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A group of former NFL players, including former Steelers Pro Bowl receiver Yancey Thigpen, have filed a lawsuit against Riddell Inc., saying that the equipment manufacturer did not warn them about long-term health risks that its helmets would not protect them from.The lawsuit, filed Thursday in Cook County Circuit Court in Chicago, argues that the players suffered personal and financial injuries because Riddell failed to warn them. The players are seeking more than $50,000 in damages and a jury trial.Thigpen, 46, played 10 years in the NFL from 1991 to 2000, including six with the Steelers. The other players who brought the lawsuit were?Gregory Boone, Larry Brinson, Michael Butler, Craig Curry, James Harrell, Willard Harrell, Robert Harris, Carlton Bailey Jones, Brad Quast, Thomas John Reaves, John Michael Reichenbach, Adam Schreiber and Eric Wright.The lawsuit was filed one week after Hall of Famer and former Heisman Trophy winner Paul Hornung also sued Riddell, arguing that the helmets did not protect him from brain injury.Hornung suffered multiple concussions as a running back for the Packers and has been diagnosed with dementia, the lawsuit says. It said that the neurodegenerative disease has been linked to repetitive head trauma.Concussion lawsuits from athletes have become more common in recent years amid growing awareness about the long-term consequences of repeated blows to the head, and Riddell is also fighting litigation elsewhere. Riddell began producing helmets out of plastic in 1939, touting them as safer alternatives to ones -- more common at the time -- fashioned from leather, according to Hornungs lawsuit.Riddell has successfully fought some litigation. A Los Angeles jury in 2014 found that Riddell wasnt liable for the severe brain injury of a high school football player who suffered a helmet-to-helmet hit during a game.Riddell, which provides helmets to every level of football -- from the pros to Pop Warner -- has said publicly previously that it has devoted enormous resources to developing equipment that can reduce the risk of a devastating head injury.Information from the Associated Press was used in this report. Renell Wren Womens Jersey . 9. Price, heading to the 2014 Olympics for Canada, was named the First Star after posting wins in three starts with a 1.00 goals-against average and a .971 save percentage. 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VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- The Vancouver Canucks try to burst the Oilers bubble -- and put some air back in their own -- when they host Edmonton on Friday night.The Oilers (6-1-0) are off to their best start to a National Hockey League season since 1985-86, when they won their first five games, and are riding a four-game win streak. On the other hand, the Canucks (4-2-1), are reeling from three straight losses after starting the campaign with four consecutive victories -- a feat that they had not matched since 1992-93.Clearly the Oilers, with sophomore sensation Connor McDavid, 19, leading the way offensively and as captain, have developed a new attitude after missing the playoffs for 10 straight seasons.I think (players) are believing now in their game and, thus, feeling more confident about it, Oilers coach Todd McLellan told reporters in Edmonton this week. Its each individual showing up with his toolkit and being ready to work, and thats where the confidence comes from, where the swagger, the wins come from. They dont just happen by accident. If you keep doing that, your belief system goes up and you believe you can come from behind and play with leads, and that is what we are working toward.The Oilers displayed some of their new belief Tuesday night as they broke open a tight game in the third period and thumped the Washington Capitals -- a team expected to contend for the Stanley Cup again this season -- 5-1 in Edmonton. The strong start is a good omen because history has shown that games lost at the beginning of the regular season can spell a teams downfall at the end. Now, the Oilers want to continue riding the winning wave.We have a lot of work to do but this start is huge for us, said winger Benoit Pouliot, who is in his third season with the Oilers. The last couple of years, we havent had great starts, and its tough to climb back. Now we just have to keep this going.Meanwhile, the Canucks, who were blanked 3-0 at home Tuesday by Ottawa, are looking to end a habit of slow starts. Despite the success in their first four games, the Canucks are struggling because of a lack of scoring. Averaging two goals per game, they have constantly been forced to try and play catch-up.Accordingly, the Canucks do not want to fall behind too early against McDavid and the rest of the potentially explosive Oilers.dddddddddddd.Thats a team we have to play tight against, Vancouver captain Henrik Sedin said. We know the speed they have. When they are up, they are going to keep coming at you. Its very important to get the first goal against those guys. It could open up a lot of room for us.Ultimately, the game could prove to be a depth test for both clubs. Although McDavid is in early contention for a league scoring title with four goals and seven assists, Edmonton has also been able to count on the likes of fellow forwards Leon Draisaitl, Jordan Eberle, Milan Lucic, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Pouliot.But the Canucks are searching for offensive consistency as highly touted free-agent signing Loui Eriksson continues to struggle. Eriksson, who signed a six-year deal worth $36 million, has yet to score a goal while playing wing on the top line with Henrik and Daniel Sedin -- and elsewhere at times, although he has four assists.In addition, a number of holdovers have been slow off the mark, and Vancouver is starting to run into some injury woes with veteran winger Alex Burrows sidelined with an undisclosed lower-body issue and defenseman Chris Tanev out with an ankle problem.The Canucks promoted winger Mike Zalewski from their AHL farm team in Utica, N.Y., on Thursday. But Zalewski, who has only one assist in five games with Utica, is not slated to play against the Oilers.He figures as a bottom-six forward who can also kill penalties, but lacks the offensive firepower that the Canucks need.Second-year winger Jake Virtanen, 19, is someone who could provide a spark, but has been used sparingly. Virtanen expressed some frustration this week about his intermittent activity, but has done little to suggest that he deserves more playing time. Coach Willie Desjardins is opposed to using him on the fourth line -- the only place where he might fit regularly at this point -- and wants to put him in situations where he can produce.However, Virtanen might not have to wait long for more action if the Canucks fail to put air back in their bubble soon. ' ' '