The “Larry Ashley” Award - 2006

In dedication to the memory of the late Vancouver Canuck Trainer, the Larry Ashley Award for the humanitarian of the year 2006 is Dr. David Brooks.

The award is presented annually to a member of the Trainers, Equipment managers and Medical profession that assist with Hockey in BC, with having been an important part of the game for many years, they are men and women who perform this service without any remuneration, and with little recognition outside the arena.

He became involved with hockey in BC while practicing family medicine locums in the New Westminster area in the mid 1980’s, a civilian GP in West Germany with the Canadian Forces, a family practitioner in North Vancouver from 1989 to 1997 and moved to Summerland BC in 1997 as a sports medicine doctor. He is the team doctor for several hockey teams including the Penticton Vees of the BCHL, the Summerland Sting of the KIJHL and also consults to the Kelowna Rockets on concussion issues. He acts as the primary physician, both sports and family practice problems to the Okanagan Hockey Academy players who come from worldwide to study and play with the Academy.

In 1991 Dr. Brooks joined the American College of Sports Medicine and 1999 he became a member of the Canadian Academy of Sport Medicine Ice Hockey Injuries committee specializing in concussions. He began work on his Master’s degree in Sports Medicine in 1999 and successfully completed his Graduate Certificate in Sports Medicine in 2001 as well as being awarded the CASM Research Award along with the NHL Team Physicians Research Award in 2004 to allow him to continue his study of young hockey players who suffer concussions.

Dr. Brooks also became involved in the debate on age of introduction of body checking. He tried to present a balanced picture that was based on fact rather than emotion and anecdotes. He was widely interviewed by the media on the controversies of this issue.

Dr. Brooks was one of the first sports clinicians in Canada to start using computerized neuropsychological testing for assessment of concussed athletes. Each year he performs baseline (beginning of the season) testing of over 300 young hockey players. Because of his research activity and grant he entered all the 2004 / 05 Penticton and Summerland Pee Wee rep players to be followed through their entire minor hockey career if possible to determine numbers of concussions and see if any changes occur in brain function. Dr. Brooks is donating his time and services for all players in this study.