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                                                                                                       SPORTS Saturday 10 december 2016

















              Gretzky backs
             NHL concussion

             spotter program                                                                               CLINCHING


            ANDY KENT
             Associated Press                                                                                    THE
            PALM  BEACH,  Fla.  (AP)  —
            Wayne Gretzky applauded
            the  use  of  centralized
            concussion spotters as part                                                                    NFC EAST
            of the NHL’s effort to better
            protect players.
            “When I played - one of my
            kids asked me if I ever got a
            concussion - I can honestly
            tell you I don’t even know,”
            said  Gretzky,  who  was
            representing the Edmonton
            Oilers  as  a  partner  and
            vice-chairman.  “Because
            in  those  days  they’d  say,
            ‘Take  two  aspirin  tonight,
            tomorrow  you’re  going
            to  skate  for  an  hour  and
            we’re going to sweat it out
            of  you.’  That’s  what  we
            did.”
            Gretzky    spoke     Friday
            as  league  owners  and
            its  Board  of  Governors
            wrapped  up  two  days
            of  meetings.  It  was  his
            first  board  meeting  since
            leaving     the    Arizona
            Coyotes in 2009.
            The    NHL    this   season
            began  using  concussion
            spotters  located  at  a
            central location, watching
            on    television,   to   help
            decide  if  a  player  should
            be  pulled  out  of  a  game
            for   a   potential   head
            injury.  The  league  has  not
            released  details  or  results
            from the first two months of
            the season, though players
            have  generally  supported          And down the stretch they come in NFL season
            the move even as a class-
            action  lawsuit  is  pending
            against the league over its
            handling of injured players.
            “We  have  so  much  more                                                                                      Dallas  Cowboys  free  safety  By-
                                                                                                                           ron Jones (31) celebrates in front
            knowledge      now    from                                                                                     of  Minnesota  Vikings  tight  end
            the  doctor  side  of  thing,                                                                                  Kyle Rudolph, right, after break-
            from the trainers, from the                                                                                    ing  up  a  pass  in  the  end  zone
            players  themselves  and                                                                                       during the second half of an NFL
            yet  there’s  so  much  more                                                                                   football game Thursday, Dec. 1,
                                                                                                                           2016,  in  Minneapolis.  The  Cow-
            to  learn  about  it,”  Gretzky                                                                                boys won 17-15.
            said.                                                                                                          Associated Press
               Continued on page 22                                                                                        Page 20
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