BY PATRICK KING
sportsnet.ca

Saturday can't come soon enough for Kruise Reddick.

The Tri-City Americans' captain hasn't played since suffering a concussion in a game against the Brandon Wheat Kings on Oct. 9. The overage forward received medical clearance to practise on Monday and took part in his first full-contact practice on Wednesday.

Reddick missed eight games and will play his first game since the injury against the Red Deer Rebels on Saturday.

"It's been a long three weeks of itching to get back out there," Reddick admitted. "It's not easy to watch; it's not fun at all. It's something hopefully I won't have to go through again."

Concussions among junior hockey players became the hot-button topic after a recent study outlined the severity and number of incidents are much greater than previously thought. Dr. Paul Echlin released his study's findings based on two unnamed junior teams from last season at a news conference on Monday.

The CP story noted 29 per cent of players that were diagnosed with a concussion suffered another or recurrent concussions.

This was Reddick's second career concussion after suffering his first two years earlier. Reddick came back early from his first concussion which he suffered shortly before the holiday season. After spending the holidays at home, Reddick stepped back in the lineup, but was forced to wait another four weeks before making his permanent return to the lineup.

"(I was) thinking I was ready to play, but things just weren't right and I just wasn't myself during that game and could tell something wasn't right," Reddick recalled. "I just had to sit out longer and make sure I was 100 per cent."

The Western Hockey League and Ontario Hockey League have a protocol in place for clearing players who have suffered concussions. Both leagues work extensively with renowned Michigan-based neuropsychology consultant, Dr. Michael Czarnota.

Czarnota is now in his fourth season with both leagues. He works closely with each team's trainers and provides both leagues with monthly reports.

Each player undergoes baseline training before the season and watches an informational DVD supplied by the league. The captain of each team then writes a letter to the league office stating his understanding of the DVD presentation, which covers topics such as hits to the head and checking from behind. Each player on his team then signs the letter before it is returned to the league.

"That way we can monitor all players have received the education from our office," said Richard Doerksen, the WHL's vice-president. "Then we work very diligently on both our rules and the application of the rules through the on-ice officials to make sure that blows to the head are called when they occur."

Among the clips on the DVD are examples of hits that have resulted in concussions and a doctor explaining how those injuries can affect the brain.

"It's real good education for them," Doerksen explains. "Even though we don't necessarily stress it, I think the players probably feel with all the equipment they are protected, but I think when they get a chance to watch the DVD and see how the injuries occur they'll have a much better perspective at that time."

It's unlikely Reddick's latest concussion would serve as an example on future DVDs. Reddick suffered the concussion on a strange play while he was trying to finish his check on a Wheat King player. That player ducked just as Reddick was about to make contact and Reddick subsequently collided helmet-to-helmet.

"I went to make an open-ice hit on a guy and I ended up hitting him pretty good, but… it kind of took me for a ride too," he said. "Kind of unfortunate and kind of a freak accident, but it happens. It's part of hockey. Not much I could do."

Perhaps the scariest part was the concussion's aftermath. After coming back to his senses, Reddick asked to go back on the ice, but was overruled by the team.

"I felt pretty good and I wanted to go back out there and play, but an hour and a half or two hours later it kind of kicks in," he said. "I think I had a headache that night and was feeling not myself."

The concussion wasn't so severe that his headaches forced him to sleep more than usual, he said, and Reddick was able to function as he normally would for the most part.

Finally, his body let him know when he was ready to return.

"A light went off and you just kind of feel back to yourself," he said. "You're not drowsy or kind of tired or bored or stuff like that. It kind of clicks and then it all comes back to you and you take a couple days and you feel like that for sure and you do your bike rides and your workouts and if you don't have any headaches or dizziness through that then you're good to go."

Reddick had to follow a league-mandated protocol in order to be cleared for action. Medical clearance, as Doerksen explains, can depend on the player.

"Some cases it only takes a week before (a player is) symptom-free, sometimes it can take a long time," Doerksen said. "We're following the exact protocol that the experts in that field have laid out and certainly we're relying on their expertise before (a player) returns to play."

Reddick's advice for a player suffering his first concussion: plenty of rest and defer to the experts.

"There's no sense coming back early, because I tried that with my first one and I just made it worse," he said. "Be honest with yourself and the trainers because they're only trying to help you and make you better."