Montador Family Statement on CTE Findings
Corboy & Demetrio, which represents the Estate of Steve Montador, confirms that a brain study reveals the late NHL player had “widespread presence” of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) at the time of his death three months ago.
The CTE findings were announced earlier today by the Canadian Sports Concussion Project at Krembil Neuroscience Centre at Toronto Western Hospital, which performed the neuro-pathological examination of Montador.
“The Montador family's suspicions have been confirmed: Steve Montador’s 35-year-old brain was decaying due to the head hits he endured during his NHL career. CTE has afflicted yet another young athlete and his family. It is heartbreaking that such a vibrant young man sustained such monumental brain damage while playing a professional sport,” said Corboy & Demetrio attorney William T. Gibbs.
Steve Montador was a 10-year NHL veteran who suffered a concussion while playing for the Blackhawks in February of 2012 and who eventually retired while playing hockey overseas due to the concussions’ lingering effects. The 35-year-old player was found dead in his home in Ontario, Canada on Feb. 15, 2015.
Paul Montador, Steve Montador’s father, stated:
“First and foremost, our family has forever lost a son, brother, uncle and father. Many others have lost a great friend. The finding of widespread CTE in Steven’s brain helps us all better understand that his brain was ravaged by disease and he was unable to control it.
Through hard work and dedication, Steven achieved his big dream of playing professional hockey in the NHL. He always knew that there might be black eyes, broken bones and soft tissue injuries – but he never anticipated that playing the game he loved would result in such devastating impairment of his brain function. CTE changed everything.
My family and I would like to thank Dr. Charles Tator and the entire research team at the Canadian Sports Concussion Project for performing this important work. By identifying CTE in former athletes, they move closer to preventing its prevalence in the future.”
“This should serve as yet another sad wakeup call to the NHL,” said Thomas Demetrio, who along with Gibbs represents not only the Montador Estate but also the Estate of Len Boogaard, the late NHL player who died after suffering the effects of CTE; the Estate of Dave Duerson, the late NFL player who asked his brain be studied for CTE at the time of his suicide; and the Estate of former San Francisco 49er, Forrest Blue, who was also diagnosed with CTE in on autopsy after years of battling Lewy body dementia.
Corboy & Demetrio has a leadership role in the consolidated lawsuits that have been filed against the NHL pending in Minneapolis, MN. The Chicago personal injury law firm was appointed by a federal judge to the Plaintiff’s Executive Committee in the multi district litigation.