Lawyers for 60 former NHL players filing a concussion lawsuit against the league will reportedly not ask Toronto Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan to testify after all.

The players originally planned to ask a judge to subpoena the NHL's former Department of Player Safety chief, but that request has been withdrawn, TSN's Rick Westhead reports.

Shanahan said he would agree to testify if required to do so, but court documents reportedly show that the executive was not initially cooperative with lawyers for the former players.

The plaintiffs, including Bernie Nicholls, Joe Murphy, and Gary Leeman, are accusing the league of failing to acknowledge that head injuries suffered by NHL players put them at risk of long-term brain disorders.

The lawsuit was filed in November 2013, following the lead of nearly 4,500 former NFL players, who reached a landmark settlement with the league over concussion-related concerns.