NHL agent blames Gary Bettman for the passing of 14 year NHL veteran

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Tom Banks
July 10, 2024 (10:34)

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NHL agent Allan Walsh has never been shy about calling out the league, and he's done so again after an NHL veteran was diagnosed with CTE.

On Wednesday, TSN reported that Greg Johnson, a 14-year NHL veteran was posthumously diagnosed with CTE, the brain disease linked to repetitive brain trauma in sports, with the findings coming years after his passing.

Now, NHL agent Allan Walsh, who is repeatedly known for calling out the NHL over several issues has taken a shot at Gary Bettman, blaming this diagnosis on a league that he believes continues to ignore CTE in former players and the role the NHL plays in the disease.

A message directly to Gary Bettman - there is NHL player blood on your hands. #EndCTE

In the TSN report, Johnson's daughter revealed her lack of knowledge about CTE before her fathers tragic passing, and is now encouraging all athletes to acknowledge and understand the risks involved, something the NHL are seemingly shying away from.

«I had no idea what CTE even stood for when my dad took his life,» Carson said in a statement released by the Boston-based Concussion Legacy Foundation. «Now understanding that the hits he endured throughout his hockey career damaged his brain, I want all athletes to understand the risks and I want the NHL to start acknowledging it exists and do more to protect its players so other daughters don't have to lose their fathers.»

It's unclear if this report will change the mind of Gary Bettman and those in the NHL, but given the clear issue that CTE has become in sports, it would be a good step forward for the league to play their role in educating and protecting their players.