Paille ban, Julien reaction prove more discussion needed on headshots
But the objective here isn’t to argue with Julien’s point. Maybe there would be a way to better train players, and let them know that punishments for rule-violating hits won’t be as harsh if the hit player isn’t taking measures to protect himself. That’s why there needs to be more debate, more perspectives welcomed into the discussion and things have to be more fluid as we go.
We shouldn’t have to wait until a GMs meeting and a Board of Governors meeting and a rules committee vote when it comes to refining rules that involve player health and safety. This is 2011 and there are too many forms of technology to communicate to count. Obviously, there have to be set procedures in place and you can’t change the rule every time someone voices displeasure. But if there are legitimate concerns about consistency of enforcement or vagueness related to a definition in the rule, it shouldn’t be that difficult to put some heads together and come up with a definitive guideline that everyone must adhere to.
Like Chiarelli, I’m impressed the league finally took the action it did with Rule 48. For too long, the old school, “oh it’s just hockey, so suck it up” crowd was getting its way and putting modern-day players’ lives at risk and making a mockery of the sport. But the league shouldn’t be so slow to action when it comes to fine-tuning its rules and setting some rock-solid standards of behavior and punishment.
Let’s hope the league doesn’t wait until there’s another controversial play involving the Bruins in the 2012 portion of next season to spring into action.
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well put
Good perspective, as always.
To me, this is much ado about nothing. The NFL also went through this, with in-season changes about shots to the head. Some people got all blustery and claimed that the rule was “ruining” the sport, coaches got cranky b/c they think the rule was inconsistent, the league got skewered by everyone for applying the rule one way for instance A and another for instance B.
The NHL version of the rule makes sense and I don’t for a moment believe that coaches, players and management are really as confused as they claim to be. You can see it in comments by Ference, Julien and PC….they all support the rule, but are trying to reconcile the changes with how they feel it will impact the checking game as a whole, not to mention the instinct to support their own player in Paillle.
Change isn’t easy, but they’re doing the right thing for the long-term safety of the players and there are bound to be growing pains.
I think a hitting player needs to be aware of how they are hitting, although I do think there is definitely room for discussion on how to handle the issue of players who turn their backs to hits and whether the hitting player had the ability to stop or change their trajectory.
I think mostly what the league needs to do is better define what the illegal hits are and aren’t and to some degree I think there are going to be errors made along the way to better define the rule.
I do think there needs to be some room for mercy when it comes to the punishment for illegal hits where the player being hit may have turned their back on the hit and honestly some room for height differences. A taller guy hitting a shorter guy legally may find himself in trouble simply because his shoulder is at the other guys head height.
I still think Paille’s hit was an illegal one and the suspension deserved, but I do think there is room for clarification of the rules along the way, and the first season or two there are going to some problems with calling and defining and punishing the rule clearly, but the rule in concept is a good one and something the league I think needs to have.
I also think there needs to be a realization that this is a dangerous sport and sometimes clean hits result in injuries. The league needs to eliminate the dangerous head shots, but sometimes a good hit results in a concussion and the player responsible for the hit was just doing his job.
I also wonder if there are steps that can be taken with regards to helmets and other equipment.