NHL to fine teams that violate new concussion protocol

Clubs that fail to follow the NHL's new concussion policies will face financial penalties.

The league's new head injury protocol calls for fines that escalate with each offense for teams that don't abide by the new rules.

"Specified sanctions will be imposed on clubs that violate the concussion protocol," the NHLPA announced in a release Tuesday.

"Clubs that do not remove a player who requires an evaluation will be subject to a mandatory minimum fine for a first offense, with substantially increased fine amounts for any subsequent offense.

Additionally, any player designated for a mandatory evaluation will not be permitted to re-enter the game unless and until he is evaluated by his club’s medical staff and cleared to play in accordance with the protocol."

The NHL's new concussion standards were revealed by deputy commissioner Bill Daly last month, but the concept of financial implications was announced Tuesday.

A new staff of central spotters employed by the league will monitor every game from the Department of Player Safety in New York. It will have the authority to remove a player from a game for a concussion evaluation if it's deemed necessary following a hit to the head.

The new spotters will be certified athletic trainers with hockey backgrounds and experience identifying concussion symptoms, as Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported in September.

In-arena spotters and on-ice officials will compliment the league's new staff.

The ongoing concussion lawsuit filed against the NHL may have played a role in the implementation of the new rules, but regardless, the changes should be seen as progress. The Pittsburgh Penguins announced Monday that Conn Smythe Trophy winner Sidney Crosby will be out indefinitely after being diagnosed with his third concussion.