raise money,” the 39-year-old said.

To prepare, Laperriere, did a half-Ironman last month in Mont-Tremblant. He is training with John Crowe and Gene Kain, who are also Haddonfield residents.

Crowe, 56, has completed two Ironman competitions to raise money for the cancer fight. The 66-year-old Kain has completed more than 25 marathons and triathlons.

Laperriere, the Flyers’ director of player development, had to attend a camp for young prospects at the SkateZone in Voorhees last week after his workout at the lake. But he didn’t miss his pre-dawn swim.

“It is totally different,” Laperriere said of the Ironman. “It has been a challenge for me.

“In hockey, we train for a burst of 40 seconds and now it is long-distance training for a five-hour bike ride.”

Laperriere played 16 seasons in the NHL, including his last with the Flyers in 2010, a year after signing with the club.

During the first round of the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs, when he was hit in the face, Laperriere suffered a concussion.He was expected to be out for the rest of the season. But after missing the second round against Boston, he courageously returned for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals against Montreal.

The Hockey News named Laperriere the John Ferguson award winner as the “Toughest Player in the NHL” for the 2009-10 season. He also won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy the following season, awarded every year to the NHL player who "best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey."

Now he is using his toughness to fight the toughest of opponents.

“Cancer is a different animal,” Laperriere noted. “But I can feel what families are going through because I went through it with my dad.”

Courier-Post LOADED: 07.18.2013

714565 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins notebook: New path in career suits Bill Guerin

July 18, 2013 12:16 am

By Shelly Anderson / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Anyone who pushes on for 14 years between his first and second Stanley Cup has to have a measure of patience, and that's what Bill Guerin is bringing to his second career.

Guerin, a popular winger who won a Cup with New Jersey in 1995 and another with the Penguins in 2009, would seem to be on track for a post-playing career in hockey management. Could he be a future NHL general manager?

Guerin, the Penguins' development coach, smiled at that question after practices Wednesday at the second day of development camp at Consol Energy Center.

"Right now, I'm just taking it as it goes," he said. "I try to be involved in as much as I can."

Guerin, 42, travels a good bit during the season. When he is in town with the Penguins, he can often be found with general manager Ray Shero and assistant general manager Jason Botterill. Same goes for assistant to the general manager Tom Fitzgerald when he and Guerin are in the same city.

Guerin was a lot of things as a player. He was a scorer (429 goals), respected veteran, a winger for Sidney Crosby, a cut-up. Now, he is a sponge.

"Ray, Jason, [Fitzgerald] have been fantastic for me," Guerin said. "They've put me in position to learn. That's one thing I want to do. Wherever I end up ... I don't know ... but if I do keep climbing the ladder or start to climb the ladder, I want to do it the right way. Right now, I've got three guys that I'm working with and an entire pro scouting staff and amateur scouting staff that I learn from every day."

He is fine with spending time in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton with the club's American Hockey League players or traveling to other minor league or junior hockey cities.

"I don't want to skip steps," Guerin said. "I want to go to the Rimouskis and the Portlands and the Prince Alberts of the world and see what it is. "

At these annual summer development camps, Guerin is on the ice with prospects every day, teaching and busting a few chops.

"This is a great week for us," he said. "We work hard at putting it together, making sure that we cover all of our bases. More important, that the guys have fun, and they have a good experience."

Small, but still growing

Center Jean-Sebastien Dea, 19, a free-agent invitee, has some of the best 2012-13 numbers among those at development camp -- 45 goals, 85 points in 68 games for Rouyn-Noranda of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

To understand why he was not drafted, take a look at a couple of his other numbers. He is listed at 6 feet, 155 pounds. And consider this:

"Last year, I gained 10 pounds during the summer, and this year I gained another 10 pounds." Dea said. "It's getting good. It will help for sure."

He doesn't know for sure that size is what scared away NHL scouts.

"Maybe that's a reason," he said. "I have to work harder and show them that it's a mistake."

Dea is speedy and flashes skill, things he is trying to show some NHL teams this summer.

"I went to Montreal's camp two weeks ago," he said. "It was a great experience, too, like this one."

There is one marked difference between the Canadiens' development camp and the Penguins'.

"I'm the only one who is French here, so it's fun," Dea said.

Schedule still pending

The NHL schedule usually is out by now, but there is a holdup for the 2013-14 version.

The league is awaiting official word on a renewed and restructured agreement that would allow NHL players to participate in the 2014 Sochi Olympics. That agreement -- which involves the league, the NHL Players Association, the International Ice Hockey Federation and the International Olympic Committee -- has seemed close for weeks, and there has been widespread optimism that it will be announced this week.

As it has in past Olympics when NHL players were involved, the league will shut down for nearly three weeks in February.

The 2013-14 schedule will be the first under the NHL's latest realignment.

Post Gazette LOADED: 07.18.2013

714566 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins' newest goalie a quick learner

July 18, 2013 12:11 am

By Shelly Anderson / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

There are junior hockey teams in outposts across Canada and in parts of the United States. Moose Jaw to Moncton, Red Deer to Regina, Portland to Peterborough.

Tristan Jarry, a goaltender who was the Penguins' first pick in the 2013 draft, is lucky. He plays junior hockey in an NHL City. Even in an NHL arena.

At 18, Jarry's pro career is not right around the corner. He expects to spend a third season with the Edmonton Oil Kings of the Western Hockey League in 2013-14.

"It's great," Jarry, who is attending Penguins development camp at Consol Energy Center, said Wednesday. "We get to see what it's like to be at the next level."

The Oil Kings share Rexall Place with the Edmonton Oilers. Jarry said veteran Oilers winger Ryan Smyth often visits the Oil Kings' dressing room.

"They're usually on the ice an hour before us," Jarry said of the Oilers, "so a lot of the guys come in pretty early and get a good watch on them. Most of our guys are drafted by the Oilers, so it's great that they can watch practice, but it's great for all of us to watch."

Jarry isn't disappointed he wasn't selected by the Oilers. He called Pittsburgh "a great development city for me," and on his first visit here enjoys the fact that the hills and trees of Western Pennsylvania remind him some of his hometown, Vancouver.

Growing up there, Jarry became a hockey fan at a young age and played but wasn't always a goalie in pickup games.

"We had a rotation back home," he said. "Every once in while, I would go in net, and I really enjoyed it. I guess I stuck with it."

The Penguins did not have a first- or second-round draft pick this year before trading Tyler Kennedy's rights to San Jose to acquire a second-round pick, 44th overall. They used that to claim Jarry.

Jarry is 6 feet 1, 183 pounds. He was 18-7-0 with a 1.61 goals-against average, a .936 save percentage and six shutouts in 27 games with the Oil Kings this past season. Various scouting reports list his strengths as his glove hand, side-to-side movement, puck-handling and athleticism.

Which doesn't leave a lot of room for weaknesses.

"I think I can improve on everything," he said. "I can't really say I have too many weaknesses or too many strengths. I like to work on everything. I'd rather everything be equal."

Jarry is getting a lot out of development camp, which has been divided into two practice groups. After a fairly standard 45-minute practice Tuesday with basic drills, the hour-long session Wednesday included drills for skaters that did not involve the goalies, so during one session Jarry and Eric Hartzell got several minutes of individual instruction from Penguins goaltending development coach Mike Bales.

Jarry said he was still figuring things out Tuesday.

"[Wednesday was] a whole different experience," he said. "You're ready to go and working as hard as you can, so it's a great experience."

There have been several goaltending prospects in the Penguins organization who appeared to be close to becoming Marc-Andre Fleury's full-time backup, but none have stuck or panned out. They include names such as John Curry, Alex Pechurskiy, David Brown, Chad Johnson, Patrick Killeen and, most recently, Brad Thiessen, who became a free agent and this week signed with a club in Finland.

Jarry and Hartzell are part of a next wave that also includes Jeff Zatkoff and 2012 draft picks Matt Murray (third round) and Sean Maguire (fourth round). Hartzell technically is a restricted free agent, although it's believed that signing him is mostly a formality. He stands a good chance to join Zatkoff in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League in the fall. Murray and Maguire are in development camp.

Jarry gained some notoriety at this camp for an anecdote passed along by assistant to the general manager Tom Fitzgerald, one of the camp's lead organizers. According to Fitzgerald, Jarry was so wide-eyed over his first day Tuesday that he asked general manager Ray Shero if they use smaller pucks at this level. Asked Wednesday whether he was joking or was taken aback by the step up in play, Jarry's jaw dropped. He swore he never said any such thing to Shero and didn't know anything about it.

Jarry previously did not know anyone in the Penguins organization or any of his fellow Penguins prospects at the camp. And while he recognized the names of a couple of Western Hockey League players, there are none he has a history with or bragging rights on.

"Not really so far, but there will be now," Jarry said, grinning.

Looking ahead

• What: Development camp scrimmage among Penguins prospects.

• When: 3 p.m. Saturday.

• Where: Consol Energy Center.

• Of note: The scrimmage is open to the public. Admission and parking are free.

Post Gazette LOADED: 07.18.2013

714567 San Jose Sharks

Owen Nolan, Evgeni Nabokov head list of San Jose Sharks alums for charity game