Played football, hockey and yes ran over a couple catchers playing hard ball too!
I was what they called a "Hitter!" You can hit with your shoulder, your hip, your elbow and yes even your head...ya want hurt someone in Rugby hit him with your head, no headgear!
I can seperate you from the puck with a good shoulder check to the body, knock you flying with a solid legal hip check, break all your ribs with an elbow...I can choose to hit you in the head or not hit you in the head and yes I have been on the ice at NHL speed.
Any Palooka that thinks he has to leave his feet to hurt a player (knock him out of the game) in the Neutral Zone or at the Blue Line is either undersized or he doesn't know how to hit!
So enough already, there are enough concussions from legal hits...let's take the "Head Shots!" and the "Head Hunters!" out of the game.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
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Agreed, let's also recognize hits to vulanerable players as being what they are, predatory. Checking wasn;t included into the game in an effort to inure the opponant, it was included as a means of controlling their progress and control of the puck. I love a good clean hit, even the ones that can cause injury, but I don;t liike the hits that are made to cause injury, and we all know the differense.
ReplyDeleteThe fact is, if things don't change, one of these days, as a rabid hockey watcher, I will see someone die on the ice due to a predatory hit...and when I do, all bets are off.
GN
GN
ReplyDeleteI concur also, a good solid hit is almost as satisfying as scoring a goal and can change the momentum of the game. But we have had the serious warnings...we gotta do something "Now!"
Take that hit by Neil on Hedman tonight for example. Quite a momentum shifter. Nothing wrong with that. Hope he's alright none-the-less.
ReplyDeleteI do think a guy should ease up on a shoulder to the head out of respect if nothing else. A hard rule to enforce though without changing the game quite a bit.
And watch all the guys putting their heads down to draw penalties if they made it a rule. I'm sure that guys turn their backs on a hitter regularly to get penalties.
There has to be some evidence of intent if head shots are penalized. Almost impossible to judge during a game, and still pretty damn hard on replays.
Oman:
ReplyDeleteThe players know.
NHLPA...your peers...1 hitter; 1 pussy, 2 Captains and 1 Black Ace...anywhere from a Grand to $25,000.00...a simple majority secret ballot!