Head hits are being addressed aggressively by the NHL and NFL. Here is the original link to the article below my 2 cents Paddy Miller.
My focus is to have USA Hockey and youth ice hockey organizations begin to change or continue to change youth ice hockey to better protect the players, our children. I am not saying USA Hockey isn't doing this. And I am not saying they aren't already making changes. I am saying more should be done around head-hits and dangerous hits in youth ice hockey. I believe parents need to get involved. Just because hockey is a physical sport, this idea can't be used to give passive permission for harmful hits.
Strong penalties are needed to prevent players from taking runs at players and hurting our kids. Checking should move a player off a puck, not pound a child into the boards or ice. There is something called self control. The disparity in size between 11 and 16 year olds should not be an advantage or disadvantage to children wanting to play hockey. In is not unusual for an 11 year old to weigh 70 pounds and a player 12 years old soon to turn 13 weigh 130 pounds. This advantage can not be allowed to go UNCHECKED. A good shoulder check is a good play. There is a difference. There is little protection to a 70 pound child getting hit by a 130 pound child. Or for a 75 pound child getting hit in the back by a 75 pound child. Strong penalties, beyond what is being used, will teach kids more quickly to check correctly. Thinking kids know how to check cleanly and regulate themselves is well... a bit naive. Adults need to be fully involved through the youth ice hockey years.
The NFL, the National Hockey League front office is attempting to curb dangerous hits to the head. There have already been a few instances this season in which questionable hits have been called more sternly, and the NHL is attempting to clear up a gray area in terms of open-ice hits.
We will see if both the NHL and NFL are successful in enforcing current defensive mentalities that are costing many players games lost due to head injuries.
The NHL in recent years has taken steps to curb two earlier problems with hard-hitting—charging and checking from behind. When a player leaves his feet to hit somebody or stride forcefully into a check, that is charging.
Most egregious aggressors are penalized with five minutes, a game misconduct, and face suspension. Checking from behind is exactly how it sounds. It still happens to this day but facing a five minute major, players are more mindful when they see opposing jersey numbers facing them.
The most recent example took place in a game on Sunday at Anaheim. Phoenix Coyotes captain Shane Doan, after losing the puck in the offensive zone, hit Ducks forward Dan Sexton in the neutral zone.
Problem being, Sexton did not have the puck for well over two seconds and began skating up the ice, focusing on the play. Doan immediately placed his shoulder into the face of unsuspecting Sexton dropping him to the ice.
The hit was late and dangerous, as Doan went high on the check. He did not lift an elbow, but he did place his shoulder into the chin of Sexton, sending him to the ice. Both attributes of that hit make it worthy for suspension, and the NHL responded suspending Doan for three games.
Hopefully this is a precedent-setting move made by the NHL disciplinary gods, parking a team’s captain for three games for an absolutely unnecessary hit.
In another incident this year, Chicago defenseman Nicklas Hjalmarsson checked Buffalo forward Jason Pominville from behind along the half-wall in the Chicago zone. Pominville was about to receive the puck, when Hjalmarsson drove Pominville’s head into the half-boards, leaving him motionless on the ice. Pominville is still listed as day-to-day with a concussion.
It was an easy five minute major and ejection call for the referees. Hjalmarsson would later be suspended for two games—another easy call, indeed.
However, when you strictly enforce these types of hits to the head, a gray area can appear. Much like appears in the NFL with open-field hits and roughing-the-passer calls. Given the speed of the NHL, referees can be left with difficult decisions on these types of hits.
In a game on Friday night featuring the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Islanders, Islander forward Blake Comeau streaked across the neutral zone and crossed the blue line, struggling to find the puck in his skates. Penguins defenseman Kris Letang came across from Comeau’s right and finished a strong open-ice hit.
The game referees would assess a five minute major and game misconduct to Letang for favoring a hit to the head of an opponent. Although upon review, the video replay showed otherwise.
Letang kept his shoulder low and struck the chest of Comeau. Comeau’s helmet would fly off during the hit adding some dramatic flair to the play. Comeau would also lay motionless on the ice for a bit of time, perhaps also to add dramatic flair.
The NHL would subsequently rescind the five-minute penalty and ticket to the locker room assessed to Letang. While this may be academic to the game itself, the game misconduct is expunged from Letang’s record if it were to come up in later disciplinary issues.
This gray area could lead to the outcomes of many games being altered during the course of the season due to an automatic five-minute major penalty. The Islanders would score on the ensuing power play, (Comeau would collect an assist on that goal) but the Penguins were able to escape with an overtime victory.
However, it looks as though the NHL is setting a strict precedent. Any hit deemed to be to the head of an opponent will be given a harsh infraction and will be examined for possible fine and suspension.
The NHL will now need to keep its promise if it is to protect players from concussions. Some of the biggest stars in the NHL like to hit in the open-ice, and hit very hard.
One of the biggest stars in the game, Alex Ovechkin plays a very reckless game and has already been suspended by the NHL on a previous occasion. The aforementioned Doan has always been a physical presence, and the most recent suspension levied by the NHL on him was justifiable.
The NHL and NFL will both look to curb these types of violent collisions this season and curb behaviors for the future. Given most recent actions, both entities feel suspending players over fines will send a much clearer message that if you attempt to injure an opponent, you will watching your team from a luxury box the next few games.
Dangerous hits have cost many NHL players countless man-games lost to injury, and the NHL beginning to take a hard-line against these dangerous infractions is a step in the right direction
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