Gary Bettman continues to admit the truth in recent interview

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Cooper Godin
April 20, 2023 (2:15 PM)

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In a recent interview with NPR, National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman stood firm on his stance when it comes to a link between the game and a brain disease called chronic traumatic encephalopathy or CTE.

"Now you're going off on a tangent," Bettman said when asked about a potential link with head injuries suffered while playing in the NHL. "We listen to the medical opinions on CTE and I don't believe there has been any documented study that suggest that elements of our game result in CTE. There have been isolated cases of players who have played the game that have had CTE, but it doesn't mean that it necessarily came from playing in the NHL."

Bettman's stance on the issue is concerning, but certainly not surprising as he's continued to think the same way years now, despite studies being published that repetitive head injuries are a cause of CTE. But going back to 2019, Bettman and the NHL paid out $18.5 million USD to 100 former players to settle a concussion lawsuit.

It's pretty simple as to why Gary Bettman doesn't want to admit the link between head trauma and CTE and it all comes down to money, as he knows a lot more players than the 100 in 2019 will come forward for their payday and it's a black eye that the NHL doesn't want. But it's ridiculous that Bettman continues to deny the link, especially since another professional sports league in North America, the NFL, has already acknowledged it dating back to 2016.