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Originally Posted by Resolute 14
That seems a convenient excuse. The objective fact is that bodychecking results in injuries. It results in head injuries. It results in a not insignificant number of head injuries.
Both carry the risk of head injuries. It is absurd to favour the removal of one because of the risk while supporting the retention of the other.
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There is no way to completely eliminate injuries, even head injuries. If the goal was to have zero, no pro sports would be played, ever.
Bodychecking can be regulated to minimize the most dangerous hits - it's being done. Players are learning.
We have learned in the past few years that fighting causes significant head/brain injury. It is clear from all of professional sports that these types of injuires will not allowed to continue at the same rate, and that something must be done about it. Eliminating fighting is one very important step if the NHL wants to be serious about eliminating brain injuries. Very soon, the NHLwill no longer have a choice. Sure, there might not be a complete ban right away. The NHL may "regulate" fighting so that it will happen less, and then over time, it will completely disappear from the game.
Frankly, this isn't something that the NHL has a choice about. Fighting will be eliminated, no matter what anyone in the NHL office or any of the players want at this moment. However, over the next few years player support for fighting will drop, just like the number of players not wearing shields has dropped rapidly.