Colin Campbell called Senators trainer 'an absolute freaking idiot'
Trainer was concerned about the danger of concussions
"This guy is an absolute freaking idiot!"
That's what Colin Campbell, the senior VP of the NHL, had to say about the head athletic therapist of the Ottawa Senators over his concussion concerns.
Gerry Townend wrote those concerns in an email to the head of the NHL's Concussion Analysis Working Group, Ruben Echemendia, in May of 2013.
Townend was relaying the thoughts of other trainers with whom he had spoken about treatments for concussions.
"We have a major issue with education of our players, still unsure if they get the information they need. The GM's and coaches are still not up to speed in regards to understanding how complicated the issue is," Townend wrote in the email on May 15, 2013.
"The league does not take it seriously as refereeing is atrocious and that is a major reason we are still seeing head shots," Townend went on to write.
Echemendia forwarded the email to Julie Grand, a lawyer for the NHL, who then forwarded it to Campbell and others.
That's when Campbell responded to all: "This guy is an absolute freaking idiot!"
"I can only say these are partial takeaways from long conversations....not only email but telephone and live conversations about these same topics," Campbell wrote in an email Wednesday afternoon when asked why he referred to Townend's concerns that way.
"I may not have expressed things in an elegant way...dressing room talk...but there was a very valid reason."
This email was one of hundreds unsealed this week by a Minnesota court.
More than 100 former NHL players are attempting to sue the league for not adequately educating and protecting them from the long term effects of repeated head trauma all of them claim to have suffered while playing.