What Is The Theme Of Concussions In Rick Westhead's Finding Murph

“Finding Murph” written by Rick Westhead tells the story of Joe Murphy who struggled with addiction, homelessness, and mental illness upon the end of his hockey playing career. “Finding Murph” describes a vulnerable individual affected by some of the societal issues faced by many athletes upon ending their playing career. Joe Murphy’s story can be attributed to the long-term impact of multiple concussions and the toxic nature of the “tough guy” hockey culture. Through a strong narrative, Rick Westhead explains how multiple concussions and this toxic hockey culture forever altered Joe Murphy’s life and how we need to treat the issues with the utmost importance going forward. Rick Westhead focused the narrative of this book around concussion

Aside from the story of Murphy, we are also introduced to stories of former National Hockey League players who played through many repeated injuries. Stories like “Matt Johnson, a former enforcer with the Minnesota Wild who was homeless in Santa Monica, California. Johnson’s family explained Matt had become addicted to painkillers after being prescribed so many by NHL team doctors” (4). We are not introduced to the specifics of the injuries attained by Johnson; however, this highlights that it was more than just concussions. While concussions were oftentimes easy to overlook, “visible” injuries being played through on painkillers further highlights the toxicity of the culture in hockey. Playing through the pain or not being soft was preached by most in the hockey world, including perhaps one of the most recognizable faces in hockey, Don Cherry. Cherry was quoted as saying in 2011: “I can't believe the people today that are saying, 'Well, I've got a headache. I'm not going to play.' A headache? You know, back in my day, they'd say you're a sissy. You're weak. I had eight, 10 concussions myself and I didn't think anything of it” (Cherry

Westhead emphasizes that players in the National Hockey League were hesitant to report their injuries out of fear of being seen as weak. Hockey culture comes from the top down, and National Hockey League coaches are typically considered leaders in the room. Mike Babcock, a former head coach, was quoted as saying: “On our team, when someone is unconsciousness or dazed or looks like they’re supposed to go to—what do they call it?—the dark room or whatever, I mean some of these things aren’t even anything. They’re going to a dark room? I don’t quite get that” (7). When the so-called leaders of the hockey world, and subsequently the rest of hockey culture, fail to understand the simplicity of concussion protocols and healing processes, how do we ever expect this culture to be fixed? Change starts at the top, and we are far from that. To this day, hockey culture still prides themselves on toughing it out, regardless of knowing the long-term effects. Joe Murphy’s story is a powerful reminder of the significance and importance of addressing the risks of concussions and need for a cultural shift in player safety.
Institutional narrative power had a significant impact on the narrative surrounding Joe Murphy. The institutional narrative power in the book refers to the narrative constructed and portrayed by the National Hockey League, the media, and medical professionals, and how