Kritik und Anregungen » dddddWe are fully committed to ensuring the

NEW YORK -- Connor McDavid hit the ice, chin first, and a concussion spotter at least played a part in pulling him from the game.The Edmonton Oilers captain and budding star was not stunned by the jarring trip to the ice, but that someone watching him play recently against Minnesota determined he should be evaluated for a concussion.A few days later, McDavid still wasnt happy he missed the last several minutes of the second period against the Wild before being cleared to play in the third in a game the Oilers lost in overtime.It happened at an important time of the game and it could happen at even worse times, McDavid said Tuesday. You know, what if its overtime or its a playoff push or its late in the third period and stuff like that? I think they definitely have to take that into consideration.Welcome to the NHLs latest attempt to keep players healthy -- at least above the shoulders -- as they get bigger and faster and the stakes get higher on the ice and in court.I think its a good thing, Washington Capitals defenseman Brooks Orpik said. Unfortunately, I think litigation is what finally brought it to this.The NHL is facing a class-action lawsuit over head injuries suffered by former players alleging the league had resources to do a better job preventing head trauma.This season, the league has touted enhanced changes to its concussion protocol, including adding a staff of nationally certified athletic trainers with hockey experience to monitors games on TV from NHL headquarters in New York with the power to remove players from games.Two months in, the NHL has declined to say how many players have been pulled off the ice by the anonymous spotters, nor is it detailing their diagnosis rate.The truth is, it may be tricky to track who makes the call when a player is called off the ice. Is it a spotter at league headquarters? An in-arena spotter? The medical staff behind the benches?And even with all those layers of observation, some concussions slip through the cracks and simply arent diagnosed during a game.Pittsburgh Penguins forward Patric Hornqvist provides a recent example.Hornqvist wasnt spotted by anyone remotely or up close in Washington on Nov. 16 for a possible concussion, but recalled telling the teams trainer he felt a little off, after the game and went through testing to determine if he had a concussion. He did get diagnosed with a concussion and was out for two weeks, but he doesnt blame anyone for missing signs during the game.You probably get hit every single shift, so they cant take you out after every single shift, Hornqvist said.Detroit Red Wings forward Johan Franzen, meanwhile, said he doubts hell play another shift of hockey. Franzen has not played since Oct. 10, 2015, because multiple concussions -- perhaps 10 of them, he said -- have affected his vision, given him headaches and made him so tired he has slept for two or three straight days.I think having spotters is a step in the right direction, but theres almost too much pressure on them and its only going to get worse in the playoffs, said Franzen, who had 18 postseason points in 2008 when he helped the Red Wings win their last Stanley Cup. When one of the best players gets taken out of the game, he, the coach and the GM may not like it. I do think its better for the players, but I dont have all the answers.STAY OR GOThe NHLs board of governors is scheduled to meet Thursday and Friday in Florida. The group is expected to discuss its possible participation in the 2018 Olympics. The NHL Players Association recently rejected the leagues offer to agree to a deal to allow the worlds best hockey players to go for gold in South Korea in exchange for extending the collective bargaining agreement through 2025.SCOTT FREEThe NHL announced Montreals Carey Price, Chicagos Patrick Kane, Pittsburghs Sidney Crosby and McDavid were leading their divisions in votes by fans for the All-Star Game. The league released the top five players in each division and none of them seems to be an out-of-place journeyman like John Scott, who was voted into last years game as a lark. Scott ended up being the All-Star MVP in part because he played despite objections he said he got from the NHL.GAME OF THE WEEKThe Western Conference-leading Chicago Blackhawks host the New York Rangers on Friday night. 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It was the second consecutive win for the Pacers (2-5), who lost their first five preseason games. Jeff Teague led the Hawks (1-5) with 17 points and eight assists and Al Horford had 12 points and seven rebounds. Mike Scott scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half.LONDON -- Chelsea has apologized to a former player who was sexually abused while a member of the clubs youth team, and said Saturday it was inappropriate to pay him 50,000 pounds ($77,500) to keep the matter out of the public domain.The Premier League club said in a statement that Gary Johnson suffered unacceptably while in our employment in the 1970s, for which the club apologizes profusely.Johnson, who is now 57, told a British newspaper that he was sexually assaulted repeatedly every week by youth-team coach Eddie Heath from the age of 13 until he was 16 or 17. Heath is now dead.Chelsea reached a settlement in 2015 to compensate Johnson. The club this week waived a clause in the settlement that banned him from speaking in public about the abuse, at a time when many former professionals are coming forward about the ordeals they went through as youngsters in youth soccer.Against the current backdrop of wider revelations and other victims coming forward bravely to tell their story, we no longer felt it appropriate to keep the confidentiality agreement in place, Chelsea said.In light of what we know now about the widescale abuse in football clubs in the 1970s and 1980s, the club added, it now believes that the use of such a clause, while understandable, was inappropriate in this instance. We certainly have no desire to hide any historic abuse we uncover from view. Quite the opposite.Chelsea ssaid an external review would examine whether the club carried out a proper investigation when the allegations first came to light, and why they did not report them to the English Football Association and Premier League.ddddddddddddWe are fully committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all children and young people who are in our care or attending our premises, the club said. Their welfare is of paramount importance.Johnson was a member of the Chelsea team from 1978-81.In a growing scandal being investigated by 18 police forces across Britain, about 350 people have reported incidents of child sexual abuse at soccer clubs.Wayne Rooney, who is captain of Englands senior mens team, has joined with other captains of various English national sides in a video on safeguarding published for the Football Association and childrens charity NSPCC.If youre a young boy or girl and youre upset, hurt or scared with the way someone behaves with you, Rooney said in the video, please let someone you trust know now.Former England captain Alan Shearer also has urged that every club, from the grassroots up, must continue to look at what theyre doing to prevent abuse happening to any kids today and in the future.The FA and a number of clubs have launched internal investigations. ' ' '