Quote:
Originally Posted by Erick Estrada
This play is so low down the list of dirty plays committed in the NHL I don't even know why I'm wasting my time arguing about it. It's not even as dirty as the hit Andersson took in Denver for crying out loud. I have said several times it was unnecessary but you can't ignore that this was the product of a really slight man playing in a professional contact sport.
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I think I agree with you, but in my mind this raises another question which I think we should seriously consider:
If a play like this one is a serious impediment to a player with the natural ability of Peterson to play in the NHL, is it something that we should continue to view in the same regard as we have in the past?
Here is a summary of my thoughts on the hit:
· The check was completely fine, the body slam was excessive.
· The entire action was not as egregious as a lot of hits which occur in every game, but by the same token I don't see why this should affect our decision about what should be done in this instance and moving forward.
· The crackdown on the action after the hit will have NO IMPACT on the quality of the game and overall physicality.
· I think the hit is worth a game—maybe two, because I am a strong proponent of striving to reduce serious injuries, to retain the entertainment value, and to strike a balance as much as possible between safety and physicality.
So, I return to the question: forget what has happened in the past, and forget about the physical requirements which were once set on players in order to participate. Is Pettersson a player we want to be playing as many games as possible in the NHL? Is he good enough to play? Does the body slam add anything of value to the game?