Growing concern over concussions in the NHL has lead to a host of rising issues. The re-establishing of old franchises now seems to be one of them.
Before the Blackhawks’ win over the reborn Winnipeg Jets on Thursday, word got out that several players believed they had traveled back in time for the game. Initial rumors were laughed off until many players reportedly became too scared to emerge from the locker room for a practice skate. At that point team management had the entire roster tested for symptoms of concussion.
All the players on the active roster were cleared to play after tests showed that many of them were just kids.
“I don’t even know how planes work,” said Hawks defenseman Nick Leddy (20). “How am I supposed to know if one takes me back to 1986? What was 1986 like?”
It is unclear how a rumor that the team may have chartered a flight back to the ’80s grew so fast and so believably. Winnipeg personnel pointed out that Canada holds a certain quaintness that might be mistaken for the past – from the abundant trees and log cabins to the continued co-existence of humans and bears.
“I was happy to learn that the game didn’t occur in the past,” said bruiser Daniel Carcillo. “You always hear that if you swat a fly you can change the whole world or something. I wouldn’t want to see what could happen if I knocked out somebody’s incisor.”
By Dan Bradley
