Rayside rolls to another victory
Make that six straight wins and 10 triumphs in their last 11 outings for the rampaging Rayside-Balfour Canadians of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
Rookie forward Bradley Chenier — a top prospect of the North Bay Battalion of the Ontario Hockey League — scored twice and veteran forward Ryan Erickson dished out three assists as Rayside-Balfour upended the East Division-leading Cochrane Crunch 6-2 on Saturday night.
Rayside now has a record of 18-8-0, good for second place in the West Division behind the Soo Thunderbirds.
With another home game tonight against the Powassan Voodoos, Rayside will be out to extend its winning ways.
PHOTO: Rayside-Balfour forward Connor Brown moves the puck up the ice in NOJHL action against the visiting Cochrane Crunch on Saturday night. (Photo by Miranda Zilkowsky.)
They seem to be beating all the teams that are ranked in Canada.
I really have to wonder what is the concussion protocol for the NOJHL. Last nights game, #12 of the Cochrane is out cold on the ice with a hit to the head. Rayside trainers see how bad it is and are first to get there. Amazing response by them. He is lying there for a while and then begins to move. He then is carried out and taken to the bench. 4-5 shifts later he is sent back on the ice. Minutes later he was after the player who hit him and received a roughing penalty. There is no way, that player should of been sent back out there by the head coach. Even if the player themselves said they were good to go. This is where the health of the player comes first. We all have been seeing what’s been happening out there with concussions and how much we have learned. NOJHL needs to lead by example. The head coach holds the responsibility of the health of his players and is priority. NOJHL should review this game and take the necessary steps and set precedent that this will never happen again. If I was #12’s parents, I would be demanding from the head coach and the NOJHL how they deemed that it was ok to put him on the ice after being knockout like that. Just my opinion.
http://nojhl.com/concussion-program/
Here is the link, I just reviewed it. #12 should never of been allowed to play the remainder of the game.
My opinion the Commissioner should take action.
A simple Google search will produce the NOJHL protocols towards concussions. I can see you posted the link which I cannot comprehend how you came to the conclusion that formed your opinion. I’m not too sure how much background you have with concussions but the following is quoted from the article by Michael Czarnota PH.D. specializing in neuropsychology and sport concussions. Unless you are the trainers or obtained information directly from the professional individuals involved, there is no possible way to know that the player in question lost consciousness. If you were, I apologize but I do not believe the latter is true. According the ‘NOJHL Protocol’, a player may return to the ice “ONLY IF ALL CRITERIA ARE MET:
i. No loss of consciousness;
ii. Observable signs and PCSS remit within 15 minutes;
iii. No significant cognitive deficits present (SAC ≥ 25);
iv. No return of signs or PCSS following exertional testing.
v. Protective equipment, i.e., mouthguard and helmet, must be inspected and in proper condition.
c. Clinical caveats to consider when making same day return to play decisions
i. Age of player
ii. Concussion history
iii. Degree of force that precipitated the injury
iv. Style of play”
So from what i depict from that is that the individuals involved in releasing the player back to play did an exceptional job to cover all those basis and wait the 4 shifts to ensure player safety. More so, you cannot possibly know the players medical information due to confidentiality reasons, making your point about the player not being able to return to the ice completely invalid. A fact that is true and not just an opinion is that to be a trainer for the NOJHL you must take a series of training courses covering what to do in the case of a concussion since it is a major topic in various discussions around the world.