Location: A simple man leading a complicated life....
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Originally Posted by Russic
I like how Orr is laying on top of him and just keeps throwing them.
"Remember when the players used to respect each other? There was an unspoken code, dammit."
- old people with memories we really can't trust
In todays game fighting has all but been eliminated due to the instigator rule. It used to be when there was a dirty hit or play two players would square off and that would be the end of it. Now they use they're sticks, elbows and other means to get even
I'm currently in that interesting transition period between being a young punk that figured the entire world out, to a grumpy man who just longs for things to be like they used to.
Arguments on how to fix hockey are interesting. It's mostly people pointing to one or two factors that they didn't grow up with or they don't like and wagging a finger. We're all just trending towards becoming Don Cherry, so best just take our hands off the wheel and let it happen.
I don't really see how bringing the red line back would make a huge difference, but then I've never played the game.
i've always felt like one of the major catalysts to all injuries is the switch from wooden sticks to aluminum or carbon fibre...
once the velocity of the pucks got so high, the natural response was to increase protection... but the protection causes many other issues, particularly with the concussions etc. Goalie equipment also got bigger as a result.
...
I've looked, but never have found solid evidence that the new sticks have measurably increased the velocity of pucks. Aucoin had the hardest shot on the Flames one year using a wood stick.
[Across studies of players from youths to professionals and of sticks from wood to composite, stiff to flexible, the preeminence of player influence on achieved slap shot speeds rings consistently true and thus deserves to be the primary focus of performance-driven hockey coaches and players alike]
it would go a long way if the players had any respect for one another.
Yeah, they are stronger and faster and play with suits of armour but a little respect for your oppossing players would go a long way....except if theyre oilers or canucks that is.
Already been addressed years ago. Everything but shin guards and helmet have been given multidensity foam laminate coverings to absorb impact on the outside of plastic shells.
And they need the plastic shells because?
I've played a fair amount of hockey. I've been hit in the stomach, shins, etc where the padding is soft with pucks. I have yet to be hit right on the shoulders where that hard shell is. That hard shell serves no purpose but to allow players to recklessly jam their shoulders into other players.
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I do agree that the red-line change has caused the most speed. The most devastating hits I find are from guys coming through the neutral zone with speed. The 2-line pass rule forced players to slow down. They continue with that speed into the offensive zone, and continue while cutting wide along the boards.
It just creates bigger hits all over the ice. Even when they are not falling down, or even when that hit doesn't look so 'devastating', they are absorbing a lot of energy. Add-in the hard plastics, and the general disrespect (though, that is a tough one - players are human, and thus are both competitive and emotional) - and injuries pile up.
The NHL is removing fighting from the game slowly. Yet, for sheer numbers of concussions and other career-ending or career-limiting injuries, it is negligible to what other forms of contact have been doing statistically. If the NHL was really serious about concussions, then they would look at removing the red-line.
However, it is not likely to happen. The NHL markets itself as a fast paced game. They want the game fast. Fans love it too. It was (and is) difficult to remove fighting out of the NHL because of both fans and players who like it, and slowing the game down probably not be received well by anyone, except doctors.
The NHL is going to have to figure out how they can maintain that speed in the game, but make it safer for players. I really don't have any answers. Changing some of the player's protection would probably help, but it won't solve the issue that players are traveling at a high velocity and making contact at high velocity. Regardless of padding, this is going to cause injuries.
This whole looming concussion lawsuit might have the biggest impact on the game. Will be curious to see how the NHL changes in the next 10 or 15 years, especially with the development of tracking tools that measure players speeds and better cameras, which will have the added benefit of analyzing serious injuries.
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I've played a fair amount of hockey. I've been hit in the stomach, shins, etc where the padding is soft with pucks. I have yet to be hit right on the shoulders where that hard shell is. That hard shell serves no purpose but to allow players to recklessly jam their shoulders into other players.
The shell disperses the impact of the hit. The multilam layering from top to bottom goes medium density foam/ high density foam/plastic shell/high density foam/low density foam.
At this stage, removing the shell is dangerous to the wearer as the cap plays a huge role in protecting the shoulders and elbows. It disperses the impact evenly as opposed to taking the full brunt of it in a smaller area. It also provides some engineered movement to absorb impact in some of the newer pads. Take out the cap and you will see a huge increase in injuries as there will be more pointed impacts. Some players avoid the hit and some players absorb the hit.
Those that choose to absorb the hit will be more susceptible to injury. Imagine losing a player for 20 games just for taking a run of the mill legal shoulder check. The players are bigger and hit harder than ever before.
If you want to stick with the 1998 Don Cherry argument then fill your boots but you're mistaken.
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The NHL is removing fighting from the game slowly. Yet, for sheer numbers of concussions and other career-ending or career-limiting injuries, it is negligible to what other forms of contact have been doing statistically. If the NHL was really serious about concussions, then they would look at removing the red-line.
However, it is not likely to happen. The NHL markets itself as a fast paced game. They want the game fast. Fans love it too. It was (and is) difficult to remove fighting out of the NHL because of both fans and players who like it, and slowing the game down probably not be received well by anyone, except doctors.
The NHL is going to have to figure out how they can maintain that speed in the game, but make it safer for players. I really don't have any answers. Changing some of the player's protection would probably help, but it won't solve the issue that players are traveling at a high velocity and making contact at high velocity. Regardless of padding, this is going to cause injuries.
This whole looming concussion lawsuit might have the biggest impact on the game. Will be curious to see how the NHL changes in the next 10 or 15 years, especially with the development of tracking tools that measure players speeds and better cameras, which will have the added benefit of analyzing serious injuries.
two suggestions for starters, based on the changes made to minor hockey:
1. any hit from behind is a penalty.
2. any form of head contact, intentional or not is a penalty.
Yes it would be chaotic for the first season while players adjust but they will adjust over time.
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Orr just needs to shut his mouth....slow down the game..yeah that sounds super awesome.. Orr go back to sucking on Werthers Originals reminiscing about the good ole days
They just need to enforce the rules on the books. The amount of dangerous stuff that goes uncalled is a major problem. And then the wheel of Justice neuters the deterrent effect. The hit by Hamhuis on Bennett's head in the playoffs was a prime example and there are many others through the season every season.
Another way to enforce the rules would be to levy fines after games based on video review. If every slash to a star player's wrist cost 5K it would slow down in a hurry. If every head shot was 100K regardless if it got called during the game maybe things would be safer.
I think this is an excellent idea. I hadn't considered it before, but fining the players based on video review I think would definately make the game safer.
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two suggestions for starters, based on the changes made to minor hockey:
1. any hit from behind is a penalty.
2. any form of head contact, intentional or not is a penalty.
Yes it would be chaotic for the first season while players adjust but they will adjust over time.
I've been saying for a long time that hockey contact rules are too complicated. When hockey refereeing is essentially always between tolerable and terrible, I think there has to be something wrong with what the referees are expected to do.
There will always be some level of arbitration needed, but more clear cut rules like this would go a long way to help the refs "call it by the book".
