The NHL has a spotty record when it comes to concussions, from the 鈥溾�� of allowing concussed players back into important playoff games or the alleging the league did not do enough to protect former players from head trauma. At the very least, however, NHL players have access to some of the best concussion specialists and treatment in the world.
鈥淭he NHL is the top league in the world,鈥� says former Canuck and longtime PITB-favourite Kyle Wellwood. 鈥淵ou get the best care, the trainers are excellent, the doctors you get to see are the leaders in the world for concussions.鈥�
But Wellwood notes that other athletes, particularly younger athletes playing sports in school or in the community, don鈥檛 have access to the same level of care available to NHL players. That鈥檚 part of the reason he invested in HeadCheck, a mobile app and software that aims to make concussion testing more accessible and affordable.
On Tuesday, HeadCheck and the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) for all 17 teams in the league to use the software as part of their standard concussion protocol.
鈥淥ur goal is to show that we can have world class concussion care at the junior level,鈥� says Wellwood. 鈥淲hat this does is show we鈥檙e affordable, we can do entire leagues, everybody can have a record of their concussion history, and everyone feels a little safer about the season.鈥�
The app also gives the athlete themselves important information and data to help them take ownership of their brain health. It could be particularly useful for multi-sport athletes, who could potentially have just one standardized record of their baseline test and concussion history, instead of relying on different protocols with different teams and sports.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not a hockey app, it鈥檚 a concussion app,鈥� says Wellwood. 鈥淲e鈥檙e based in Vancouver, in Canada, where people play hockey, but it鈥檚 for anything: soccer, rugby, any sport really.鈥�
In fact, one of the founders of HeadCheck, Harrison Brown, was a high-level rugby player, even making Hong Kong鈥檚 under-20 team before heading to the University of Guelph to study human health and nutritional sciences, then UBC for his graduate work. Brown suffered two concussions while playing rugby, while Wellwood was more fortunate.
鈥淚鈥檝e never had a concussion,鈥� says Wellwood. 鈥淚鈥檝e had symptoms that I鈥檝e ignored, but that鈥檚 part of taking the test: you get a better sense of what kind of symptoms are a problem.鈥�
Athletes, particularly at a high level like the NHL, are frequently expected to play through injuries and that has included concussions. You still occasionally hear the phrase 鈥済ot his bell rung鈥� or see someone back on the ice after taking a high hit or getting run into the boards, but most people understand that taking a chance on a brain injury just isn鈥檛 worth the risk.
鈥淭he long-term effects are severe enough that you shouldn鈥檛 be playing through [concussions], even if it means a championship,鈥� says Wellwood. 鈥淎 big part of contact sports is trying to win by playing through things. That鈥檚 something cultural that鈥檚 not going to change, but being able to have that documentation for yourself of your concussion and brain history as you go through sports is something that wasn鈥檛 there yet and that鈥檚 what this does.鈥�
Wellwood says that he could see HeadCheck making its way to higher-level leagues, noting that there are already teams in the CHL using it, but notes that it may be more important for those who may not have access to the types of concussion care available in those leagues.
鈥淐ertainly we can do a professional league like the NHL,鈥� says Wellwood, 鈥渂ut we also want to make it accessible for high schools and the people who are playing sports at university, that they鈥檙e getting the care they need. Especially the junior-aged kids and high schoolers who are wanting to do contact sports but are worried about concussions.鈥�
As for Wellwood鈥檚 personal future, does he see himself getting back into hockey in a coaching or management role?
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think so,鈥� he says. 鈥淣ot right now. I enjoy family life and investing and being part of HeadCheck.鈥�
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