The worst part of the season. (Photo Credit: SinBin.vegas Photographer Brandon Andreasen)

As the Golden Knights prepare for tonight’s game against the Penguins, I wanted to bring attention to an excellent article written by Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Mackey spoke with former Penguin and current New Jersey Devil Ben Lovejoy about his decision to donate his brain to Boston University’s Concussion Legacy Foundation.

This brain donation is my way of giving back to the sport of hockey. To help research, to help awareness, to push for a cure for CTE and concussions and make this game a smarter, better place. -Ben Lovejoy

It’s a step in the right decision for an athlete to recognize the threat of brain injuries. Hockey is a contact sport with brutal hits and dangerous collisions. Vegas watched first-hand after Marc-Andre Fleury missed two months of action with post-concussion symptoms. Lovejoy witnessed former Pittsburgh teammates Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang, and Fleury all suffer major concussions.

A ton of people have made impressions on me, but yes, those guys were definitely a part of it. -Lovejoy

Each player spent significant time off the ice with concussion symptoms. CTE is typically not a topic players like to talk about, but Lovejoy refuses to ignore it.

Upon the 33-year-old defenseman’s death, Lovejoy’s brain will go to the Concussion Legacy Foundation’s brain bank at Boston University. Lovejoy became interested in the idea over the summer, when he read an article about NFL players donating their brains for concussion research and wondered why no hockey players were doing it. -Jason Mackey

The NHL is lucky to have a leader like Lovejoy in their league. Unlike the NFL and other leagues, he doesn’t ignore the truth of the potential dangers playing contact sports. The 2016 Stanley Cup champion made his decision public in early December, doing his part to help the safety of future players.

This game has been awesome to me, it’s given me everything. It’s gotten me into schools that I probably shouldn’t have qualified for. It’s given me an amazing living for 11 years now. It’s changed my life. I’m so lucky that I’ve been a part of it. -Lovejoy

Donating to the brain bank, Lovejoy is hoping researchers will find a cure for head-contact related injuries. Tip of the cap to the 33-year-old defenseman. Hopefully, CTE will be cured well before his donation.