Playing against pro competition in the IHL, Stefan averaged more than a point per game in 1998-99. Yet Stefan may not be selected first. In a game against the Houston Aeros on Nov. 27 he was belted near the crease and suffered a concussion and spinal injury that sidelined him for three months. Then, in a March 31 game against the Las Vegas Thunder, he accidentally collided with Thunder center Kevin Kaminski and sustained another, more severe concussion that ended his season. It's cause for alarm.
Concussions are unlike most other injuries because measuring their lingering effects is difficult.
Most doctors believe that each concussion makes the victim more vulnerable to incurring another one and that the danger of lasting debilitation increases each time the brain is slammed against the inside of the skull. Some scouts project that Stefan, the Central Scouting service's top-rated prospect, could slip to sixth or seventh in the draft. You can examine a knee, and a doctor can evaluate it. That's difficult to do with a concussion. It may be impossible for teams to test Stefan, anyhow.