The World Under-17 Hockey Challenge ended just under a month ago, but one question remains: Was Maddox Dagenais fit to represent Canada despite being diagnosed with concussion a few days earlier?
Dagenais, who represented Team Canada Rouge, suffered a concussion on October 27 against the Baie-Comeau Drakkar, just a few days before the start of the World Challenge which officially began on October 1is November.
Despite everything, the young man headed to Sarnia, where he played in all four games for Team Canada Red, finishing with an assist.
And some people who were present at the event admitted to not having recognized the first overall pick of the last QMJHL draft, on the ice.
“He was shuffled like a pack of cards,” a scout who was in the stands during the tournament told us, casting doubt on his state of health during the competition.
Especially since, since his return to Quebec almost three weeks ago, the young talent has not played a single match with the Remparts.
Not fit to play
According to what we learned, the Remparts actually diagnosed Dagenais with a concussion on October 27, which forced him to follow the concussion protocol.
The Remparts therefore kept him in Quebec to supervise the first three days of the protocol, before allowing him to join the Canadian team in Sarnia, where Hockey Canada undertook to continue the evaluation of Dagenais, according to the same protocol.
This is what was done and Dagenais did not participate in the preparatory meeting on 1is November against Sweden.
He subsequently obtained the green light from the national team doctors to return to play, even though he had experienced dizziness during exercise, we were told. However, he felt able to play.
“He never told us that he was experiencing concussion symptoms during the tournament,” assured his agent, Andrew Maloney, who does not believe that anyone acted wrongly in this story.
Photo provided by Hockey Canada
However, upon his return to Quebec, Dagenais told the Remparts staff that he felt headaches and fatigue. The Remparts immediately placed him on the bench and he has not played since.
“We intended to give him a break anyway, regardless,” admitted Remparts general manager Simon Gagné. But when he told us he had a headache and was tired, we didn’t take any chances. It showed in his face that he wasn’t doing well. I know what it’s like, having experienced it, and there is no risk to take,” added the man who suffered numerous concussions during his playing career.
Nothing to complain about
Gagné is also categorical: the Remparts have nothing to reproach themselves for.
“We are 110% confident that we did things the right way. I don’t blame anyone in this and it would be easy to point the finger at someone. For our part, we clearly said that it was a concussion and Hockey Canada was aware that the protocol was not completed.
Gagné, however, did not hide the fact that he quickly noticed that his colt was not in his right mood when he saw him play at the tournament.
“If we had to do it again, maybe we wouldn’t send it.”
Hockey Canada had still not returned our requests for clarification at the time of writing.
In Dagenais’ case, he is getting closer to a return to play. He will meet with a neurologist on Friday and could get the green light to return to action at the end of the week.
