@Justin – another good suggestion…instead of manufacturing armor, could they go back to making and marketing pads like Chelios used to wear? In a perfect world, that probably is the way to go. Guys fly around out there thinking that they’re invincible because of these durable, lightweight materials. Raise their caution level a bit, see if that helps. It certainly can’t hurt.

I think they should do both of the above. Be really aggressive, as the NFL is. Tell the players “this is the way it will be”. Learn it, or go play in Russia.

Thanks to all for reading & leaving your thoughts!

The argument of the player making $5 million a year and deciding to put himself in the line of fire is absurd, I think it was Milbury that mentioned something similar to it earlier in the year.

What if they (NHL etc) took away protective gear? Would players play more reserved?

Cheers man,
Justin
@hockeycardshow

I don’t know if anyone is entirely against hitting. I think most people will tell you that they want hard-nosed hockey, but without the headshots. Maybe it’s a pipe-dream.

I think the fact that a giant like Chara hasn’t already squished a small player like Gionta speaks volumes. Chara could probably wipe him off the planet any time he wants, but he doesn’t. Chara can be as brutal as anyone but I believe (perhaps naively) that Chara is thinking out on the ice, and shows respect & restraint. There have been big variations in player sizes for decades. Why only now are we seeing incident after incident, with worse and worse results? If players and equipment continue to evolve in the direction that they have over the past 20 years, it’s likely that someone will die within the next few seasons as a result of a hit.

To me, every hit to the head needs to be met with a suspension, legal or not. Players have to learn that they will be held accountable. The other thing that has to happen is a re-education of coaches and players, starting in the youngest levels of hockey. The idea of blasting a guy in to kingdom come has to be tempered. This will also be met with resistance from the camp that believes in the intimidation factor; that a player should have to think twice before crossing the middle of the ice.

It’s absurd to me that the hockey establishment shrugs and yells at players to keep their head up, and to stop admiring their passes lest they be decapitated. Are they so stubborn and averse to change that they can’t wrap their heads around the fact that someone will die? What then? Hockey fans clamor for more coverage in the US from ESPN, etc.; well if a player dies on the ice, you can be sure that hockey will get more attention than it ever wanted, for an issue it has the power and duty to fix.

For as many good PR articles as hockey gets, it has its fair share of negative ones like this. It’s too easy for players to miss half a year in their last season in junior. That’s not a punishment as much as it is time off. Totally with you on this – other leagues should uphold suspensions/decisions.

My biggest fear is that players who throw bigger hits will be afraid to throw a check, just because of the what-if factor that the receiving player gets hurt (accidentally, of course) and then he receives his reputation as a head hunter?

Point is, the worst thing is happening. Headshots are being examined on a case-by-case basis. To make matters worse, injury is heavily factored in. But my question to you is, is there any other alternative?

If a clean check by Zdeno Chara is layed down apon a smaller player, for instance Brian Gionta, would you believe for a second that it warrants a second look? Is it even possible for Chara to not hit Gionta in the head with a check? What happens if Gionta get’s his lights clocked out and has a sever concussion or worse?

Every hit to the head has to be looked at, because you can’t have a general rule with something like headshots. The reason is simple, there are other factors which can cause an injury to the head; what the receiving player does before the hit, putting himself in a vulnerable position, putting his head down at the last second, turning his back to the boards while the hitter is committed with no opportunity to abort and yes, size difference in players.

How do you deal with all that? I understand incidents like this can be totally avoided, and this shouldn’t have happened because Cormier decided to step outside the ethical boundries of professional hockey. What’s my solution? Simple, and I think it would be effective too; have all leagues that are professional or educational respect one anothers suspensions or implement a governing board which can implement suspensions across all levels of hockey.

That way, Cormier can never play again. Or in Russia, if they want him.