Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Savard’s diagnosis: Grade II concussion

Marc Savard, Michael Ryder, Milan Lucic

An emergency medical technician and teammates, including Milan Lucic (17) and Michael Ryder (73), look over Boston Bruins’ Marc Savard as he is wheeled of the ice in the third period of an NHL hockey game after a hit in Pittsburgh, Sunday, March 7, 2010. The Penguins won 2-1. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

AP

Boston.com’s Bruins Blog reports that Bruins center Marc Savard has been diagnosed with a Grade II concussion due to a hit by Penguins forward Matt Cooke. According to the report, “Savard said that he felt like he was hit by a bus.”

Apparently the league will not yet make a judgment on the extent of a likely suspension for Cooke, who as we’ve discussed today, has a history of suspensions.

While Chiarelli believes Matt Cooke will be suspended, no ruling will take place today. League disciplinarian Colin Campbell told Chiarelli that the hit will be reviewed in greater detail today and tomorrow, with a decision to be made prior to Pittsburgh’s next game on Thursday.

For the undoubtedly small portion of our audience who aren’t brain surgeons, I thought I’d provide a little context as to how severe a Grade II concussion is. Here’s a brief description from Neurosurgerytoday.org.

Players who sustain a Grade II concussion lose consciousness for less than five minutes or exhibit posttraumatic amnesia between 30 minutes and 24 hours in duration. They may also return to play after one week of being asymptomatic.

The site lists the more-severe Grade III concussion as an injury that should sideline a player for at least one month. That doesn’t mean that a Grade II won’t keep Savard on the sideline for that much time or longer, as the symptoms of a concussion can last quite some time (again, the description says the player can return after one week of being asymptomatic or symptom-free). Considering the fact that sports leagues are becoming increasingly cautious regaring concussions, it’s hard to say how much time Savard will miss. We’ll keep you updated when we learn more.

Brandon also took a look at the controversial hit earlier today.