I'm working on an injury report I'll have up here shortly, but one thing that struck me immediately is that Matt Cullen's absence is being describes as an illness, and not, you know, related to this.

Last week, Cullen quietly returned to the 'Canes lineup after missing two games, played just more than four minutes and, well, now he's inexplicably unwell:

Matt Cullen returned to the lineup Monday after missing two games while recovering from an open-ice hit that broke his nose.

Although he skated six shifts in the first period, he did not return after the first intermission....

"He's looked good the last two days," Laviolette said. "He skated [Monday] morning. He was fine. He got into the game today and just didn't feel well, still lingering effects from the hit."

I've brought this up before, in relation to Simon Gagne, but here it goes again: The measures that the NHL has taken to prevent concussed players from returning too early are not effective if the injuries are being misrepresented, played down or ignored entirely.

If it's the result of a hit, it's a concussion — not an illness. That's just not acceptable, and someone involved with the league or the PA needs to intervene.

Either Cullen had taken the baselines tests and passed before he played in this game, or he didn't take them at all. Gagne took one and passed before his initial return, and like Cullen, had to return to the sidelines.

Is the test not working, or not being used?

And if we're going to be serious about these injuries, enough with the euphemisms on the official injury reports.

UPDATE Colorado's Kurt Sauer is listed with a neck injury even though he's struggling with concussion symptoms.

UPDATE Edmonton prospect Tyler Spurgeon is listed with an "undisclosed" ailment, which turns out to be a concussion.