Suffice it to say they’re trying to categorize and somehow regulate shots to the head. This will be like the “foot in the crease” rule in my opinion. We have guys getting hit in the numbers and at risk for paralysis all the time and the whistle is mothballed.
But a short player’s shoulder goes into a guys head, or a defensemen’s chest in the head of a munchkin like Martin St. Louis or Phil Kessel; or a guy gets rattled in open ice and has whip-lash; or a guy falls while he is being hit and the shoulder meets the head… and… then what? Suspension? 5 minute major? We’re getting a bit ridiculous and trying to qualify a head shot is going to be a convoluted mess. Worse, it may stop open ice hitting and maybe the physicality of the game altogether.
Players are going to get hit. Guys heads are going snap forward and back from the inertia of a hit and it may have nothing to do with a direct hit to the head. Will he be out cold? Uh, yea. Should there be a penalty? Abso-fricken-lutely not.
The hit on Savard from Cooke is one of those odd situations. Savard was in the process of taking a shot and in the motion of “hunkering down” on a follow-though. Cooke, who was already in motion for an open-ice check clipped his head. There was no way, in my opinion for Cooke to abruptly halt his momentum and stop himself from hitting Savard. To send a message, perhaps a 5 minute major and then review it afterward. So many of these hits need to be handled case by case. In a sport where a quarter inch wedgie in a guys trousers can be zoomed in on by 20 cameras, the NHL needs to avoid being reactive, in their ATTEMPT to be proactive. If that makes any sense...
The best comment though was Paul Holmgren saying with deadpan seriousness, “We’re all trying to get ahead on this topic.” Ummm…. Ok. Sorry... I had to go there.
Not one thing was said in these 8 gazillion meetings about how players are going back to bad habbits and slamming guys in the numbers making them launch head-first into the boards. Ill take a concussion over paralysis any day, folks.
A little perspective here, please from our braintrust in the NHL. And preferably BEFORE they dip into the sauce and get to the podium.
The GM's actually did discuss other items that are relevant.
• Goaltender equipment and its significance on both safety and consumption of net area.
• Procedures/algorithm for next seasons draft (yawn)
• Collective bargaining transfers from European league players (yawn)
• Attendance, ice operations and rule changes
• The GMs plan to review emergency medical procedures and standards in the wake of former Rangers prospect Alexei Cherepanov's death last week while playing for Avangard Omsk of Russia's Kontinental Hockey League.
NOTES: A win for the New York Rangers tonight can put them within two points of Boston the 8th spot in the East. They play the Devils at 7pm tonight. As I said in my previous article, the Flames got their auxiliary scoring and leapfrogged Detroit for the 8th place out west. What a great time for hockey!
Gotta disagree a bit with the premise -- Cooke could have targeted anywhere on Savard, yet he intentionally went for the head. It's always he same culprits doing this kind of hit -- if it were impossible to make the decision as a "hitter" whether to hit the head or pull up or whatever, then it would be even more widespread because nobody could control their hits, but it's not.... it's the same players, and I believe there is a way to stop this without "taking hitting out of the game" as some always fire back.
ReplyDeletesorry rat but i totally agree with bill h. cooke is a fucking goon. hes a punk and the fact he didnt sit for any of that garbage after all he has done is fucking bullshit. if you ask me the moonbats arent the gm's its the off ice officials. someone needs to pound the salty blood out of cooke! hes an asshole.
ReplyDelete