Florida Panthers forward Krys Barch compared National Hockey League hockey players to overseas troops to make a point about the risks of concussions.
The right-winger gave his opinion on the NHL’s concussion issue to SunSentinel.com on Monday as the league’s general managers met in nearby Boca Raton to discuss rule changes and player safety.
“I don’t know why you try to correct what’s working. The hits are always part of the game,” the 31-year-old native of Hamilton, Ont., told the site. “I had a twitter account a few years ago and you look at guys going over to Iraq and Afghanistan and they’re doing it for their country and they’re not getting compensated near as much as we are so why do we have to take less risks than them? That’s part of the sport.
“We get paid huge money to do it and most of the time you get paid big money it comes with a lot of risks involved and we’re compensated. We know that risk when we step on the ice so you go along with it, so everybody just shut up! These guys are going overseas spending nine months away from their wives and kids and risk their lives and do it for x amount of dollars, and we’re going to sit here and cry because one guy’s making $5 million and he’s out with a concussion then shame on us,” Barch said. “Shame on us, that’s what I think.”
Barch has two goals, two assists and 84 penalty minutes this season for the Panthers. Florida, in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race, faces off at home on Tuesday versus the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Though he may have been the most vehement, Barch was not the only NHL forward to take issue with the GM meetings on Monday.
“Why is it that all the GM’s get to make all the rule changes and the players get little say?” tweeted L.A. Kings’ scorer Mike Richards.
Listen to Krys Barch’s comments
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