from David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune,

As part of an effort to continually enhance the league’s concussion assessment process, 12 NHL teams have begun using the King-Devick test developed by an Oak Brook entrepreneur as part of a pilot program.

Steve Devick’s company – King-Devick Test, Inc. – plans an announcement Friday in conjunction with NHL All-Star weekend. Devick considers the step another sign of progress for the rink-side concussion test, which involves players reading single-digit numbers displayed on flip cards or computer tablets during a two-minute exercise. The unidentified teams were asked by the league to participate in the program.

“This is significant because it shows hockey has taken some steps other leagues haven’t yet in regard to sideline concussion testing,’’ Devick told the Tribune over the phone.

The Mayo Clinic endorsed the procedure, which measures impairments of eye movement, speech, language and concentration in comparison to a preseason baseline score. More than 50 peer-reviewed published studies support the test as an accurate indicator of diminished brain function. The NFL partnered with the CFL, which used King-Devick last season, and a bigger commitment from the league remains a strong possibility in 2016.

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