Awareness of concussions and the long-term health risks that result from them are definitely on the rise around the world of hockey. Unfortunately, the issue isn't going to go away with a snap of the fingers and a quick fix. The NHL will have to take steps in many areas in order to get a handle on the safety of their players in the future.
There are a lot of interesting and valid viewpoints covering player behavior, intent and the ability to change direction in a fast paced sport. Can the game be made safer without restrictions to the style of game played in the NHL?
The 'Hawks Dave Bolland is likely finished for the season after being elbowed in the head. Sidney Crosby is just beginning to skate after a pair of January collisions. Marc Savard's career may be finished after hits he has taken over the last two seasons.
The list of players out of commission due to taking a hit to the head goes on and on.
What follows are my thoughts on what the league may be able to do to curb the steady flow of players who suffer from concussions.
Accept That Things Need To Change
One statement I simply cannot accept is, "That's the way things have always been done."
Once upon a time, you couldn't make a two-line pass. Games used to end in ties. As recently as 15 years ago, there were players in the league who could choose not to wear a helmet.
The game changes. It can certainly survive a few tweaks to keep players on the ice.
Players are better conditioned nowadays and it's generally accepted that overall the league is comprised of bigger and faster skaters. The elimination of the red line leads to more speed and more momentum generated on hits.
Players are also coached in their formative years to be physical and to finish checks. Hard hitters improve their chances of sticking in the league.
Changing a conditioned action in a sport of fast movement and quick decisions is going to take time. It also has to extend beyond the NHL to coaches at the lower levels of the sport.
Adopt A Policy and Enforce It Across The Board
On March 15th, NHL general managers voted against a proposal that would ban all head shots. This was done to preserve the fast, physical game that we all know and love, according to the parties involved.
Of course, none of them volunteered to skate a shift in today's NHL.
With so many former players in management, it's easy to see the resistance to change. However, the OHL has a no head shot policy and still produces an entertaining brand of hockey.
The route that was suggested was tougher enforcement of charging and boarding violations. That's a noble step, but wouldn't a rule specifically pertaining to head shots make more sense?
Create a rule that assesses a minor penalty for any head shot. Give the referee the option of calling a major penalty and/or a game misconduct if the hit is severe and the recipient is injured.
Severe and repeat infractions can still warrant suspensions, but creating poster boys and using them as examples may not send the message to anyone but those chronic offenders. With the league punishing all hits to the head, all players can begin to adapt.
Just have the sense not to institute the rule mid-season.
Make The Rinks Easier On The Players
It is a fact that a lot of concussions occur during legal checks and hits against the boards. Hockey is a rough and tumble sport with a lot of momentum. That shouldn't be hindered, but at least make their workplace a bit easier on them.
All NHL arenas should have plexiglass panels, which provide a more forgiving barrier than seamless glass. Eliminate the ledge between the glass and the boards. Get rid of the photographers ports. Improve the padding on the stanchions.
These changes won't affect the style or pace of the game, but they will help protect the players.
Make Better Helmets and Make The Players Use Them
Is there a sport other than hockey where the higher the level of play, the less head protection players are required to wear?
Hockey helmets at the NHL level are a joke. They're basically a hard shell with a little padding. Even if they don't fall off a player's head because the straps hang loose, they offer little protection when a player's head bounces off the boards or glass.
Better equipment can and is being developed. The trick lies in getting safer helmets on the heads of the players.
A helmet (with a visor, which is required in the AHL) should first and foremost be a protective device, not a fashion accessory. Lamentably, as is the case in the NFL, safer headgear is slow to be accepted.
If David Stern or Roger Goodell were running the NHL, all players would be wearing the biggest, ugliest helmets imaginable, with a layer of bubble wrap for good measure, and that would be that. Is Gary Bettman capable of making the players adopt the use of safer equipment?
Again, the style and pace of the game won't be affected. Isn't that what players and fans want?
Mandate that each player wear a league approved helmet (preferably not made by a league sponsor) with a visor, as well as a mouthpiece.
Some Final Food For Thought
Some may agree with me, others will contend I'm insane. I like tough physical hockey as much as the next guy. A week ago, I went to see the AHL Rockford Ice Hogs take on Hamilton. Hawks prospect Evan Brophy skated out of the box and into the neutral zone, where he laid the wood to Bulldogs forward Hunter Bishop.
Like most of the fans, the hit brought me to my feet, just like when a goal is scored or two guys square off. I can safely say that it was the biggest hit I have seen live at a professional game.
The roar quickly died out when it was clear that Bishop was unconscious. No one wants to see a young player trying to make it with the Canadiens being helped off the ice.
Brophy's missing the rest of Rockford's season, suspended by the AHL for his team's final seven games. Incidentally, Bishop was struck in the head earlier in March by Abbotsford Heat defenseman Matt Pelech, who sat two games. I wonder what Bishop would think about a ban on head shots? How are these hits going to affect the quality of his life 30 years from now?
When I attend a Blackhawks game, I pay to see the stars shine. I want to see Dave Bolland in action as well as Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and the rest of my favorite players. I could care less if the rinks are baby proofed and the helmets look a little dorky. I want Chicago's stars on the ice.
I'm sure most team's fans would say the same thing about their teams.
There may be no clear cut right or wrong answers on the subject of concussions. It would be interesting to get your thoughts on how you see the NHL acting on this issue.
To me, the important thing is that they act decisively and soon.
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