Hits to the head

[jonf]

To me, the idea of calling hits to the head is absolutely preposterous. I don't have any objection to the CHL rule because many of the players in the league are still considered minors...an extra level of protection is not out of line. However, in the NHL, players should have the common sense to keep their heads up, and be prepared for what's coming. The line between a clean shoulder check to the chest, and a clean shoulder check to the chest that catches just a tiny bit of chin (and can knock a guy out) is so minuscule that calling hits to the head will take a lot of the hitting out of the game.

Now, if we want to talk about making automatic suspensions for ILLEGAL hits that also result in hits to the head, then I'm all ears.

[Hacker]

Players are too big, too strong and too fast - the league has to protect them from themselves. It is only a matter of time until someone is very seriously injured or killed in the Pro game as a result of one of these predatory hits and when that day comes the game as we know it will be gone forever.

The NHL would be better served to take some gradual steps to curtail the probability of that happening now as opposed to waiting for D-Day and the drastic changes that will result.

[justsomeguy]

Believe it or not, but the purpose of a bodycheck is supposed to be to separate the man from the puck. That is the primary reason it exists in the game. It is NOT to separate the man's head from the rest of his body.

A shoulder check to the head without jumping is very rare in the NHL - they're all within 6 inches of each other in height so it just doesn't happen that often. In almost every case the checking player lifts his arms and explodes upward, and it is the hands, forearms and/or elbow that delivers the blow to the head. When you do that you are trying to injury someone, and that should not be condoned.

The safety of the players has to be your primary concern, and whenever there is a blow to the head a serious injury seems to be the inevitable result. The players on the ice are not just commodities - they are people and the league should treat them as such.

[jonf]

All it takes is for a guy to be leaning over staring at the ice for his head to be at shoulder level. That is how the majority of hits to the head happen. And, IMO, most do not result in serious injuries. However, the ones that do are replayed over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over......and over.








and over.