On July 13, a Minnesota federal judge denied a motion for class action status by a case brought by a group of former NHL players. The case is centered around the NHL's lack of protection and education regarding head injuries and concussions for players.
One of the lawyers for the players has stated that they will not appeal this decision. Any players that wish to move forward with their case will now need to do so on an individual basis. A number attorneys for various players have supported the request of one attorney to move forward with the case regarding former player Steve Montador, who died in 2015 from an undisclosed cause. The autopsy of Montador revealed that he had CTE, a brain disease linked to repeated head trauma. The hope is that his case may be able to set a precedent for future cases.
One noteworthy aspect regarding the case is that the participation of former NHL players in the proposed lawsuit was significantly lower than the participation of former NFL players in a similar lawsuit against the NFL. Over 4,000 former players participated in the class-action lawsuit against the NFL regarding head injuries, while fewer than 200 former NHL players had joined this suit. Some former players have indicated that certain players may be hesitant to join the suit against the NHL for fear of being alienated from the NHL and not included in future events.
