Friday 11 March 2011
Hits to the Head (Max Pacioretty Injury)
There has been a tremendous amount of discussion recently regarding hits to the head in the NHL. This has been fueled by a media which is all too pleased to show clips over and over again of a player being injured.
Injuries in hockey are not a new concept. They have always been there and will continue to be there. Hockey is a full contact sport. Just like football, rugby or lacrosse. Is their a higher proportion of injuries in the NHL as compared to the NHL. I don't really know but I would suggest that they are most likely similar with the NFL possibly even higher. Its not very often I watch a football game and don't see a player leave the field at some point due to being injured.
The injury Max Pacioretty of the Montreal Canadiens suffered the offer night was quite severe. Yes I feel for the young guy. But there is an implied consent given by every player that steps on the ice. The reality of possible injury is present and ever player knows this. This is why you will not often see cases of injuries on the ice prosecuted by criminal courts. The player who caused the injury has to do something really extraordinary for it to qualify as a criminal offence. The act must be something not generally acceptable within the game. The hit Chara put on Pacioretty hardly qualifies. The fact that the Montreal Police are investigating this issue to me is insane. It is an attempt to placate the Montreal public. The outcry has been so large that the police feel they need to do something for fear of more riots like in years passed. One thing we know for sure is that French Canadians are passionate about their hockey.
Should the league crack down on hits to the head? Yes. I don't think there is anyone that would disagree with that statement. Should hitting be taken out of the game? Should fighting be taken out of the game? No, I don't believe so. Then it is not the same game. There are many things that can be done which will not drastically affect the game that we all so much love. New developments in equipment. Pads, helmets etc, are being design which will hopefully better protect players. Rule changes. Stiffer penalties for gross misconduct. Abolishment of the touch icing rule. A specific penalty for hitting players from behind. More education among players. Most professional hockey players are not out there to deliberately injure someone. They are reasonable people just like everyone else. Give them some training on how to check safely. When to and when not to check someone.
These ideas are not rocket science, but, for whatever reason the NHL has failed to implement any of these strategies. Yes the injure to Pacioretty was gruesome and I wish him all the best in his recovery. Was it committed with intended malice? I don't think so. Lets let the players play hockey and leave the courts out of it.
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2 comments:
Lee I’m taking you on in this debate. The Bruins defenceman Zdeno Chara is being investigated by the Montreal Police for the viscous check on Montreal Canadians forward Max Pacioretty, and rightly so.
The check:
When Chara initially checked Pacioretty into the boards it appeared to be a clean hit. Just like a thousand other hits we have all seen in hockey in and out of the NHL. But then Chara crossed the line. It is so obvious that I wonder if Lee and Bettman were actually looking at the same replay that I observed.
The primary hit:
The check into the boards. This was a clean hard hit. Pacioretty then began bending over and going down onto the ice. In my opinion this is not at issue. Pacioretty has enough padding and should easily get up and skate away.
The secondary hit:
This hit came with no provocation and in no way was part of the original check. As Pacioretty was going down Chara deliberately extended (this was in no way an accident) his left arm and shoved Pacioretty’s head into the stanchion (pillar) dividing the players benches. If Chara had not extended his arm as a secondary punitive gesture we would not be having this conversation.
The argument
Chara’s secondary movement of the arm was not part of the original check. Pacioretty was on his way down.The arm movement was unnecessary and uncalled for. Chara have a nice day in court.
cont'd
As usual, Bettman sticks his head in the sand. He tells us that the NHL has decided the check was clean and legal.
Gary Bettman the arrogant all knowing and all wise has finally learned to keep his mouth shut. He’s no longer going around and telling police to mind their own business and stay out of the pathetic NHL discipline system. He has come to realize that the police really don’t bow down to the exalted NHL president Bettman. Gary has finally woken up to the fact that he is the head of the NHL and not the world. The overwhelming population in the world have never heard of the NHL let alone know who is in charge. And I guess Gary has come to realize it by now that the police don’t care about his standing. We are all governed by the same laws and should be treated the same. Gary should have a long hard look at our judicial system. A system that should be fair and equal all around and not just selective. How many times have we seen on TV blatant checks that Bettman has done nothing about. Then he pulls the occasional one out for what appears to be just for show. Instead of sitting there on his high horse Bettman should welcome a police investigation with open arms. If it is so obvious that there was nothing wrong why shouldn’t he (Bettman) embrace a police investigation to solidify the NHL’s decision. Bettman is uneasy in the fact that once again he may be revealed as the fool.
Recommendation:
Go to each team and obtain their videos of what they considered to be hits against their players that required a suspension/fine weather a suspension/fine was administrated or not.
Take the videos and catalogue them.
Lay out ground rules and and be firm in fines and suspensions
Players standing in the scoring race and their salary should mean nothing
Set a minimum automatic suspension/fine for certain hits, injury or not
Set the suspension to go hand in hand with the time the victim is out of commission. If the injured is out for more than one season then the instigator is out as well.
Independent committee
Set up an independent committee separate from the NHL
Two of the following: Judge (criminal, not some buddy real-estate lawyer turned judge), civil lawyer, criminal lawyer, well respected retired NHL player, retired well respected NHL coach.
This group completely independent would have their own office/offices in a location away from the NHL.
When ever an incident would arise they would meet.
Report directly to the NHL president.
Meet once a month to make recommendations on discipline. Observe what is a repeated pattern. Face plants into the glass etc. Target those and if need be target specific players with warnings before things get out of hand
Ensure that every player is treated equally.
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