Gary Bettman, NHL Must Acknowledge CTE Links

With the latest Hall of Famer diagnosed with CTE, the NHL and its commissioner cannot ignore the connections any longer.

Feb 12, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; [Imagn Images direct customers only] NHL commissioner Gary Bettman addresses the press before a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images / David Kirouac-Imagn Images

The NHL and its commissioner, Gary Bettman, can no longer ignore the connection between hockey and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, commonly known as CTE. The greatest and most influential hockey league in the world has maintained a denial and avoidance on the subject. Even as the scientific evidence pours in, the NHL Player Association takes action, and other major sports like the NFL take tangible steps towards protecting their athletes from CTE, the NHL refuses to acknowledge the link.

The NHL received the latest evidence against their passivity with the news of Hall of Famer, Bobby Hull. Referred to as the "Golden Jet," Hull was one of the best scorers in NHL history. He became the latest deceased NHL player, and the most accomplished, to be diagnosed with CTE.

According to Chris Nowinski, the founder and CEO of the Concussion Legacy Foundation, Hull is the 18th of 19 former NHL players' brains studied to have CTE. It's a small sample size, but the consistency with which CTE is being found is alarming. It's similar to sports like boxing and football, where the rate of occurrence is demonstrably higher than in the general population.

Bobby Hull is the latest #NHL legend to be diagnosed with #CTE at @bu_cte. Overall, 18 of 19 NHL players studied here have had CTE, a disease first seen in boxers and only found in <1% of population, but the NHL still refuses to warn players that NHL play can cause CTE. https://t.co/Gq03RKJwGV

— Chris Nowinski, Ph.D. (@ChrisNowinski1) February 19, 2025

The window for kicking the can is shut and sealed. The NHL needs to act. The NHLPA did something, at least, establishing the CTE Advisory Committee. It's not a full solution, but it's an effort from the players to better protect themselves and future athletes.

The NHL leadership has done nothing. As recently as 2023, Bettman denied the connection between hockey and CTE.

Every day that Bettman continues this, he puts NHL and all hockey players at more risk. The information and science is there. The knowledge has been accumulated. It's time to do something. At the very least, it's time for the commissioner of the NHL to finally embrace and acknowledge the undeniable link between hockey and CTE.

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