Quote:
Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina
Which is why if the NHL is truly going to take concussions seriously, it can't just be about head shots. It has to be about unnecessary physicality that is beyond retrieval of the puck.
I know people are tired of this drum being beaten but the fact the question is being asked underscores that there is still far too little shared knowledge about concussions.
Removing head shots is an important step. But in my view a hit like Sam delivered is also not necessary for the game.
Which isn't to say that he should have faced a severe suspension, because under the current rules and mindset it was a slightly late hit, but otherwise delivered "cleanly".
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It's a fine line though because honestly you can never get rid of concussions completely.
I got a concussion playing non-contact, co-ed, flag football. It can happen in any scenario and IMO the answer can't just be "we need to remove body contact".
My personal feeling is that the league should take precautions to make the game as safe as possible without altering the core fabric of the game but that the players need to take more responsibility too.
Physical contact is a part of hockey. I agree that the league probably needs to look one step past just direct headshots, and look at things like hits after the puck is gone more seriously, but really it's happening quick and is a fine line between taking those hits more seriously and the complete removal of hitting. (Another thing they should probably look at is potentially making the penalties for fighting more severe).
But at some point it comes down to the players and acceptance of the risk. They need to understand the risk, be educated on the potential long term impacts, and then it's up to them to determine if that risk is worth the financial benefit from playing the sport.
At some point the league can only be so accountable and it's up to the individual player/person to assess the risk and determine if it's worth it to them. And the player needs to be accountable for that, and the NHLPA, junior/minor/college hockey programs need to be the ones ensuring that those players have the right information to make that decision.