And so it begins

[Hockey Widow]

Well I thnk all Burrows was doing was finishing his check and did not have any intention of a head shot. Yet he got four games. And Hansen was playing the puck and he got like what two?

Then Keith accidentally hit Dank with his stick in the face after threatening to take his fucking head off and he got five.

We forget sometimes these are pro athletes, they know what they are doing. The two accidents in my book were Kassian on Gagne, careless use of his stick, and Hansen on Hosa. Those got seriously punished.

[Hockey Widow]

Impossible. No league can ban headshots.

Sure the league could.

They could start by banning elbows and fists to the head. It would be really simple, actually.

The problem is, fans would piss and moan about changing the game too much. Fans absolutely love the physical side of pro hockey.

Agreed. If they really wanted to ban head shots then you make any contact with the head illegal. You do it for something stupid like shooting a puck over the boards from your own D zone. It is simple. On any play if any part of your body or equipment comes into contact with any part of an opposing players head/face it's an automatic two minutes. That includes a goalie when he is down trying to grab a puck. You just eliminate it.

[herb]

Agreed. If they really wanted to ban head shots then you make any contact with the head illegal. You do it for something stupid like shooting a puck over the boards from your own D zone. It is simple. On any play if any part of your body or equipment comes into contact with any part of an opposing players head/face it's an automatic two minutes. That includes a goalie when he is down trying to grab a puck. You just eliminate it.

Absolutely. The league has banned stupid shit like having a baby toe in the crease and shooting the puck over the glass by accident. Accidental high sticking is illegal. Accidental tripping is illegal. Accidental checking from behind is illegal. Accidental checking to the head could be illegal too.

[Strangelove]

Is this the way to go?

(add a face shield?)

Just asking.

Yeah, we don't want our really really really ridiculously rich athletes to risk life & limb.

(& head)

I heard they are looking into ways of getting rid of the ice and the boards.

Because, after all....

[Cornuck]

I heard they are looking into ways of getting rid of the ice and the boards.

Because, after all....

And lose all of that advertising revenue?

[Strangelove]

And lose all of that advertising revenue?

Well they could advertise on the carpet + mattresses.

[Topper]

And lose all of that advertising revenue?

Well they could advertise on the carpet + mattresses.

Don't forget jerseys.

[Strangelove]

And helmet space!

That's a lot of helmet space right there amirite?

WIN-WIN

[Cookie La Rue]

Your helmet combined with these bumper balls and the future is safe.

[herb]

Yeah, we don't want our really really really ridiculously rich athletes to risk life & limb.

(& head)

Agreed that at some point the risk of head injuries becomes a reasonable risk of playing hockey.

That being said, the league has to take reasonable precautions to protect the health and safety of their employers.

Has the NHL gotten to a level of reasonability on head injuries?

Maybe. I don't know. I mean they still allow players to punch each other in the heads. They allow checks to the head (to a certain degree). Reasonability is subjective. I personally think they could do better without drastically changing the game, but when your eyes open in the morning and you're still alive the risk of getting injured exists. People get head injuries playing basketball, soccer, baseball, slipping on the sidewalk, so at some point the risk becomes just a fact of sports.