October 19, 2021 by Mike Dirsa

I have been a fan of the Edmonton Oilers for a long time, and I think it’s fortunate that incidents like what happened to Zack Kassian on October 7 haven’t been a more regular occurrence.

When it happened, it took me back to Jujhar Khaira last season. But, really, I thought more about about a playoff game between the Oilers and the Dallas Stars in 1997.

The Oilers always played the Stars in the 90s. I thought about when Bryan Marchment lost his balance and smacked his head on the door and step of the players bench. That was an ugly scene Marchment went into convulsions and was never really the same again. I think there are similarities with both incidents in that they were freakish accidents that ended badly.

Thankfully, Kassian wasn’t out long-term like Marchment was. Last season, Jujhar Khaira likely returned to the lineup too quickly, even if he didn’t sustain another concussion. I won’t judge Kassian for sticking up for a teammate in a pre-season game. I believe in the wolfpack mentality. I still think the pack mentality is at the core of the game. If you mess with any member of the pack, then you better be ready to get bit.

I still think it’s essential to sometimes seek vigilante justice when the officials allow liberties are being taken without punishment. But it’s a funny thing, because as much as I advocate for fighting when I think it’s necessary, I don’t like to see a player injured. Ever. In the movie The Program, there’s a scene where a running back is laying down on the turf and the coach asks “Are you injured, or are you hurt?” The player responds by saying “What’s that mean?” And the coach says, “Well, if you’re hurt, you can still play. If you’re injured, you can’t.”

For me, if a guy is taking a bunch of liberties and a fight happens I never want to see them get injured. I think most hockey players are the same. When Kassian smacked his head on the ice, Zack MacEwen of the Vancouver Canucks, the player Kassian was fighting, was the first person to signal to the medical staff for help. It’s quite the thing to switch in an instant from combating a guy to immediately wanting medical attention for them.

As a hockey fan, I think it’s easy to question the reason Kassian took the fight. Why take the fight in a meaningless pre-season game? In the same meaningless preseason game, Leon Draisaitl was the recipient of a high hit to the head that Connor McDavid later tried to avenge. After that, Mike Smith was sent to the ice after MacEwen ran into him.

Both of these incidents had the temperature of the game running at a boiling point. Combine that with Kassian being in the dog house with fans for almost two years, and the recipe for a pre-season fight was complete. I also think when athletes are really in the game, they go into read and react mode.

That’s likely the state of mind Kassian was in. I don’t want to criticize him for deciding to drop the gloves. When Kassian was falling to the ice with his helmet off, it felt like an eternity. It was like being in a car accident, when it feels like time stops and you live your whole life in a matter of seconds. That feeling of extreme concern is the worst feeling in the world. I think I can speak for all Oilers fans when I say in those moments after the fall, we all sent our collective good vibes and prayers up for those that believe in a higher power.

Seeing Kassian get off the ice without the use of a stretcher certainly eased the tension of the game. I wish him a speedy recovery and I am so glad it wasn’t much worse. Incidents like this one should give us pause. They make you think about a lot of things. I think it’s natural to question if something needs to be done, or changed. Earlier in my life, I would have answered with a quick no, but now that I’m older, I think about it more.

A part of me still recognizes that the pack mentality is very close to the core of the game. I also know now that brain injuries can cause long-term consequences, so I don’t know what the answer to is to this hotly debated topic. I don’t want to see players suffering from concussion problems for the rest of their lives. Still, I don’t want to see hockey games where bullying is permitted, because they know there won’t be consequences from the opposing team, or referees.

Freak accident can happen in other facets of life, too. So, I’m not ready to throw the baby out with the bath water just yet. Just seeing an incident like this made me stop and reevaluate some things. Most importantly, I’m glad to see Kassian is fine and made his season debut on Saturday.