I hate when laws are made by people that aren’t even affected by the law. You’ll hear about lawmakers making the decision to go to war, but it’s never their kids that go over seas. It’s like your boss making a decision that effects a part of your job that you deal with everyday—but it’s something that they have NO idea what they’re talking about. No one thinks to ask YOU what might be the best course of action. It’s your boss’s boss working on your review, when they interact with you once or twice a month. They’re out of their element.
I have to hand it to the NHL for at least asking the right people about a possible rule change for next season. At the General Managers meeting in Florida today, NHLPA union chief Paul Kelly has the players leading the GMs when it comes to shots to the head. If anyone should have a say on this matter, it’s definitely the players. According to reports out of Canada:
“He would like referees to have the option of handing out a minor, major or match penalty to players that ‘intentionally or recklessly’ target the head of another player.” –sportsnet.ca
At least the players union is ambitious on this one! “Intentional, reckless hits to the head” leaves a lot of room for interpretation for the referee in the middle of an incredibly fast game.
We all know that hockey is a fast paced game that has an element of violence. This proposed rule change has the potential to take out off of the hard hits that make the game one of the best experiences to witness in person. My fear is that this rule takes any accountability away from the player being hit. Anyone that has ever played hockey knows that one of the cardinal rules is, “keep your head up.” When you have the puck, you’re going to get hit. Hockey players know what actions will put them in a vulnerable position and which ones will not. Under these proposed rules, skating with your head down (usually bent over) and someone delivers a normal check; it very likely would be a penalty (and even a suspension).
Of course, hits to the head have been an ongoing issue all season. The hits that need to be punished more severely are the ones that have nothing to do with the game. Take these two examples as penalties that the league SHOULD be focused on:
Neither of these hits have anything to do with a regular hockey play. Witt wasn’t even going to make contact with Hagman until he stuck his elbow out to make contact with Hagman’s chin. It’s a deliberate headshot that should have been penalized much more than only 5 games. There’s no argument whatsoever that could explain how Hagman had any idea this was coming.
Corey Perry’s hit on Claude Giroux is not a hockey play—it’s a flying elbow from behind. If the league or the players association ever wants to include the verbiage “premeditated,” this would be Exhibit A. Perry chases Giroux from behind and makes the conscience decision to make contact with his head. I still have no idea how he was only given a 4 game suspension for a deliberate elbow to the back of someone’s head. These are the kind of plays that should be permanently banned from hockey!
The head shots that received the most publicity this season have come from Denis Gauthier. Twice he has been suspended for making contact with an opponent’s head, yet both demonstrated very different penalties. His elbow to the face of Josh Gorges obviously warranted a suspension. If they want to ban this conduct from the league, this is the kind of play they are probably going after. Unlike Witt’s and Perry’s transgressions, Gauthier’s hit on Gorges was within the context of the game. While he was delivering a check, he got his elbow up and left his feet. Clearly, that should always be a penalty.
Chara is so tall, every body check he throws could be a potential penalty!
The second suspension he received in a game against the San Jose Sharks is the specific type of play that I have issue with. We’ve already discussed it here, but under the new rule being proposed by the players association, Patrick Marleau would have no responsibility for his own actions here. How can a player pull back in mid-check when an opponent reaches forward and puts himself in a vulnerable position?
I know that we all want to protect the players here, but I think we need to be careful what we ask for. This proposal very well could be a slippery slope that starts the NHL down a path that no one wants. Checking is a part of hockey at every level, from pee-wee all the way to the NHL. Likewise, learning how to take a check and protect yourself is something taught from the time players learn to make contact.
If protection and safety are such important issues, why aren’t players penalized when they put themselves in a vulnerable position? They’ll just keep doing it, knowing if the defender makes contact with them, there will be a penalty. Hell, if safety is the most important thing, then why are visors still optional? Come to think of it, why aren’t players forced to use FULL shields like they use in minor and college hockey?
The truth is that this is as much about publicity as it is about safety. The league openly stated they were going to crack down on shots to the head this season, only to watch the number of incidents seemingly go up. Regardless whether this is a good rule or not, I’m confident it will be approved because of the perceived violence in hockey. Just like fighting will be banned in a few years because of outsiders who only report on hockey when they choose to bash the sport, shots to the head bring too much negative attention from a national media that routinely ignores it on a day-to-day basis.
For once, I hope the league doesn’t give the players what they want. The fact that this news made its way to the media just FEELS like a publicity move. Safety is one thing, but taking accountability for one’s actions is something completely different. I love hockey—and I don’t want my product watered down to appease people who won’t watch anyway. That doesn’t make me a traditionalist, it doesn’t make me someone who resists change—it makes me a fan.
Matt Reitz is the Editor-In-Chief here at ViewFromMySeats.com and former NHL Writer for ProHockeyTalk on NBCSports. When he’s not shoving a mic in the face of NHLers or explaining why home teams should wear white, he’s usually trying to figure out what song to play next on his iPod. It’s a never-ending job.
