Jujhar Khaira carried off the ice on stretcher

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

The NFL implemented the defenseless receiver rule to eliminate plays where an unsuspecting receiver gets destroyed by a defender that has lined him up. I think the NHL would be wise to implement something similar. If a player had his head down he's a defenseless player and this is the type of thing that has happened in the past and will happen again. It's just not worth altering the life of a human being for a random hit in a regular season game.

Yeah something like this needs to be in place. It would greatly reduce open ice hits, but protect players brains. Shouldn’t need a lot of discussion around which is more important.

Seems even people who think the hit was within the rules still don’t like the hit. So hopefully they can fix it.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

NFL players aren't on ice skates. Bit easier to stop wearing cleats on a grass field. If there's a realistic opportunity to have the thought, "oh I was going to blow this guy up but the puck is in his feet, let me just ease up a bit", and then actually physically DO that, the puck is probably already gone and you can suspend him for interference, because all of that takes more than a full second to do.

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

NFL players aren't on ice skates. Bit easier to stop wearing cleats on a grass field. If there's a realistic opportunity to have the thought, "oh I was going to blow this guy up but the puck is in his feet, let me just ease up a bit", and then actually physically DO that, the puck is probably already gone and you can suspend him for interference, because all of that takes more than a full second to do.

The defenceman isn’t stepping up on a forward in the offensive zone unless they aren’t paying attention. The entire play is a decision that I’m not sure I like, and it happens often.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

The NFL implemented the defenseless receiver rule to eliminate plays where an unsuspecting receiver gets destroyed by a defender that has lined him up. I think the NHL would be wise to implement something similar. If a player had his head down he's a defenseless player and this is the type of thing that has happened in the past and will happen again. It's just not worth altering the life of a human being for a random hit in a regular season game.

Hockey is so much faster though.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Scroopy Noopers

The defenceman isn’t stepping up on a forward in the offensive zone unless they aren’t paying attention. The entire play is a decision that I’m not sure I like, and it happens often.

Anyone who has played knows fully that when someone sees a player with his head down their eyes get really big knowing the opportunity present. It's just something that's been ingrained in the sport forever. That doesn't mean it can't be changed so when a player sees another with his head down that he eases up. The only way to accomplish this is through deterrence. I know this will anger purists that love to see bone crushing hits but as a fan I don't want players putting their health on the line for my entertainment.

[transplant99]

Trouba was already lining him up well before the actual hit and had no way of knowing Khaira was going to be looking at his laces when he arrived. He could have let up a bit for sure, but that whole sequence was what...1.5/2 seconds?

That's why the comparison to a defenseless receiver in football really doesnt apply...moving way faster and less time to change trajectory without putting himself in danger of injury.

Unfortunate outcome obviously, but hockey is such a fast game played by large humans that this kind of thing is unavoidable at times. This was one of those times.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by transplant99

Trouba was already lining him up well before the actual hit and had no way of knowing Khaira was going to be looking at his laces when he arrived. He could have let up a bit for sure, but that whole sequence was what...1.5/2 seconds?

That's why the comparison to a defenseless receiver in football really doesnt apply...moving way faster and less time to change trajectory without putting himself in danger of injury.

Unfortunate outcome for sure, but hockey is such a fast game played by large humans that this kind of thing is unavoidable at times. This was one of those times.

I get that but it doesn't mean you can't give the player 5 and a game for what is a clean but predatory hit. The league needs to constantly evolve and they have done a good job as fighting is nearly out of the game and players like Scott Stevens, Matt Cooke, Ulf Samuelsson, Raffi Torres, etc are no longer welcome in the game. There's still room to improve and make the game safer.

[GirlySports]

It's kind of situational too. Is Trouba a dirty player?

I remember Brian Campbell's hit on Umberger in playoff overtime and Campbell was not a dirty player.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I get that but it doesn't mean you can't give the player 5 and a game for what is a clean but predatory hit. The league needs to constantly evolve and they have done a good job as fighting is nearly out of the game and players like Scott Stevens, Matt Cooke, Ulf Samuelsson, Raffi Torres, etc are no longer welcome in the game. There's still room to improve and make the game safer.

A clean hit, by definition, is not a predatory hit though. A predatory hit would see a long suspension in this case. It was just a really hard one.

What would be required in your scenario would be to outlaw body checking completely.

Personally I would want no part of that.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by Scroopy Noopers

The defenceman isn’t stepping up on a forward in the offensive zone unless they aren’t paying attention. The entire play is a decision that I’m not sure I like, and it happens often.

Is that really what you saw here? Trouba thinking, "oh he's got his head down, I'm going to destroy him"? I agree with Transplant, I think he was going to hit him regardless - the d-man is going to step up and make that hit if he thinks he can get there at the same time as the puck before the player has any chance to do anything with it. That pressure can create a 2 on 1 down low because your forwards are still below the dot and the other team is looking to break out. It's a bit of a risky pinch but it happens a few times a game, just not always with a big hit involved.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

NFL players aren't on ice skates. Bit easier to stop wearing cleats on a grass field. If there's a realistic opportunity to have the thought, "oh I was going to blow this guy up but the puck is in his feet, let me just ease up a bit", and then actually physically DO that, the puck is probably already gone and you can suspend him for interference, because all of that takes more than a full second to do.

Or Trouba doesn't hit him at all because he's too late and it's a 2 on 1 the other way.

[Boblobla]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1468605914907222016

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by PaperBagger'14

If you want to see people prancing around with no repercussions to the situation they put themselves in, maybe you should watch soccer or basketball.

People have said this to me in the past too. Such a brutal take.
Why should I stop watching a sport I love just because I don't enjoying watching have their brain turned to mush.

Hockey doesn't need hits like that.

Hits need to be about separating player from puck and anything more than that should be illegal.

Now go ahead and tell me I should watch figure skating instead.

[cannon7]

Originally Posted by Sandman

I gotta disagree-he deliberately stuck his shoulder out and the first thing he hit was the jaw. He should be suspended.

How does one make a hit without their shoulder out? Remember when a dirty hit was all about elbows out? Now it's shoulders. Soon if you want to make a hit you'll need to do it face first.

[devo22]

good to see he's been able to leave the hospital. Count me among those who hope he steps away from hockey though at some point, for the sake of his health. Suffering that amount of concussions can't be healthy, especially in such short time.

[Sandman]

https://youtu.be/VXHibwIR1Zk

Trouba got suspended 2 games for this hit. The difference was that he only caught head in this one, whereas in the Khaira hit, he got body too. Maybe it’s a legal hit, but it shouldn’t be.

[jaydub74]

Originally Posted by cannon7

How does one make a hit without their shoulder out? Remember when a dirty hit was all about elbows out? Now it's shoulders. Soon if you want to make a hit you'll need to do it face first.

I wouldn’t want to be the NHL on this one, it’s a tough call. Trouba definitely leads with his shoulder and connects square which is what should be considered a clean hit, but the first thing he contacts is the players head. I honestly don’t know what to make of it. I see both sides, and it’ll be interesting to see what the NHL thinks.

Part of me wonders if open Ice hits are eventually made illegal as I’m not sure how you protect players from concussions while allowing two players to connect head on at high speed. Even if the hit is text book, the velocity is likely to cause a concussion. I’m not saying I’m for it, open Ice hits are entertaining and I already find NHL less interesting than those played in the 90s and prior but I think if the nhl is serious about head injuries they may need to consider it


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[GordonBlue]

Originally Posted by jaydub74

I wouldn’t want to be the NHL on this one, it’s a tough call. Trouba definitely leads with his shoulder and connects square which is what should be considered a clean hit, but the first thing he contacts is the players head. I honestly don’t know what to make of it. I see both sides, and it’ll be interesting to see what the NHL thinks.


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to me there is no argument. As soon as you say the first thing he contacts is the head, then you have your answer. It's not a clean hit.

Give him a game if nothing else.

[Robo]

Geez I have been worried about this player ever since he got knocked out by rittchie I hope he has a full recovery poor guy

[Heavy Jack]

I think Lucic said he had guys thank him before for letting up. Usually that’s hits that involve letting up as they go into the boards… open ice hits are harder to judge because they are increasingly becoming more rare. I think he didn’t need to explode the guy but at the end of the day it’s a contact sport and Kharia was looking at his feet near a high activity part of the rink where player changes are happening. It’s a tough play and I hate seeing guys knocked completely out but the hit was square, he didn’t leave his feet, he didn’t charge or stride into the hit, Trouba made a decision to separate the man from the puck and had he not it’s a potential odd-man rush at speed going the other way. Non suspension hit that id like to see less and less is how I view it.