Hours before the Stanley Cup finals began, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman proudly proclaimed that concussions are down across the league and there are numbers to back him up. Corey Linsley Super Bowl Jersey . That does not mean the league has figured out how to prevent head injuries among its players. Or that the numbers tell the whole story. According to data from STATS provided to The Associated Press, there were 53 concussions during the regular season, a sharp decline from the 78 reported during the leagues last full season two years ago. But even Bettman said there is only so much the league can do about a player hiding a head injury to stay on the ice. "Obviously, its difficult for us to get into a players head, no pun intended, with this concussion discussion," he said. "But if a player is going to not follow the protocol, not say exactly what hes feeling, thats pretty difficult to address." Dr. Jeff Kutcher, an Ann Arbor, Michigan-based neurologist who works with NHL players believed to have concussions, wasnt sure the lower numbers indicated a dramatic change. "Im not surprised that the numbers are down, but I wouldnt read too much into those numbers," Kutcher said. The NHLs concussion protocol, like other leagues, requires players to get a team doctors OK before they can return to play. They are taken to a quiet place for evaluation, questions and tests of their memory, balance and general awareness. Players, though, seem to be able to skate around the protocol. Columbus Blue Jackets defenceman James Wisniewski said he avoided return-to-play protocol after he went head first into the boards during the playoffs. He wanted to keep playing. The Montreal Canadiens were criticized for letting forward Dale Weise return to Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals after a blindside hit sent him to the dressing room. General manager Marc Bergevin insisted the team did not know Weise had a concussion until the next day and that the leagues protocol was followed. "Its flawed, but Im not a doctor," Bergevin said. "We all worry about our players, but we can only go by what were given." Hockey Hall of Famer Brendan Shanahan, who was hired by the Toronto Maple Leafs to be their president two months ago after he was the NHLs chief disciplinarian, said it is good for the game that concussions are part of the conversation. "When there are situations like weve had in the playoffs, whether it is a hit to the head or mis-reporting, it gets put in the spotlight and it should," Shanahan said. "That is part of the continuing change of culture, and its going to be an ongoing process. I dont think there ever will be a perfect system because players are always going to want to play." The NHL Players Association says it has taken steps to educate its players about the dangers of concussions, including bringing doctors to each team before the season for discussions. "The players understand the seriousness of concussions, and along with our consulting doctors we continue to discuss with them the importance of early diagnosis, treatment and proper recovery," NHLPA executive director Don Fehr said. Detroit Red Wings forward Drew Miller said players choose to keep playing with head injuries for at least a few reasons. "Guys downplay the symptoms or dont report them because of job security and they dont want to lose their spot," Miller said. "And, guys want to keep playing because they want help their team. In the back of our minds, too, you dont want other teams to know you have a head injury." Retired players Dave Christian, Reed Larson and William Bennett filed a class-action suit nearly two months ago in federal court that alleged the league has promoted fighting and downplayed the risk of head injuries that come from it. They joined another group of former NHL players in the fight for compensation for head injuries they blame on a game that promotes hard-hitting action. Current players seem to be adapting to the NHLs emphasis on safer play: Physical penalties -- such as illegal checks to the head, checks from behind and elbowing -- have dropped in each of the last six regular seasons. An average of 1.03 physical penalties were called per game during the 2013-14 season, according to STATS, down from 1.14, 1.16, 1.25, 1.36 and 1.39 the previous five years. Suspensions have generally held steady at around 35 per season the past few years, and players are sometimes forced to sit even if no penalty is called. Montreals Brandon Prust wasnt penalized for a hit that broke the jaw of New York Rangers forward Derek Stepan during the Eastern Conference finals, but he was suspended for two games by the league. Stepan sat out one game after going through a series of tests. "The protocol helps make sure that the player is OK and that he is not playing with something that he shouldnt be," he said. "I think its a good step in the right direction." Ultimately, though, players have to protect themselves and each other. "It comes down to the guys on the ice respecting each other and playing it as safe as possible," Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Sharp said. "You see some of the big hits this year, inevitably youre going to catch a piece of the head and cause a problem, but the leagues done well with suspensions and penalties and the players have done a good job as far as the respect factor." Aaron Jones Super Bowl Jersey .com) - Roosevelt Jones had 19 points, seven rebounds and seven assists to lead No. Jason Spriggs Super Bowl Jersey . "Im excited just for a new start, just to see where things are going, to bring some kind of tradition back to the team and guys being excited about something new," the defensive back said during a conference call Monday after agreeing to stay with the Bombers rather than go to free agency next month.CARSON, Calif. -- Erick Torres gave Chivas USA an early lead and Gyasi Zardes pulled the Los Angeles Galaxy even before halftime, and the Southern California rivals played to a 1-1 tie Sunday in their final matches before Major League Soccers two-week World Cup break. The Galaxy (4-3-5), who had a 21-6 advantage in shots and held possession for 65 per cent of the game, have lost just once in the past 19 meetings, since dropping two in a row in 2007. Los Angeles leads the all-time series 21-4-8. "Not a good result for us," Los Angeles coach Bruce Arena said. "We squandered a few chances. ... There were chances for us to get a few more goals, and at the end of the day, thats the game. You could see we controlled the game for long periods of time, but youve got to get a goal. The goals were out there for us, and we didnt connect." The Galaxy are seventh in the Western Conference but have games in hand, as many as four, on all of their rivals. Chivas (2-7-5) is last in the West. "The players showed characcter," said Chivas coach Wilmer Cabrera, whose team has won just once in its past 13 games. Geronimo Allison Super Bowl Jersey. "With the ball, we made some possibilities. That was important for us. ... (This result) is going to help us with what we are going to do, but we are not happy unless we get three points." Torres scored his ninth goal of the season in the 20th minute, finishing a defence-splitting pass from Leandro Barrera, as Chivas took its first lead in the SuperClasico series since May 2012, its last victory, a span of six games. The goal was his 16th since he joined Chivas last July, giving him a share of the MLS record for Mexican-born players with former Chicago Fire star Cuauhtemoc Blanco. The Galaxy (4-3-5) nearly tied the score seven minutes later, but Chivas goalkeeper Dan Kennedy pushed Landon Donovans chip off the right post, then leaped across his goalmouth to snag Marcelo Sarvas header on the rebound. Zardes scored in the 35th minute, jumping above two defenders to head home a chip from Sarvas. ' ' '