By John Stewart – Red Deer Advocate

Published: February 03, 2010 8:55 AM

Steve Oursov returned to competitive hockey last month, after more than 10 months away from the game.

How long he’ll be able to play is anyone’s guess.

Whether he’ll suffer any long-term effects from the concussion he suffered a year ago is also a matter of guesswork.

What shouldn’t be uncertain is the need for a thorough examination of the growing impact of head injuries on hockey players of all ages, and the need to take action to mitigate the dangers.

Hockey is a violent sport and the potential for injury is significant, particularly as players mature and the game becomes more physical.

Oursov was a member of the Red Deer Rebels when he discovered just how violent — and dangerous — the sport is.

During an on-ice fight on Feb. 17, 2009, Oursov suffered the concussion. He was struck on the temple by a member of the Saskatoon Blades.

“I don’t remember much about the fight, but from watching it on video it was definitely that punch (to the side of the head) that got me, that did all the damage,” he told the Advocate last October.

After months of pain, discomfort and uncertainty, Oursov returned to the ice with the Trail Smoke Eaters of the B.C. Hockey League in January.

His future remains in doubt. “He wants to get his feet under him and see how he’s feeling,” said Rebels head coach Jesse Wallin, himself the victim of a career-ending concussion. “We’re going to monitor his situation. We’ll see how he makes out and go from there.”

It is not an easy journey.

As recently as October, Oursov felt like a fish out of water. “My symptoms are more like dizziness, and I’m so sensitive to light. I was shopping at the mall with my girlfriend and I just had to get out because I could barely see because of the bright lights,” he said. “I couldn’t see and I got dizzy and sweaty. It was brutal.”

Medical science is getting closer to understanding how concussions damage the brain, but researchers are no closer to rectifying the damage some concussion sufferers face long-term.

Concussion (or mild traumatic brain injury) is caused by a direct or indirect blow to the head or body. The brain hits the hard surface of the inside of the skull and is damaged.

Although tests such as CT scans will appear normal, a concussion appears to involve a change in chemical function that alters how the brain works. Symptoms include: dizziness; difficulty concentrating, solving problems and making decisions; headaches and blurry vision; a lack of energy and motivation; being tired and irritable; sensitivity to light and sound; and nausea.

Those who suffer multiple head injuries — including former NHL player Reggie Fleming, dozens of former National Football League players and retired boxers — often have a disease known to cause cognitive decline, behavioural abnormalities and ultimately dementia. Premature death has also been found in this group, by as much as 20 years.

Even in its less extreme symptoms, a head injury could prevent you from living a productive, normal life — let alone play hockey.

At one extreme, University of Toronto researchers who have studied concussions say bodychecking should be banned from youth hockey to prevent injuries.

At the other extreme, although head injuries have become all too common in the National Hockey League, the league is resistant to significant rule changes that would minimize the likelihood of concussions.

Although the NHL board of governors agreed last fall to form a committee to study the issue, and proposals to reduce head shots are expected by season’s end, the culture doesn’t show a notable shift. “You’ve got to be careful what you do when you talk about rule changes,” Anaheim Ducks general manager Bob Murray said before Christmas. “Hitting is part of our game and you don’t want to change the fundamental nature of the game.”

In the middle ground is Hockey Canada, which last month announced it will convene a summit to discuss player safety, likely over the summer.

President Bob Nicholson has been driven by a pair of junior hockey incidents this year.

“We have to get rid of hits to the head at all levels,” he said. “When you start to talk to the doctors on concussions, it’s not just there in a few players. It’s there in too big a percentage of players at all levels.”

According to researchers from the Division of Neurosurgery at the University of Toronto, anywhere from 10 to 17 per cent of hockey players from ages nine to 17 report a head injury each season and young hockey players have about 2.8 concussions per 1,000 player hours.

The Hockey Canada summit is a first critical step in the process: it must discuss the rules of the game; but also the protocol for dealing with injured athletes of all ages; the need for safety equipment standards and rules about the use of such things as helmets (done up tightly by all players, including those in junior and professional leagues) and mouthguards; and a solid system of documentation so doctors can monitor damage and researchers will have the necessary data to begin looking for patterns and for medical solutions; and a thorough discussion about lack of respect in the culture of the game.

Jesse Wallin’s playing career was ended by an opponent’s cheap shot in 2003.

“I still have very mild symptoms,” he told the Advocate last fall. “It was definitely a life-altering event. But overall I’ve managed to come through it and will be able to lead a normal life. I can’t be a pro athlete again but I can lead a normal life and feel good most days.”

Hockey shouldn’t demand such a horrible sacrifice of any of its players.

It’s up to the game’s leaders — led by the NHL — to minimize the impact of head injuries, and to do it quickly.

John Stewart is the Advocate’s managing editor.