Vancouver Canucks: Kole Lind returns to the Kelowna Rockets lineup

Kole Lind is returning to the lineup in Kelowna today, but I am wondering about the possibility of a concussion that was never made public.

Good news, Vancouver Canucks fans! Kole Lind will be back in action on Friday night per Kevin Bain. The 2017 second round draft pick missed 11 days of action after receiving a devastating hit against the Victoria Royals. In case you forgot how bad the hit looked, here it is again:

The hit looks bad enough, but Lind was laying there motionless for a few minutes. His teammates helped him off the ice. Of course, Lind never saw the hit coming, but the hit was still high and he slammed down with a lot of force.

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He did not return in that game and missed the aforementioned 11 days. In my last prospect report, Rockets GM, Bruce Hamilton said would be watched “on a week-to-week basis.” The release from Kevin Bain only stated that Lind had an upper body injury.

I never like it when teams try to make an injury seem vague, because it leaves it open to interpretation. For instance, Lind may have had a concussion that was never announced. With the way that hit went and how he was motionless, I think it is very possible that he could have been concussed.

I have hard time believing he was simply winded. Perhaps it’s just his shoulder that’s injured, but I guess we will never know since it is designated to the upper body. I did a little digging and found a blatant hit to the head that Lind received in October.

This hit was deliberate and worse than the one he received in Victoria. Not only did Lind return during that game, he did not miss any time after that hit. It’s incredible he did not have a concussion then. Team doctors do their jobs well, but hockey teams like to control the message.

When you are vague, it prevents the other teams from targeting that injury. If this was a shoulder, wrist or rib issue, then fine. But this concerns Kole Lind’s brain and we are seeing how concussions can destroy the lives of athletes after sports. I have seen no indication denying the possibility of a concussion.

Next: Guillaume Brisebois is the victim of a shallow prospect pool

Maybe I am getting wound up for nothing. I really do hope I am wrong. The Canadian Hockey League already doesn’t pay its players very well. Not to mention how eager teams are to pull post-secondary scholarships. At the very least, I hope they are being diligent in how they approach player health.