Insider Calls Out NHL After Numerous Injuries

NHL stars continue to suffer big injuries in preseason games, forcing many to call for a change.

Sep 23, 2024; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens forward Patrik Laine (92) warms up before a game against the Philadelphia Flyers at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images / Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

Injuries can be common during the NHL preseason, but 2024 has seen numerous stars across the league get hurt in increasingly meaningless hockey games. The Los Angeles Kings will be without veteran defenseman Drew Doughty for a majority of the season, the Toronto Maple Leafs listed John Tavares as day-to-day, and took William Nylander out of the lineup as a precaution after taking and accidental knee to the head.

The Montreal Canadiens just lost two players themselves in defenseman David Reinbacher and star forward Patrik Laine. The Canadiens just acquired Laine over the offseason after he made it through the NHL’s player assistance program.

Between his time in the player assistance program and other injuries, Laine was sidelined for all but 18 games in 2023-24. Laine’s 2024-25 season could be in jeopardy after a nasty looking knee injury against the Maple Leafs.

With so many stars getting hurt in games they don’t even get paid to play in, multiple insiders are calling for a change to the preseason standards.

TSN’s Pierre LeBrun pondered why so many preseason games still take place in this era of hockey, and also stated the NHL and the players association need to consider changes.

Josh Yohe of the Athletic piggybacked on LeBrun’s point saying coaches can evaluate all they need to during training camp and he would never put a star on the ice in preseason.

Great point by Pierre. Penguins have seven preseason games, which is absurd. Coaches are smart enough to gauge the progress of prospects in training camp, not to mention the value of veterans. It’s an 82-game season that lasts six months. I’d never let a star play in preseason. https://t.co/qcWp0AoDvD

— Josh Yohe (@JoshYohe_PGH) September 29, 2024

After Doughty’s injury, TSN’s Craig Button talked about how he would like to see the NHL alleviate the risk of injuries by shortening the preseason.

“I know that there’s some economics to this with the preseason,” Button said. “But at the same time, I’d like to see a reduction in the preseason games.”

Everyone understands that injuries can happen during regular season games as well, but at least during that, it’s during a meaningful game that carries weight in the season. Considering none of the revenue made during a preseason game go to the players, they haven no real incentive to play.

Martin Biron is a former NHL goalie and says it makes sense for the players to not care about the preseason.

“It makes more sense for me as a former player to say, I don’t care if there’s one or two preseason games,” Biron said. “I only care about the regular season.”

Some of hockey’s biggest names are falling to injuries in games that carry no real weight. A new collective bargaining agreement is due in two years, and the discussion of shortening the preseason will have to be on the table.

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