Keep Your Head Up: The Real Score on Concussions Separating locker room myths from medical reality for players

Let’s be real for a second. You know the drill. You’re grinding in the corners, battling for a loose puck, or maybe you just caught a suicide pass coming across the blue line with your head down. The game is fast, the ice is hard, and the boards are unforgiving. In hockey, taking a hit is part of the job description, whether you’re playing Bantam, Junior, or eyeing a college roster spot.

But there’s a massive difference between "getting your bell rung" and suffering a brain injury that could mess up your season, or your life. For years, locker room talk has been full of bad advice about concussions. You’ve probably heard guys say, "I didn't black out, so I'm good," or "I just need to walk it off."

That old-school mentality doesn't fly anymore. The game has evolved, the players are faster and stronger, and our understanding of the brain has to catch up. Based on the latest medical facts, let's tape up the stick and break down the myths that might be keeping you on the bench, or worse, putting you in danger.

This is the biggest lie in the rink. You do not need to be lights-out on the ice to have a concussion. In fact, about 90% of concussions happen without anyone losing consciousness. You can stay awake, finish your shift, and still have a brain injury. If you feel foggy, nauseous, or just "off" after a hit, that’s your brain telling you to sit down, even if you never saw black.

We’ve all seen the guy who gets hit and looks like he’s skating on weak ankles, the "Bambi legs." That’s definitely a bad sign (called gross motor instability), but just because you can skate a straight line back to the bench doesn't mean you're clear. You might have perfect balance but a splitting headache or blurred vision. Don't rely on the "wobble test" to diagnose yourself.

Hockey is a collision sport. You can get absolutely dusted with an open-ice hit where your head never touches the opponent or the ice. If your body stops moving but your head whips forward or backward (whiplash), your brain can slam against the inside of your skull. A heavy check to the chest or shoulder can cause enough force to concuss you. You don't need a mark on your helmet to have a bruise on your brain.

Adrenaline is a powerful thing. You might finish the game, shower, and head home feeling decent. But concussions are tricky; symptoms can sometimes take hours or even a full day to show up. If you wake up the next morning feeling like you’re hungover, headache, sensitive to light, groggy—without having touched a drop of anything, that’s likely a delayed concussion symptom from yesterday’s game.

If your teammate takes a hit, don't torture them by poking them awake all night. Unless a doctor says there are signs of a severe bleed (which is rare and usually involves different pupil sizes or seizures), sleep is actually the best medicine. Your brain needs to recharge. Let them rest.

Here is the hard truth: You cannot power through a brain injury. If you sprain an ankle, you might tape it up and limp through. If you sprain your brain, playing through it risks "Second Impact Syndrome," which can be catastrophic. You can’t return to play just because you "feel okay." You need to pass the protocol, a multistep process of light exercise, skating, and contact drills before you’re cleared. Don't lie to the trainer just to get back for the third period. It’s not worth it.

We wish. Right now, there is no "magic picture" that lights up to say "Concussion." A CT scan rules out brain bleeds, but it won't show a concussion. It is a clinical diagnosis. That means the trainer or doctor has to look at how you’re acting, thinking, and feeling. You can’t purely rely on technology to clear you; you have to be honest about your symptoms.

It’s easy to get scared by the headlines about enforcers from the 90s. But here is the reality: Most players who get a concussion recover 100% within a few weeks and don't develop CTE or early dementia. Don't panic. If you treat the injury properly, rest, and follow the return-to-play steps, your long-term outlook is usually fine. The danger comes from ignoring it and stacking injuries on top of each other.

You train to be fast, you train to be strong, and you train to be tough. But part of being a hockey player is having high "hockey IQ." Ignoring a brain injury is low IQ. If you get rocked, talk to the trainer. Be honest with your teammates. The puck will still be there when you get back. Ensure your brain is there to enjoy it.