Headshots are the hot issue in the NHL right now and they have consumed hockey fans and casual observers. Until the lines are firmly drawn, there will never be a clear-cut answer as to how this should be finally dealt with. Commissioner Gary Bettman keeps reminding me of Ned Flanders’ hippy father who, when confronted about Ned’s terrible behaviour, explains “I’ve tried nothing, and I’m all out of ideas!”Luckily, the NHL seems to be finally making a decision on the subject.
Though I’m not a father myself, I know that one valuable learning tool is experience. Sometimes the best way for a kid to learn a lesson is for him to suffer the consequences. No counting to three, no “this is the last warning,” just a firm belief that if you touch a hot stove once, you’ll never touch it again. When the general manager’s meetings concluded in Boca Raton, Florida last week, it seemed that advancements were finally being made. Though there were no actual rule changes, there was unanimous agreement that: “A lateral, back pressure or blindside hit to an opponent where the head is targeted and or the principal point of contact is not permitted. A violation of the above will result in a minor or major penalty and shall be reviewed for possible supplemental discipline.”
Let me remind you, readers, that we’ve heard this all before. In November of 2008, NHL disciplinarian Colin Campbell released a memo to all NHL teams that addressed this exact issue. The letter read: “Recently, we have had two supplemental discipline incidents involving direct elbow blows to the head. This is a play that we have been trying to remove from our game for a number of years. In one case there was no injury and in the other incident the elbowed player received a concussion. Both players delivering the elbows had never before been involved in supplemental discipline.
We cannot and will not tolerate blows to the head that are deliberate, avoidable and illegal. Furthermore, both the history and status of the offender (first time versus repeat) and the nature of the injury caused (if any) will be taken into consideration as they have been in the past. The length of suspensions for illegal blows to the head will be increased if these incidents persist across the League. Taking steps to maintain the safest on-ice environment possible for the players remains our most important priority.”
Is this a case of déjà-vu all over again? I particularly enjoyed the part where it says that they’ve been trying to remove this play from the game “for a number of years.” Even back then they were already “years” into flapping their gums and getting nowhere. The reason you likely forgot about this letter is because it’s quite hard to see through all the smoke the NHL creates by just spinning its tires.
The issue of headhsots is clearly not a new problem, but an old problem with a severe lack of initiative. Campbell has no guideline to dish out any suspensions, nor does he have the balls to look at the epidemic of dangerous hockey and start bringing the axe down. Hard. Matt Cooke may have fell through the cracks of a lenient, hole-filled initiative, but the intentions are there.
The NHL is like that middle-aged guy who keeps talking about how he’s going to get in shape. Meanwhile, he’s sitting on his couch with enough orange Cheetos dust on his fingers to make it look like he strangled Garfield. The movement is there and its been there for years, but it’s now time for this whole thing to actually get some traction. Stop running in place, NHL - that dance went out of style years ago.
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