Report: NHL player's brain had head trauma damage

By The Associated Press
Published: December 18, 2009

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NEW YORK --

Former NHL player Reggie Fleming, who died in July, had brain damage due to repeated head trauma, linking hockey for the first time to a condition usually found in boxers, the New York Times reported Friday.

Fleming, who spent 12 seasons in the National Hockey League, was found by Boston University researchers to have had Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, a disease that causes cognitive decline, behavioral abnormalities and ultimately dementia, the Times said. Fleming is the first hockey player known to have been tested for the disease, which was also found in several former National Football League players recently.

Deputy NHL commissioner Bill Daly told the Times the league would have no comment until it had a chance to review the report.