Pair of ex-NHL players sue league for lack of concussion warnings

The lawsuit was filed by attorneys Thomas A. Demetrio and William T. Gibbs in
U.S. District Court in Minnesota and claims the NHL did not adequately warn
and inform players about brain damage risks caused by contact to the head.
Carcillo and Boynton charge the league with allowing and encouraging players
to rush back to action while recovering from concussions.

Both Carcillo, who played for five teams over nine seasons, and Boynton, six
teams in 11 seasons, suffer from long-term, degenerative brain damage.

"The NHL is long overdue in acknowledging the significant risks inherent in
their style of game," Gibbs said in a press release.

"I'm doing this on behalf of all former NHL players that are struggling with
the difficulties of transitioning from a life in the NHL with brains that have
been damaged." Carcillo said in the release. "Players today are still being
denied proper care for concussions. It's time for the NHL to finally
acknowledge that serious, permanent damage can be done if head trauma is
ignored or neglected."

Carcillo, nicknamed "Car Bomb" for his violent style of play, was a forward
and enforcer and notorious for his physical hits that sometimes crossed the
line. As a result, he was fined or suspended on 12 different occasions during
his career. He scored 48 goals with 52 assists and 1,233 penalty minutes for
his career and twice led the NHL in PIM, with 324 with Phoenix in 2007-08 and
254 with the Coyotes and Philadelphia Flyers the following season.

Carcillo won Stanley Cups with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2013 and again in his
final season in 2015.

The blueliner Boynton had 862 career penalty minutes in 605 career games,
three times compiling more than 100 PIM.

--Field Level Media