Jonathan Huberdeau had the same reaction as you, as me, as everybody.
The Calgary Flames’ prized trade acquisition cringed when he caught the replay of Thursday’s scary scene in Cincinnati, where Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was carted off the field after being sacked. His helmet slammed into the turf as he was tackled.
Many suspect that Tagovailoa has now suffered two head injuries in the span of just five days, again raising questions about the treatment of concussions in the NFL and around the world of professional sports. The 24-year-old passer had appeared to lose his balance after a hit last Sunday but was later allowed to return to that game.
“It’s never easy to see that, obviously,” Huberdeau said of Thursday’s frightening sequence in Cincinnati, where Tagovailoa was taken to hospital before later being cleared to travel home with his teammates. “I wasn’t watching, but I saw the replay. It’s always hard to see guys go down and to see his head slam. We’ll pray for him. I hope he’s OK.
“I’m kind of a Miami Dolphins fan, too. But it doesn’t really matter. It’s individual, so it doesn’t matter what team — you never want to see a guy get hurt.”
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Huberdeau, 29, is one of the NHL’s top setup men. He will eventually provide an assist of another sort, having pledged over the summer to donate his brain to Concussion Legacy Foundation Canada/Project Enlist for medical research after his death.
That commitment, just the second of its kind by an active NHL player, was announced alongside 170 Canadian Armed Forces members and veterans.
“I think, if we have the chance to help, that’s what I wanted to do,” Huberdeau explained. “Me and my agent (Allan Walsh) talked about it. It was in Canada, with the military, and I won’t be alive anymore so if I can help with my brain … We’ve had concussions, as players, so I think it’s going to be good to help with the science. I was just like, ‘You know what? It might as well serve for something when you’re not there anymore.’
“I hope some more guys kind of do the same thing and it’s not only me. I think a lot of guys are going to go forward and do it, as well.”
Twitter: @WesGilbertson
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