I know it’s kind of facetious to think about but I do think many of the nastiest hits in hockey and football are because guys don’t have any fear of hurting themselves with the hits.

But fighting is an issue. How can the league have a department of player safety but then allow them to punch each other in the head. According to NHL stats only 3% or 4% of the approx 100 concussions this season were caused by fighting but why not eliminate an activity that is already illegal and save 3 or 4 more players from head trauma. If you combine fights with hockey hits, fighting makes up less than 1%. That means you are 3 or 4 times more likely to suffer a concussion from a fight versus a hit.

I am against fighting simply because I don’t believe that it belongs in the game. It takes away from the fast pace and artistry of the players and tarnishs the image of hockey. I’ve also written about the myths of momentum and policing, publishing studies and stats that disprove the claims of pro-fighting fans about why it needs to remain. But the health issue is big enough on it’s own to make the decision easy for the NHL.

http://itsnotpartofthegame.blogspot.ca/

If you played hockey you would know that most of these hits happen on the “trolley-tracks” and they have been told it’s the best place to be blown up.

NO
You don’t tell players not to hit them when the skate North and South
You do not tell players not to hit the guy with his head down.

You tell them to stop skating with their head down and skating North & South.

and btw “east and west?” east and west are when the nets are, it get what you’re trying to say, but you shouldn’t be the one saying it and you’re only partially correct.

Some will raise the notion that this would be unfair to bigger players as they would have more difficulty making legit shoulder hits on shorter players. I would submit that Zdeno Chara is as big as they come, routinely plays in international competition and I do not ever recall him getting ejected for a head shot.

This is what the NHL SHOULD do, but it won’t. It will keep on as it has been until there is another Masterton tragedy. Then it will mull the issue for a dozen or so years before doing anything as it did with the helmet mandate after Masterton was killed.

How many parents and insurance companies are going to continue spending money and allowing their children play a sport that some people are beginning to say?

Play, Concussion 1 , Concussion 2, Concussion 3, suicide

Instead, start with a basic 2 min penalty for head contact of any kind and consistently enforce it (I know, a lot to ask of this league). Good lord, you get two minutes for a puck over the glass. I think it would do a ton of good – because it is possible to be consistent in enforcing it, something that won’t happen if you rely on supplemental disciple, and because even short-sighted players know they shouldn’t be taking penalties.

This policy doesn’t mean you can’t have supplemental discipline, depending on the hit; it just eliminates what is a huge gray area and ensure that ALL head contact is punished in some way, if only for 2 min in the box. The players know its never okay – and enough with the excuses.

If a guy is headhunting, throw him out, if a guy throws a check, and makes contact with the head unintentionally, 2 mins –control yourself just like you do with your stick. Just because you didn’t mean to hit him in the face with your blade doesnt make it ok.

Also, ban cars. Lots of accidents. And bikes, surfing, jet skis, skateboards, snow skis, guns of any sort, boxing, mma, wwe, football, motorcycles.

Kids can all just hang out at the mall or play video games. Man life will be great.

Rule 48 can be enforced better but the one thing that will reduce head hits would be making it illegal to have your hands high when you hit.