A lot of hits to the head are not targeted or are inadvertent,so penalizing all hits to the head discounts intent. Don't like it.
Players have been suspended before with or without intending to hurt said player:
A big reason why I shared the article is because of the inconsistencies in suspensions and rulings on and off the ice.
So the question then becomes, are the rules currently in place fine, and it's the DoPS that isn't doing its job enforcing said rules or should there be a change in the rules to simplify things that may bring more consistency or will it micromanage the game?
I thought Hornqvist's hit on McAvoy and Schenn's hit on Krejci were suspendable, but the league determined there was no ill-intent and both players put themselves in a vulnerable position so no suspension. Backes' hit on Nielsen was late, and Nielsen's head got clipped by Backes' shoulder even though contact was made to Nielsen's chest. I don't think Backes had intent to injure Nielsen, but he still got suspended.
If the league looked at principal point of contact more prominently than intent, do Schenn and Hornqvist get suspended while Backes doesn't, or is the onus, in McAvoy's and Krejci's instance, on the player to not put themselves in a vulnerable position even if contact to the head was made with intent or not? I do think some sort of changes need to be made whether it is an overhaul of DoPS or in the rules, and in my opinion, the incidents the Bruins have been a part of this season are good examples as to why there needs to be some changes.
Result is still the same. Object......concussion.
I don't see it as black and white.
Because I agree with some of Dryden's points, do I automatically have to agree with everything he says?
Do I have to either be pro physical hockey vs. non-contact hockey? Pro contact sports vs. only watching tennis and golf while I protest against the NHL, NFL, MMA, UFC, and WWE etc.?
Players who fight know the risk and fighting does have a place in the NHL. Having a player end another player's career on a hit does not.
As I mentioned in my response to BNHL, I think with Dryden's article coming out, now is a great time to talk about ways to fix the DoPS and discuss ways how they can be more consistent in their rulings to keep players safe. It could be as easy as deciding that any principal point of contact to the head will result in a tiered punishment, stiffer punishment for each act committed, until players learn to not hit someone in the head. Or it can be argued that Dryden's ideas would micromanage the game to the point that it will take most if not all physicality out of the sport. For me, it's finding the happy medium between keeping the physicality in the game as well as the players (they know the risk of playing a physical sport) as safe as possible. If Dryden's ideas aren't going to work, feel free to argue his points, then I am more than welcome to discuss how the DoPS can do better and further enforce/change the rules.
I like fighting too however, can`t have it both ways, it`s not like players are throwing punches at each other`s shoulders. I wouldn`t be one bit shocked if we see so few fights 5 years from now that we are all shocked when one occurs. We watched Olympic hockey with NHL players for a few decades, no scraps, anyone NOT entertained with that brand of hockey?
I despite head shots, what disturbs me even more than those are hits from behind. With head shots I often see a player shift at the last second and it sometimes leaves them exposed and the player who`s doing the hitting wasn`t targeting the head but with that shift, the head became/becomes the point of contact. With hits from behind, I still see far too many players completely ignorant that they are literally staring at a guy`s name and number as they are about to lay a hit.
This one will never happen but in recent years, I see far too many players turn their backs before they get hit to draw a penalty. They too should get a penalty, IMO, it could be perceived as unsportsmanlike to do this knowing there is a good chance the opponent will get dinged with a penalty
If you were to grade the DoPS, what would you give them?
