Player Agent calls for immediate changes to the NHL rules
The notoriously outspoken player agent Allan Walsh has made headlines again calling for the NHL to do more to prevent checks to the head. In a tweet last night, Walsh warned that the NHL's reluctance to ban all checks where the head is a point of contact will have repercussions in the future.
Walsh is of course warning of the effects of CTE, the progressive and fatal brain disease that develops from repeated trauma to the head, like body checks causing concussions. Developing science around this topic is on Walsh's side; new post-mortem results from former NHL players with CTE suggest the league should take more steps to address concussions.
Walsh, the representative for star players such as Marc-Andre Fleury and Jonathan Huberdeau, has significant influence in the league and amongst players, and if he is drawing attention to this issue, it's likely on the players' minds.
The issue of checks to the head will certainly a topic of debate within the new CBA of the league, which will be negotiated in the summer of 2026. Hopefully strides can be taken before that, so not to risk a lockout over unresolved issues.
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