As an OHL rookie in 2007, Randell fought only twice. He was 16 years old, a risky age for boys to be suffering blows to the head.
According to Dr . Robert Cantu, the co-director of Boston University’s Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy, younger brains are not as myelinated, meaning they have less insulation than brains of adults. Also, boys’ necks are weaker than those of adults. Their heads are disproportionately large for their bodies.
“That sets up a younger person to have injuries to the brain that are greater than those sustained at a later age from the same force,’’ Cantu said. “It takes more force later on to produce the same injury.
“It’s important not to have a head injury at any age. It’s particularly important not to have it at a young age. Fighting is certainly to be discouraged, especially at young ages, for those reasons.’’
Nobody forced Randell, or countless other NHL hopefuls, to fight. At the other end, nobody is telling Shawn Thornton that he must drop his gloves. But it’s understood, for juniors as well as NHLers, that fighting is expected from certain players.
It’s one of hockey’s prickliest issues. Fans attend games and watch them on TV in anticipation of scraps. Fighting helps to keep players like Thornton employed, which encourages youngsters like Randell to do the same.
The consequences of fighting, however, may ultimately put it into question. Longtime enforcer Bob Probert, who died of a heart attack last year, was diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy. It is not possible to determine how Probert’s fighting contributed to his CTE.
There is no reason to suggest that Derek Boogaard and Rick Rypien, both known for fighting, died this offseason because of the nature of their duties. But there is little doubt that the trauma of fighting can affect a player’s physical and mental health.
Last year, Toronto heavyweight Colton Orr was limited to 46 games because of a concussion sustained during a fight with Anaheim’s George Parros.
