Quote:
Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch
I agree that first open ice hit was everything that the league is trying to get rid of. The Sharks would be asleep at the wheel if they weren't on the phone to the league about that one demanding some kind of action. It was typical dirty Kassian.
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Number of strides taken, leaving the feet to make the hit, opponent not looking, head primary target and initial point of contact, offender goes on to make another borderline hit later in the game, and has a previous history of similar hits: all of these are signs of a player making reckless hits with no regard for the health, safety, or future of other players. This is exactly the kind of hit the league should and must eliminate by stiffly punishing offenders. Failure to do so will further legitimize the head injury lawsuit against the league and could allow damages from the suit to be extended to include injuries to current players, potentially costing the league millions of dollars. And on a more human level, allowing intentional attempts to injure to go unpunished simply isn't right.