Greg Johnson had CTE – family rages

Published 2024-07-10 17.12

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In the summer of 2019, former NHL player Greg Johnson took his own life.

It has now been established that he suffered from the brain disease CTE.

– The NHL must do more to protect its players, says daughter Carson.

17 out of 18 dead NHL players whose brains were subsequently analyzed have been diagnosed with CTE.

Now Greg Johnson’s family is raging once morest the NHL, which has not yet acknowledged that the deaths can be linked to bangs on the ice.

“Confess!”

Daughter Carson seizes the opportunity and addresses league commissioner Gary Bettman directly.

– In hindsight, we understand that the hits he was exposed to throughout his hockey career damaged his brain. I want all athletes to know the risks, and I want the NHL to start acknowledging that this problem exists and start protecting its players, so that other daughters don’t have to lose their parents, she says according to TSN.

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fullscreen chevron-rightnextGreg Johnson during his time in Nashville.

1 / 2Foto: Mark Humphrey / AP

“Got chocked”

Greg Johnson played in the NHL for twelve seasons and ended his career in 2006 due to heart problems.

He was found dead in his home on July 7, 2019.

– I was shocked when we received the news regarding this diagnosis. He showed no symptoms, but he often talked regarding his concussions. I remember the exact moment when he told me that his heart problems forced him to end his career, and that in a way it was a blessing because he would no longer be subjected to new blows to the head, says his wife Kristin.

FACT

CTE

CTE, or chronic traumatic encephalopathy as it is actually called, is a brain disease caused by repeated violence to the head.

It leads to damage to nerve cells and researchers believe that the damage can lead to impaired memory, poor impulse control and a greater tendency to suffer from addiction and depression.

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