The Manitoba Junior Hockey League announced on Tuesday that it has improved concussion safety by implementing concussion software which will facilitate a safer environment for players.

Steinbach Pistons trainer Jeff Eidse is excited to be using the program and details how it will affect him going forward. 

"Honestly, the program doesn't really change anything for us," says Eidse. "It's pretty much exactly what we've been doing as an organization. What it really does, is it standardizes everything. So, now when something happens on the bench, it makes things a little more collaborative. Information gets passed on way quicker from myself who would do the initial assessment to our team doctor and to the therapy centre we work with."

Team trainers can use HeadCheck’s mobile app to document suspected concussions, perform concussion assessments and transfer the information collected to medical professionals and partner clinics. The national program allows a player’s concussion history to transfer with them from team-to-team or league-to-league for more informed care.

Harrison Brown, Co-Founder of HeadCheck Health views this program and app as an excellent way to get all sports on all levels on the same page when it comes to concussion protocol. "I think we're a new type of product, we're not selling a new test or policy. We're making it easier for people to do what they should be doing. I think if we can get everyone on board with that and get them away from thinking we're trying to change what's happening, we can have a huge impact."

Brown continues on the issues that they've faced so far. "The biggest one we've come up against as sporting individuals is not that the policy is not good but that simply people don't follow them. You'll hear stories about coaches wanting players to get back in there or players wanting to play through because of scouts. Until this point, there's been no oversight. This changes that."

A big part of the program is that players from across Canada will be in a system already which helps when it comes to player movement, according to Eidse. "So when we get new players in, we don't have to put them through a baseline test. It'll be done at the start of the year. As soon as players get traded, that information is automatically sent between teams, including concussion history."

MJHL Commissioner Kim Davis views this move as terrific. "It's evolution on player safety. This particular area, as people involved in hockey would know, there's been a lot of focus and attention on concussion injury and situations at all levels of hockey. This is a continued focus. An evolution in the sense there's the use of technology to help teams and more specifically the medical staff to be more responsive to the treating and care of players if a player gets involved in a situation where a concussion does occur." 

Davis also notes that the response from trainers and athletic therapists has been quite positive. "It's been (received) very, very well. It's responsive rate at the time or shortly thereafter of a susceptive injury, so the amount of time that lapses is very shot. HeadcheckHealth is working with our medical people on each team to solve problems that may arise. It saves time, no paper involved and there are no stopwatches. It's a safe way to store information of the athletes. Overall, very positive."