Montreal Canadiens Alum Bob Murdoch's CTE diagnosis confirmed

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Mark Parsons
March 28, 2024 (6:21 PM)

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The family of Bob Murdoch, a distinguished former NHL defenseman, announced that he was diagnosed with Stage 3 Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) following his death at 76 in August 2023.

The family of Bob Murdoch, a 2x Stanley Cup champion and 1989-90 Jack Adams Award winner, announces his stage 3 CTE diagnosis. Bev Murdoch & Hockey HOFer Ken Dryden call on the NHL to end its CTE denial and protect players' long-term brain health.

Researchers at Boston University CTE Center discovered the condition while studying his brain, confirming suspicions held by Murdoch and his family. Bev Murdoch, his widow, emphasized in a statement released through The Concussion Legacy Foundation the necessity of confronting and preventing CTE within professional hockey. She reflected on the toll the disease took on her husband, highlighting the broader impacts on families, particularly spouses turned caregivers, over the seven years of Murdoch's decline.

CTE continues to be prevalent in the NHL

Bob Murdoch's illustrious career spanned 12 seasons in the NHL, notably with the Montreal Canadiens, Los Angeles Kings, and the Atlanta/Calgary Flames, earning him two Stanley Cup victories in 1971 and 1973. His posthumous diagnosis sheds light on the grave consequences of repeated head trauma, echoing calls for increased safety measures in the sport. Bev Murdoch's candid remarks about the personal devastation wrought by CTE underscore the urgent need for the hockey community to address this critical issue.

Source - Blade of Steel:
Family of Ex-NHLer Bob Murdoch announces CTE diagnosis posthumously