According to Y! Sports' Nick Cotsonika today at the GM meetings in Boca Raton, Nashville Predators GM David Poile announced that the new NHL concussion protocol begins tonight.
Any player suspected of having a concussion will have to sit in a nice quiet place for 15 minutes and be examined by a physician before returning to the game.
In true NHL fashion, VP Colin Campbell said they're still working on the details:
"Yeah, they're still working on the protocol, but it does take effect and the loose ends are being tied up. It's a pretty tough protocol to deal with. What is deemed a concussion? I don't want to go there yet. We're still trying to nail it down."
We offered a counterpoint on this story last night from the perspective of an athletic trainer. While it still seems like a proactive step in attempting to prevent players from aggravating concussions by coming back to the game too quickly, the notion that it's redundant to a trainer's job or window dressing for a larger problem are noted.
Our question: Who will be the first head coach to bitch about his guy being kept in "concussion jail" during the third period of a playoff game, only to emerge unharmed?
And which TV network will be the one to have a player's name above a running clock while he's in the back getting checked out? (Our money is on NESN in Boston.)
If this is what you're into, here's Colin Campbell's appearance on NHL Network this morning on the GM meetings and other topics.