[Derek Sutton]

Seabbrook gets 3 games. To say that Seabrook targeted the head omits the fact that Backes made his (own) head the target. So many "head shots" are because of players not keeping their heads up, putting themselves in vulnerable positions or admiring their passes. In a more harsh world, in order to reduce head shots, one might suggest giving no penalties for head shots putting more of an honess on the puck carrier, this would not resonate with the world outside of hockey very well.

As much as I like Seabrook, and if the hit was dirty or not, it was a dumb play. First off, while penalty killing it is rarely a good idea to go for big body checks. The basis of body checking is to separate puck from body, not head from body. No doubt Seabrook saw it as an opportunity to destroy Backes and put him out, really he could have received a match penalty for intent to injure. The hit and ensuing penalty also cost his team the game, players need to be smarter then that and pick their spots better.

What I see as the as the biggest concern is that there is not a downward trend when it comes to head shots, hits from behind, etc... The vast majority of NHLers are younger then me and would've grown up in hockey during the hitting from behind crackdown, yet dirty/borderline/ hits from behind are still a huge problem in hockey today. Kids in minor hockey today are growing through the checking to the head phase, and yet we will not see a change in how hits are given for years to come, head shots will not decline for a long time.

I have watched a lot of minor hockey at some very high levels (aaa midget) to some younger kids (novice) over the last few years and have noticed that it is usually the same one or two kids every year who play recklessly. There are 4 factors and listed in order they are. Parents, coaching, the player and reffing/ sequential discipline.