Hockey Hall of Famer and Montreal Canadiens great Henri Richard has been posthumously diagnosed with stage 3 chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), the Concussion Legacy Foundation Canada announced Wednesday.
CTE is a progressive brain disease associated with repeated traumatic brain injuries, including concussions and repeated blows to the head.
Richard’s son, Denis, released the findings of his father’s brain study hoping to bring attention to the risks of repeated head injuries in hockey.
“I hope my father’s brain donation and diagnosis will lead to more prevention efforts, research, and eventually a CTE treatment,” Denis said in a statement.
“I want people to understand this is a disease that impacts athletes far beyond football.”
Richard, known as the “Pocket Rocket” as Maurice (Rocket) Richard’s younger brother, won 11 Stanley Cups with the Canadiens from 1955-1975. He died in 2020 at 84 years old after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
The Foundation says 16 of 17 NHL players studied have been diagnosed with CTE, including Hall of Famer Stan Mikita.
“Henri Richard was not an enforcer and CTE still ravaged his brain. It is far past time for all of us in the Canadian sports community to acknowledge the long-term effects of repetitive impacts on the brain,” said Tim Fleiszer, Executive Director of the CLFC, in a statement.
The NHL, which made helmets mandatory in 1979, has consistently denied a link between hockey and CTE.