Ducks' Wisniewski suspended two games - 11-02-09

This lack of consistency really bothers me. If any of those hits could be excused as accidental in making contact with the head, this is it. A guy who isn't targeting the head but still makes contact gets 2, yet two guys trying to decapitate someone get nothing?

Looked like Wisniewski was trying to perform a "hockey play" in standing the guy up at the blue line. He wasn't making a "hockey play" in trying to end a guy's career.

WOW!!!!  Just WOW!!!

That's it?!?!  We've argued a lot in the past Seth, but you've been right on with these last 3 examples!  This hit is the LEAST offensive to the rulebook of the 3!

Just WOW!

Every time I see one of these hits it reminds me of a semi-provacative Malcolm Gladwell article in the New Yorker I read recently (www.newyorker.com/.../091019fa_fact_gladwell).  It's about football players, but I think the discussion about the dangers of concussions could apply to hockey players.  These hits can ruin careers and a serious danger to the health of players.  I think the article has a good explanation as to why Booth is still out while others like Doan fair better.  Richards came slightly from behind and at an angle, which meant that Booth could not brace for the inevitable and took the hit a lot worse (the article explains that if one can see the hit coming the neck muscles tighten up to prevent such a high acceleration of the head).

I think any hit to the head should be off the table (unless it's a Brandon Sutter type situation where the guy is bent down, not looking etc.).  You can't get rid of hitting in general in hockey because it's just such a physical game, reducing direct hits to the head (and hits from behind, which the nhl has already addressed) would lead to fewer concussions.

This is well put Seth. Obviously being Cdn I've been watching hockey since I was born. I love good tough hard hitting hockey and throw in some chippyness to boot. This was born in hockey's roots and it has always been this way.

But it has gotten out of hand. Today's modern shoulder and elbow pads are like rocks compared to old stuff. Add in the size of the players and speed of the game it is getting deadly out there with hits to the head.

It is time to realize this isn't the 1970s anymore and guys are getting their careers threatened at a rate the game has never seen.  Elbow, forearm, shoulder hits to the head need to be removed.

Seth-

You can do just as much damage with your hips as you can with your shoulder, but obviously nobody would suggest taking hip checks out of the game.  Hockey has, with time, developed a balancing test that weighs the potential damage of contact with the entertainment value/athletic competition gained from allowing checking.  Ideally we want low damage with high entertainment value.  Within that consideration is what we can reasonably expect the players to control.

Taking high sticking as an example.  We do not allow high sticking because the potential damage is great and the value gained is low.  We don't even consider the hitter's ability to control his stick - if he does it he is penalized.  Similarly, it is very easy to control your forearm when body checking.

The potential damage of a shoulder check, while possibly as harmful as a forearm check, is considerably lower as time and experience has clearly proven.  The entrainment value gained is very high.  Therefore, it should be allowed.  Finally, we cannot reasonably expect every body-check to be a hip check.  It is extremely difficult to deliver a hit where your hip makes contact but your shoulders do not.

If a player is skating with his head down he is fair game.  You cannot elevate your shoulder to hit somebody like you can raise your forearm or stick.  That is why they are different.