Matt Barnaby joined The Blue Crew Podcast to talk about his experience with concussions and how it might be effecting the current New York Ranger, Filip Chytil.
The Rangers have missed their 24-year-old center since November 2nd, when he collided with Jesper Fast of the Carolina Hurricanes. That collision resulted in what is believed to be his fourth concussion.
There has been a ton of concern around Chytil's ability to stay healthy throughout his young NHL career, but this isn't considered to be uncommon territory for hockey players.
Former New York Ranger, Matt Barnaby, was a guest on The Blue Crew podcast yesterday and he knows from personal experience just how severe concussions can be. Barnaby had to end his career early due to the effects that he was having from these injuries. My co-host, Avery Zaretsky and I spoke with Barnaby about some of the challenges that Chytil might be facing right now.
"I probably had 12 over the course of 15 years" Barnaby said.
The biggest thing for Chytil is his health, not just in hockey, but for the rest of his life. "Health is the number one thing" Barnaby told the Blue Crew.
It's important for Chytil to feel comfortable stepping on the ice in a real game. The worst thing that could happen would be having him out there, playing afraid to get hurt.
"You can't play in the National Hockey League thinking if you're going to get hurt." Barnaby added.
Below is the full clip from the podcast where we discuss Chytil and Barnaby's concussion history: