Devils' Lovejoy becomes 1st active NHLer to pledge brain to research

New Jersey Devils defenseman Ben Lovejoy is the first active NHL player pledging to donate his brain to the Concussion Legacy Foundation in Boston.

"Hockey has been so good to me," Lovejoy said Wednesday on TSN. "It's helped me make a ton of friends, travel the country and world, and given me an amazing job that has paid me really well. My entire life has revolved exclusively around hockey and I want to give my brain to help make this game safer."

Lovejoy is a nine-year NHL veteran and a Stanley Cup winner. He's also been fortunate to avoid a diagnosed concussion, but is a believer in science and wants to do whatever he can to make the game safe for those who come after him.

Several former players - including Craig Adams, Ted Drury, Shawn McEachern, and Bob Sweeney - have also pledged their brains to the Concussion Legacy Foundation. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, can only be detected through a postmortem examination of the brain.