Nico the Draft Riser
Devils, Rams, Hawks, Twins fan
- Nov 18, 2017
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Lindros advocates elimination of body contact
- Thread starter Noldo
- Start date
They reward guys that keep their head down. Allowing kids to do this linger, will only compound the issue.
Fix the “pads”.
Fix the “pads”.
Maladroit
Registered User
Exactly. Hits will naturally go extinct just like fighting largely has. We're already seeing it happen with hitting down significantly compared to just five years ago. The majority of the hits these days are about separating an opponent from the puck instead of laying them out after they've already made a pass like it used to be. As more of the big one-dimensional physical players get phased out of the league in favor of speed and skill hits are just going to keep declining. Fourth lines are being drastically reshaped into basically another scoring line and a shutdown defenseman these days is a smart player who can use his stick to influence zone entries and move the puck rather than a Douglas Murray or a Matt Greene.
blankall
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- Jul 4, 2007
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This is a huge issue. Replace the hard plastic caps with actual pads. We'd see a lot fewer injuries.
The only pieces that make sense having plastic are the shin guards.
tony d
Registered User
Given Lindros' history I can see where he's coming from. That said this will never happen. You can attempt to make things safer for the players but you will never eliminate body contact.
eviohh26
Registered User
lol guy was a dirty pos and got it how he lived or w/e that saying it lol .
GreatGonzo
Surrounded by Snowflakes
If anything, the NHL shot themselves in the foot. Once the league became much more fast paced, the hitting increased. It’s the speed of he game that is causing a lot of this hardcore collisions in the ice.
With this speed, It’s hard to try to be mindful, as well as being able to dictate where the player you are hitting will suddenly change their positioning. A lot of the times it just happens. Besides a majority of concussions don’t alwats happen with head contact, but solid AND legal body checks.
It’s part of the game, and a player like a Lindros should know that. He was an animal and made extremely questionable and dangerous hits on his opponents. He tried to hurt you. That only became a problem once he was exposed for the way he skated, and then he became the prey. I feel like back in the day, there was more responsibility for the player getting hit rather than the hitter. Not saying that is always the case, but when you skate with your head down, turn your back while on the boards, or accept/give suicide passes, I feel some fault should be on the player receiving the hit.
If you get rid of physicality in hockey, then football, boxing, MMA, even Wrestling will all suffer the same fate. These professional athletes know the risks, they know what they are getting themselves into, and no one forced them....but for some reason we are now giving every unfortunate athlete a pity party because they were somehow “unaware.” I’m not for anyone getting hurt, or anyone losing years off their life because of sports injuries, but in many ways....it’s part of risk/reward.
With this speed, It’s hard to try to be mindful, as well as being able to dictate where the player you are hitting will suddenly change their positioning. A lot of the times it just happens. Besides a majority of concussions don’t alwats happen with head contact, but solid AND legal body checks.
It’s part of the game, and a player like a Lindros should know that. He was an animal and made extremely questionable and dangerous hits on his opponents. He tried to hurt you. That only became a problem once he was exposed for the way he skated, and then he became the prey. I feel like back in the day, there was more responsibility for the player getting hit rather than the hitter. Not saying that is always the case, but when you skate with your head down, turn your back while on the boards, or accept/give suicide passes, I feel some fault should be on the player receiving the hit.
If you get rid of physicality in hockey, then football, boxing, MMA, even Wrestling will all suffer the same fate. These professional athletes know the risks, they know what they are getting themselves into, and no one forced them....but for some reason we are now giving every unfortunate athlete a pity party because they were somehow “unaware.” I’m not for anyone getting hurt, or anyone losing years off their life because of sports injuries, but in many ways....it’s part of risk/reward.
I like the idea (and have contemplated it before). I dont see the league going ‘no contact’, but I think would be better served if contact was strictly in the context of making a play on the puck. Having some arbitrary 2-3 second window where a guy can be destroyed after passing is just plain weird.
Ratsreign
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- Mar 12, 2018
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Hits to the head do need to be eliminated from the game, but eliminating all contact would ruin the game.
How about teaching players to have some respect for their opponent. And maybe go back to teaching that a body check is intended to separate the player from the puck, not from consciousness.
How about teaching players to have some respect for their opponent. And maybe go back to teaching that a body check is intended to separate the player from the puck, not from consciousness.
ottawa
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Given his history, I have no idea where that statement is coming from. He was dirty af and his physicality played a role in his fame.
JianYang
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- Sep 29, 2017
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There will be headshots as long as there is contact allowed, but if they are punished where all headshots are deemed to be "dirty", there will be even more decreases to contact. Contact has already been trending downwards for a while.
Similar to fighting, the high intensity hits may just fade out the game naturally without an explicit ban, just by insituting zero tolerance on the headshots, and putting all the onus on the hitter.
easton117
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- Nov 11, 2017
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You’d have 400 penalties a night if that window, which I think is under a second, disappeared.
Tell guys to keep their heads up. Find the coaches teaching kids to turn into the boards to draw penalties and neuter them. Teach dmen not to throw suicide passes up the middle to their forwards.
You just solved 95% of concussions. The other 5% will happen no matter what you do. It’s a sport. Bad things happen sometimes.
Fogelhund
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- Sep 15, 2007
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Football is a sport with a somewhat limited future, no matter what they do with the rules. It's not a good comparison at all.
JianYang
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Soccer is physical. Not so much in a bodycheking sense, but you are pretty vulnerable as a player. Tackling in that sport or 50/50 balls in the air can lead to some bad injuries.
It's just too bad that there is a culture of faking injuries, but they can be real too.
I don't know that anyone in the history of the league both lived and died by the sword more than Lindros, so it isn't at all surprising that he feels this way now.
ottawa
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Lazlo Hollyfeld
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Unfortunately it looks like the article did what was intended. It has people talking and complaining about Lindros for something he never actually advocated.
Dotter
THE ATHLETIC IS GARBAGE
Soon hockey will be digital video games for our entertainment to watch on NHL Center Ice. Crosby and Toews going head-to-head using a PS4 controller on a 4k television. That'll keep our players safe!
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I think they do but DOPS are never consistent in how they mete out punishment.
Can’t blame players or coaches for being uncertain on what is and isn’t allowed.
Future GOAT
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GlitchMarner
Typical malevolent, devious & vile Maple Leafs fan
Well, Lindros is one of the softest players ever. Of course he would want contact eliminated. Did he throw a hit in his life? 
