Defenceman Willie Mitchell of the Los Angeles Kings doesn’t like the word ‘concussion.’ He prefers ‘brain injury.’ And he has been there on more than one occasion. . . . Right here then is his description, in his own words, of what life is like when you are in the throes of such a brain injury.
Give that a read and then stop and think for a moment about how many hockey players had such injuries this season. And then ask yourself this: Are the people with the power doing all they can to prevent concussions?
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In Norfolk, Va., G Dustin Tokarski (Spokane, 2006-09) stopped 30 shots Saturday night as the Admirals beat the Toronto Marlies, 4-2, in Game 2 of the AHL final for the Calder Cup. . . . The Admirals hold a 2-0 lead with Game 3 in Toronto on Thursday. . . . The winner came from F Brandon Segal (Calgary, 1999-2004). He gave Norfolk a a 3-1 lead at 8:26 of the third period. D Keith Aulie (Brandon, 2005-09) picked started the play that led to Segal’s goal. . . . Aulie finished with two assists. . . . D Radko Gudas (Everett, 2009-10) had a strong outing for Norfolk. . . . F Greg Scott (Seattle, 2005-09) had five shots on goal for the Marlies, while F Colton Orr (Swift Current, Kamloops, Regina, 1998-2003) had three.
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By now you are aware that Johan Santana threw a no-hitter for the New York Mets on Friday night. It was the first no-hitter in Mets’ history, coming in the franchise’s 8,020th game.
For a great read, check out this column by Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post.
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Keith Olbermann — yes, that Keith Olbermann — is a huge baseball fan. And, yes, he has a blog. His take on Santana’s no-hitter is right here. Interestingly, Olbermann was at the game but he had to leave after two innings. It was the second time in his life that he left a no-hitter in the early innings.