Unsealed NHL documents in the concussion lawsuit brought by former players reveal a snapshot of an internal debate by league officials over head injuries and a deeper concern about the impact of fighting than what had been publicly shared.

In some emails, among the 298 documents recently declassified in the case by U.S. Magistrate Judge Janie Mayeron, Commissioner Gary Bettman’s tone comes across as defensive regarding criticism directed at the league for its handling of player safety and the fighting culture that has existed on the ice for decades.

Other exchanges, however, suggested an NHL leadership that’s conflicted over a complicated issue.

In a January 2009 exchange between senior vice president Colin Campbell and Canadian TV broadcast reporter Bob McKenzie, Campbell said he might go public with a recommendation that the NHL get rid of fighting or at least attempt to reduce it.

In a September 2011 thread between Bettman and Brendan Shanahan, who succeeded Campbell as the league’s disciplinarian, Bettman told Shanahan that his comments to CBC-TV revealing the league was scrutinizing fighting “went too far.” Bettman called the situation “sensitive territory,” citing the need to be “very careful.”

The material was obtained by The Associated Press from counsel for the plaintiffs and first reported by Canadian sports network TSN.

More than 100 former NHL players have joined the class-action lawsuit against the league, alleging it had the resources to better prevent head trauma, failed to properly warn players of such risks and promoted violent play that led to their injuries.

The plaintiffs’ primary request is medical monitoring for the roughly 4,800 living former players, plus additional unspecified relief. The 133-page master complaint is packed with anecdotes of former players suffering from a variety of neurodegenerative conditions they’ve tied to hits to the head they experienced on the ice.