Around the NHL: Steve Montador’s family sues league; Penguins’ Pascal Dupuis forced to retire

Even before the puck dropped for the nine games scheduled throughout the league, Tuesday was a busy day for the NHL.

The family of the late Steve Montador filed a lawsuit against the NHL in U.S. District Court in Illinois, alleging that the league failed to warn Montador that repetitive head trauma “can cause long term cognitive and mental health impairments.” Montador died Feb. 15, and an autopsy found that he had chronic traumatic encephalopathy, known as CTE.

The suit alleges that Montador, who played 571 NHL games -- including one season with the Ducks -- sustained at least 15 concussions that led to progressive brain damage. The suit says that four of those concussions occurred within three months, while he played for the Chicago Blackhawks. Here’s a link to the Chicago Tribune article, which includes comments from NHL executives and a copy of the lawsuit.

Also Tuesday:

--The league’s board of governors, meeting in Pebble Beach voted to eliminate compensation. The short-lived rule that provided for compensation was invoked when a team hired a coach or executive who had been fired but was still under contract. The new team was required to pay compensation in draft picks.

--The Pittsburgh Penguins announced that forward Pascal Dupuis will no longer play hockey because of the danger posed by blood clots he had developed.

Dupuis, 36, was diagnosed with blood clots early in 2014 and was placed on blood thinners. However, he had recently experienced problems that led him to be removed from games, and the team’s medical staff recommended that he not risk his long-term health by continuing to play.

With his family in mind, he agreed to step away from playing but will stay with the Penguins in a capacity that is yet to be determined.

--The NHL announced that it has named Steve Mayer as its executive vice president and executive producer for programming and creative development. He most recently worked at IMG Productions. He’s likely to assume some of the duties of John Collins, who recently resigned as the league’s chief operating officer.

Twitter: @helenenothelen