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This really isn't fun to watch
Apr. 17th, 2012 11:56 pmI haven't watched a great deal of hockey lately and I'm thinking I'll boycott this postseason. Honestly I have no desire to watch grown men try to maim each other for my "entertainment".
Playoff hockey is by its very nature high intensity and chippy but this stuff is insane. I just watched the highlights of Raffi Torres knocking Marian Hossa cold with a late and dirty hit, and I'm honestly concerned that it could be a career ending impact.
Not that this will happen but this type of stuff isn't inevitable. Here's my suggestions:
1. Let Brendan Shanahan be the cop he's supposed to be and toss some seriously heavy suspensions. A $2,500 fine for grabbing and smashing a players head into the glass so hard it breaks their helmet clearly isn't doing anything. If you can do that and get away with it why not try to injure another player? If that's the type of punishment you can expect take the fine and get the tactical advantage by injuring your opponent.
2. Call the penalties. Match penalties for intent to injure are in the rule book. Call em!
3. Make contact with the head an automatic penalty. Take players brains out of the crosshairs. The OHL did it and it didn't make hockey any less awesome as a sport.
4. Do something about the players shoulder and elbow pads. Do shoulders and elbows need protection from impacts? Absolutely. Do players need a piece of PVC piping they can smash into their opponents face at 25 kph? I'm going to say no.
The biggest obstacle to this though might be the TV ratings. Apparently they're some of the highest in years. :-(
Playoff hockey is by its very nature high intensity and chippy but this stuff is insane. I just watched the highlights of Raffi Torres knocking Marian Hossa cold with a late and dirty hit, and I'm honestly concerned that it could be a career ending impact.
Not that this will happen but this type of stuff isn't inevitable. Here's my suggestions:
1. Let Brendan Shanahan be the cop he's supposed to be and toss some seriously heavy suspensions. A $2,500 fine for grabbing and smashing a players head into the glass so hard it breaks their helmet clearly isn't doing anything. If you can do that and get away with it why not try to injure another player? If that's the type of punishment you can expect take the fine and get the tactical advantage by injuring your opponent.
2. Call the penalties. Match penalties for intent to injure are in the rule book. Call em!
3. Make contact with the head an automatic penalty. Take players brains out of the crosshairs. The OHL did it and it didn't make hockey any less awesome as a sport.
4. Do something about the players shoulder and elbow pads. Do shoulders and elbows need protection from impacts? Absolutely. Do players need a piece of PVC piping they can smash into their opponents face at 25 kph? I'm going to say no.
The biggest obstacle to this though might be the TV ratings. Apparently they're some of the highest in years. :-(
