I’m all for it – hand out the season suspension if you’ve decided that these fast hard hits need to be clamped down on – just do it for every player who delivers the same hit, no matter if there is an injury caused or not. It’ll never happen because hockey would be ruined. We’ll continue to punish based on injury, players who have done nothing more wrong than another player doing the same thing will get banned for a season/life, purely because he doesn’t check if the guy he’s hitting has his helmet strapped correctly.

Same with hits to the head – dish out a 20-game suspension for a deliberate hit to the head, and you’ll eliminate 95% of them. Dish out 2 games, and you’re not doing a thing. Only give a 20-game suspension if you hospitalize the opponent, and I’m sorry, but you’re not doing a thing to stop these hits.

@All_Habs re my comment [link to post], new rules need to be set Now! Liambis has been trained to do that @kyleroussel @beezee05

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@kyleroussel #FF. For great hockey insight.Check out his latest contribution to nhldigest.com here. [link to post]

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The object of hockey is to separate the man from the puck. Not the man’s head from his body. Tough, hard hitting hockey does not need to involve damaging hits to the head. As the expression goes, play the man, not the puck. But we’re going in the direction of playing the head not the puck.

Someone needs to step in, take a stand and attempt to strongly encourage if not mandate protection of the players from themselves. I can’t help but see a parallel between the situation that we’re seeing evolving with head-shots (not that this particular hit was one) and the Formula One world and the fall-out after Ayrton Senna was killed in 1994. Circuits were immediately modified by re-profiling corners and installing temporary chicanes. Changes to the cars were introduced to slow the cars down. Many of these changes were not popular with the drivers. The point I’m getting to is that back then the governing body stated that they didn’t expect the drivers to be in favour of the changes. If the drivers were given access to 2 cars. One fast but unsafe and one that was a little safer but marginally slower, the drivers would always choose the former.

The problem here is that there is no governing body strong enough and willing to legislate change and eliminate head shots. The Bettmans, Campbells, Clarkes and Burkes certainly won’t. None of the players seem to be willing to take a chance. So the mayhem and carnage will continue….until someone dies. And someone will. Some grass roots education will be necessary. But it must be done.

http://www.tsn.ca/columnists/bob_mckenzie/?id=297242

@Chris – you’re right, players are doing what they’re trained to do. The question now needs to become “is what’s being taught and coached and preached still relevant and necessary for good hard hockey?”

That’s a difficult question and one that will have passionate debaters on both sides.

safety of players should come 1st in hockey RT @kyleroussel: @nhldigest @cnadeau @anadeau Let’s the firestorm begin! [link to post]

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RT @cnadeau: safety of players should come 1st in hockey RT @kyleroussel: Let’s the firestorm begin! [link to post] – good points guys

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