"Hockey purists have taken to inventing reasons not to watch the NHL All-Star Game, yet there is a curious reason to pay attention to the exhibition today at Scotiabank Place.

"There is not hitting in a game like this," said Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Dion Phaneuf.

That does not guarantee the players won't sustain an injury, specifically a concussion, but it's the closest the NHL can come to ensuring player safety.

There certainly was no guarantee in the season's first half.

Seventy-two players missed at least one game because of a concussion or concussion-like symptoms. That's an average of 2.4 players for each of the NHL's 30 clubs, which have 23-man rosters.

The problem has grown bigger than Penguins center Sidney Crosby, the face of the NHL who has played in only eight games since Jan. 6, 2011, because of lingering concussion symptoms."