Players say yes, Bettman says no. As the players, and you'll get one answer. Both sides expressed concern about the injury situation at news conferences on Friday prior to Saturday night's NHL All-Star Game. But the players seem to think it's more serious than the NHL does.
Players are bigger, faster, stronger.
The rinks are the same size. The frequency of contact and the violent acts out there is increasing. It's speed and strength, and purely accidental, but people have been seriously hurt because of it. Coffey when he hit Lindros is one example I can give you. According to Bettman, the league has lost approximately 1,850 man games to injury at roughly the midpoint of the season.