Combine the speed, physicality and collisions of professional hockey with the inescapable frailties of the human body and injuries are bound to occur. But what happens when those injuries are serious enough to end a promising career?
Insurance Coverage for NHL Players/Professional Hockey Players
Professional hockey players are famous for incurring injuries that would put the average man on his back for weeks. However, due to their training and the outstanding physical shape they keep themselves in, more often than not they are able to return to the ice in time for the next shift. However, serious injuries and illnesses can end hockey careers in a heartbeat. Below is a list of actual career ending injuries.
- A pro player was struck in the head by a puck, fracturing his skull. He recovered only to sustain a concussion, thus ending his career.
- A progressive skin disorder forced a player to sit out an entire season.
- A player got blindsided by a sucker punch, and sustained a serious spinal neck injury and a concussion. That ended his hockey career.
- The sheer force of being checked along the boards detached a player’s retina. There was no returning after that.
- An auto-immune disease diagnosis forced a seasoned pro into early retirement.
- Serious nerve damage ended an up-and-coming rookie’s career during training camp. He was forced to retire.
- A notoriously tough player had to quit the game after he was diagnosed with a degenerative knee condition.
Like any established professional athlete or up-and-coming young player, the rewards of playing at the highest levels are significant, as are the losses to income and lifestyle when significant injuries or illnesses occur. That’s why it’s so important for the professional hockey player, his agent and his team’s management to do whatever it takes to protect the player’s interests. Since, by the nature of the game, injuries are sometimes unavoidable, the best way to do this is with disability insurance products that protect the financial and time investment of NHL players and their management in the event of lost time due to significant injury or career-ending physical or mental impairment.
Choosing the right disability insurance for professional athletes
There are a number of insurance products that act to protect the interests of the insured in the event of catastrophic injury. These include:
Permanent Total Disability — Benefits are paid when an injury prevents the NHL player from ever returning to the ice. Also known as “career ending” insurance.
Loss of Value — This coverage provides financial protection against the loss of value in the player’s contract if he is playing out the final season of his contract before free agency.
Besides playing hard for their next contract, professional athletes and young players with futures in the NHL need to take into account the possibility that their playing careers could be over in a flash. It’s scary to think about, and many will never let such a negative thought enter their head, but the fact is: whether you’re an athlete, an agent or legal representative, or part of team management, having the proper protection in place to safeguard a playing career(s) and/or your investment is a no-brainer.
SEI Sports Group can help
The SEI Sports Group can customize affordable disability policies to meet the needs of hockey players and other athletes in professional sports.
