More former players sue NHL seeking compensation for head injuries

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Another group of former NHL players has joined the fight for compensation for head injuries they say they incurred while playing, while at the same time targeting the violence of the game that they believe brought about those injuries.

Retired players Dave Christian, Reed Larson and William Bennett filed a class action lawsuit in federal court last week alleging that the league has promoted fighting and downplayed the risk of head injuries that come from it. The players are represented by Charles “Bucky” Zimmerman, an attorney at Zimmerman Reed in Minneapolis.

The lawsuit, which is similar to one brought by former football players against the NFL, joins others filed by hockey players in Washington and New York and seeks monetary damages and increased medical monitoring.

The NHL said the case was without merit.

The NHL Players’ Association declined to comment.

Zimmerman also worked on the football litigation, which resulted in the NFL agreeing to pay a $765 million settlement to thousands of former players. That settlement is still awaiting a judge’s approval, but the headlines it generated have been partially responsible for hockey players mounting their own case against the NHL.

The lawsuit alleges “the NHL hid or minimized concussion risks from its players,” putting them at substantially higher risk of developing various diseases.