Former players sue NHL over concussions

(Reuters) – Ten former players have filed a class action lawsuit against the National Hockey League (NHL), claiming the league did not do enough to prevent concussions. Former Toronto Maple Leafs Gary Leeman and Rick Vaive were among the players to file a claim in U.S. District Court in Washington, saying it was time for the NHL to elevate long-term player safety over profit and tradition. The lawsuit comes less than three months after the National Football League paid $765 million to settle a lawsuit brought by thousands of former players, many suffering from dementia and health problems. The former NHL players claim that a player can sustain about 1,000 hits to the head during a season without any documented incapacitating concussion and that repeated blows result in permanently impaired brain function.