"NHL will not do it for you": Chris Simon's death sparks message from Daniel Carcillo urging players to look after neurological health

Former NHL player Daniel Carcillo took to X, formerly Twitter, following the tragic passing of fellow hockey alum Chris Simon, igniting a discussion about the toll of repetitive head trauma in the sport. Carcillo's heartfelt tribute to Simon served as a reminder of the lives lost prematurely within the hockey community.

"The ancient Egyptians used to say, if you say a man's name he is alive."

In his message, Carcillo recited the names of Chris Simon and several other former players whose lives were cut short, drawing attention to the trend of enforcers dying at a younger age due to the cumulative effects of head trauma.

He gave numerous examples of links between neurological diseases and repeated head trauma that many enforcers take in the NHL today:

"We have studies and we have information now that one of the most recent studies that have come out in 2023 that enforcers died 10 years earlier than any other NHL position," Carcillo said. "And that's simply because of the job that we did with the repetitive head trauma and the trauma that we take.

"And we die from accidental overdoses, suicides, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, other neurodegenerative diseases like A. L. S. Parkinson's, mild dementia, dementia, Alzheimer's."

Daniel Carcillo also criticized the league's failure to acknowledge the link between head trauma and neurological disorders, likening their stance to the denial tactics employed by the tobacco industry regarding smoking and lung cancer:

"If you are a current player, protect yourself because the @NHL and their medical professionals will not do it for you."

Daniel Carcillo calls out NHL brass for defending league after Chris Simon's death

The former player didn't shy away from addressing the role of media personalities and the league itself in perpetuating the glorification of fighting in hockey.

Recently, it has seemed like the league has taken a proactive approach in promoting players like Ryan Reaves and Matt Rempe in the effort to grow the sport, however according to Carcillo, the wider point has been missed:

"A lot of the guys still work for the league and they have a platform and once a guy dies, they'll say how tragic this is, yet they won't advocate and they won't man up and realize that they're promoting a league that is the last professional sports league on Earth (to deny the difference between repeated head trauma and neurodegenerative disease)."

Carcillo's candid remarks resonated deeply with many, challenging the hockey community to prioritize player safety and well-being over tradition and entertainment.