NHL To Hold Meetings At All-Star Game Over Serious League Health Concern

After two serious injuries in only 10 days, the NHL has finally said it’s time to meet and a committee will meet at the upcoming All-Star Game.

The committee is being labeled the NHL laceration task force. Whether it existed before these two recent accidents — Toronto Maple Leafs forward Ilya Mikheyev and New York Islanders’ Cal Clutterbuck both had serious cuts that will cause them to miss huge chunks of the season — is unclear but this group will now meet during the 2020 NHL All-Star Game, according to Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston on Saturday’s Hockey Night in Canada.

Johnston explained that this group has been tasked to discuss incidences like these two severe skate cuts and figure out ways to further protect players. There may be no easy solution, and certainly not one that will widely accepted by NHL players if asked to wear new equipment that may limit their movements, but after a second incident in just 10 days, it’s become clear a solution needs to be found.  Johnston added:

“And they will be meeting at the All-Star Game in St. Louis, I think to discuss in part, is there maybe some more mandatory changes that might be coming down the pike at some point, because obviously everyone recognizes that these are very serious and potentially catastrophic situations.”

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How Serious Is The Issue?

While skate lacerations have happened in the NHL over the years, these two latest incidences are cause for concern, especially Mikheyev’s injury. His wrist was cut and severed tendons which an inch or two the other way could have led to much bigger problems. As is, he’s expected to miss the rest of the season.

At the end of the day, this is all about player safety and if someone could die because of what is comparable to a knife on the end of shoe, the NHL would have a serious PR issue on their hands. 

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