Tag Archives: NHL

Fans pay their respects to Blackhawks great Stan Mikita

Aug 13, 2018 | kimberlykaczmarek

A long line of fans snaked around the United Center Sunday as they waited to pay their respects to Blackhawks great Stan Mikita.

Mikita died from dementia Tuesday, Aug. 7 at the age of 78.

In the stadium’s atrium, Mikita’s coffin was draped with his sweater and a large arrangement of flowers honoring his number. Longtime fans said they wanted to let Mikita’s family, especially his wife Jill, know that he was loved and adored.

 

Mikita was with the Blackhawks for 22 years and is the franchise leader in points (1,467) and games played (1,394). A four-time Art Ross Trophy winner as the NHL’s leading scorer, the forward was named the Hart Trophy winner for league MVP in the 1966-1967 along with the 1967-1968 seasons. In those same years, Mikita was also named the Lady Byng Trophy winner for sportsmanlike conduct.

A ticket holder since 1959, Carl Miller says he fondly remembers seeing the man on and off the ice.

“He was always a nice guy and when you would talk to him he would talk to anybody just like a regular fan,” Miller said.

Read more at WGN TV.

Lawsuit: NHL Put Profits Ahead of Players

Dec 8, 2015 | WLS-AM Staff

By Nick Gale, WLS News

(CHICAGO)  A Chicago based law firm has filed a lawsuit against the National Hockey League on behalf of the family of a deceased former Blackhawks player.

The firm Corboy & Demetrio has filed the suit claiming that as far back as 1997 the NHL had data on repetitive head trauma in hockey but failed to warn Steve Montador of the long term mental and cognitive health impairments.

Montador, who played for a number of teams including the Blackhawks and the Ducks, died earlier this year at age 35. When his brain was examined it turned out he suffered from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, or CTE, which can cause depression, sleeplessness, memory loss and more.

Attorney William Gibbs is representing the Montador estate. He says the NHL failed to warn players of the risk, putting profits first.

“The NHL for years has been scared of eliminating fighting based upon one reason and that is that they’re worried the turnstiles won’t spin as frequently,” Gibbs tells WLS News.

The NHL had previously said of Montador’s death that they don’t see a link between his heath and his NHL career.

Separate from this case, there is a class action lawsuit pending against the NHL alleging that the league failed to warn them of the true dangers of repetitive head trauma.

@ 2015 WLS News

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