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Bettman claims concussions are down, but won’t provide numbers

2013 NHL Stanley Cup Final - Game One

CHICAGO, IL - JUNE 12: NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman answers questions from the media at his press conference prior to Game one of the 2013 Stanley Cup Final at United Center on June 12, 2013 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

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From the Canadian Press:

Gary Bettman says concussions are down in the NHL this season, but the commissioner won’t reveal any numbers to support that assessment.

Bettman said Wednesday that concussions have declined this year from last but declined to tell reporters at the league’s general managers meetings what the statistics were. The league has shared the numbers at past GMs meetings.

“We have numbers, but we’re not ready to give them out,” Bettman said Wednesday. “When the season is over if we give them out, we’ll give them out, but I think it’s fair to say they’re down.”

Concussions are a sensitive issue for the NHL, especially after a group of former players sued the league in November over head injuries.

Bettman subsequently called it “a lawsuit without merit,” with the NHL vowing to “defend the case vigorously.”

Related: Do the players suing the NHL over concussions have a case?