The NHL needs to establish a punishment grid and penalize all head shots to clean up the game.
The NHL made a bold statement with the Matt Cooke suspension; no question about it.
The league delivered a head shot of its own to the chronic offender hoping it will wake him -- and others -- up. Cooke was suspended for the remainder of the regular season -- 10 games -- as well as for the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The general rule of thumb is one playoff game is the equivalent of two regular season games so if the Penguins were to play seven games in the opening round, it would be like he misses another 14 games.
The question now is: has the NHL done enough to discourage future head shots?
Head shots and blindside hits are the bane of hockey existence these days as many players at every level of the sport seem to be out of control. It is almost as though many players do not understand the damage they can inflict by careless disregard of an opponent's head. It was a major topic of discussion at the recent general managers' meetings in Florida and the league plans to continue its effort to try to eliminate them.
So what can be done?
Penalize all head shots
The obvious solution to the problem is to follow the Ontario Hockey League's lead and make any contact to the head an automatic penalty. It's drastic, to be sure, but as it stands, players don't seem to be getting the message that the head is off limits. You accidentally make contact with an opponent's head and you get a penalty. Do it on purpose and the punishment is more severe.
Of course it will be frustrating for fans when the best player on their favourite team is sent off for two minutes for accidentally making contact with an opponent's head, but it will be worth it in the long run if players learn to avoid such hits.
Thursday on Sportsnet: Concussions in the NHL have nearly doubled this season, affecting more than 10 per cent of the league's players. From the NHL to minor hockey, there is public outcry for action. On Thursday, March 24 we respond with "A Rogers Sportsnet Special - Crisis on Ice?" -- a national conversation on the issue of serious injuries in hockey. | Premiere: East/Ont 7 p.m. ET, West 9 p.m. MT, Pacific 7 p.m. PT
Sidney Crosby, the best player in the world, has been out two and a half months after being accidentally bonked in the head by David Steckel, then of the Washington Capitals. Steckel was not penalized, but if he had been playing in the OHL, he would have been given a two-minute minor for making contact with Crosby's head.
David Branch, the OHL's commissioner who initiated the movement in that league, has said repeatedly it does not reduce the physicality of the game; it just makes the game safer. The NHL seems hesitant to follow the OHL's lead, but some feel it is inevitable.
"The League's emphasis on concerns in the area of head injuries and concussions has led to a number of initiatives and actions," Branch said. "While we have introduced strong sanctions in the area of head hits -- a new rule prohibiting the removal of helmets in an altercation, developed an education concussion video for our players -- the most significant address in our view has been the new rule which basically prohibits any form of checking to the head.
"In our view, this rule has in no way diminished the physicality of our game, but serves as a constant, consistent reminder to all our players that greater respect towards your opponent is vital and that by working together we can create a much more positive environment in terms of safety and the well-being of our players in the game," Branch added.
Establish a punishment grid
Players must know exactly what they face if they deliberately make contact with an opponent's head. The NHL needs to establish a minimum suspension for deliberate headshots and make it severe enough to serve as a deterrent. Start with five games for first-time offenders and then add games to repeat offenders. Do it twice and it's 10 games … three times and it's 15 games. You get the picture.
The NHL must make the punishment stiff enough to have it zip through a player's mind before he delivers a deliberate head shot. If a player knew exactly what was at stake, it just might make him reconsider before targeting an opponent's head.
Last week, Boston Bruins rookie Brad Marchand delivered a head shot to R.J. Umberger of the Columbus Blue Jackets. He was given a two-game suspension -- presumably because he was a first-time offender. It was not exactly the type of punishment that makes others sit up and take notice. If Marchand knew in advance a five-game suspension was hanging over his head, he may have thought twice about elbowing Umberger in the noggin.
Player education I
There's lots of talk about making players' equipment softer so it can't be used as a weapon, but that really isn't a head shot issue.
What is a major concern, however, is the lack of respect players have for one another. The OHL, again, recognized the problem and produced an educational DVD that every player in the league must watch. Among the personalities on the DVD is Sportsnet analyst Nick Kypreos whose NHL career was halted prematurely because of a serious concussion.
Kypreos tells the players they must take headshots seriously; they must acknowledge when they have been injured and not try to fight through it and they must also take recovery time seriously and not try to rush to get back into the lineup.
Player education II
That message has to filter down to minor hockey. Most players have only played with full facial protection and need to understand to respect the heads of their opponents and the potentially devastating consequences of their head shots. It is alarming to watch players purposely drilling the heads of players on other teams simply because their opponent is wearing a helmet and cage.
When youngsters sign up to play minor hockey, they should be required to take an introductory course on how to play the game safely which features the dangers of head shots and blind-side hits. Players should also be made to take refresher courses as they climb up the ladder.
Parental influence
Where are the parents on this issue? One would imagine most parents are warning their children about the possible hazards of hitting another player in the head, yet we see it so often you have to wonder. Parents teach their children to look both ways before crossing the street and not to steal. Can they have an influence on their kid playing the game more safely?
Editor's note: In the space below have your say on what and how the NHL can fix its game and the Crisis on Ice? townhall Thursday may feature your solution.
