The NHL season has started off with memories of last year being a good one, with the bruins taking it to game seven and beating the
Canucks at home. The Vancouver riots overshadowed that a bit but there was something else that also hung over the league: head shots. Especially one specific indecent, losing Sidney Crosby, a blow to the
NHL's popularity as well as it's violent culture. And then, in the Stanley cup finals, Horton was completely leveled on an unbelievably late hit by Aaron Rome which knocked him out of the series. Sure, blindside hits were banned for the first time that season, and Rome was kicked out of the playoffs, he said that he'd hit him the same way again. He says that it's unfair to not charge other players for hits, but deal out a suspension to him. This could be fair in some peoples eyes, but to me, there can never be change if people use this as an excuse.
With more and more health officials talking about the dangers of head injuries, we come to the same question as is the title, When will there be a real change? Will this season be different? How can you tell?
In some ways, it is to early to tell, but there is a probability that maybe it will. An new update to rule 48, the relatively new rule banning blind-side shots, states that any intentional hits to the head will be ruled as a two minute major, with possible disciplinary action. This may just be the next step, but some activists say the league should go farther and ban any type of head contact, on purpose or accidental.
Some players may not like this rule, but they have to realize, it's for them.
Some information from Toronto Star and Sports Illustrated.
I agree with the need to remove all head-shots, but what do you think will happen to other types of hits? Keith Ballard got a penalty for his recent hip-check against Henrik Zetterberg even though it did not target the head. Some people are saying that since high hits are being outlawed, players will overcompensate with really low hits like that one. Should these also be punished?
ReplyDeleteWhat about fighting? I don't really care if they take it out of the game because I don't watch hockey for the fights, but some people are complaining that the recent crackdown against head-shots will lead to eventual outlawing of fighting as well.