Ryan Wilson Hit On Patrick Elias Once Again Raises Questions Over Headshots

Scott Stevens on Paul Kariya. Darcy Tucker on Sami Kapanen. Brian Campbell on R.J. Umberger. Niklas Kronwall on Martin Havlat.

Every year, hits occur that raise the debate over the legality of hits to the head in the NHL.

Today, it Ryan Wilson on Patrik Elias.

Make no mistake: it was a clean hit. Elias had his head down, and Wilson made him pay with a strong shoulder to the noggin.

The question remains as to whether hits like these should remain clean.

One group will argue yes; as long as a player doesn't leave his feet or throw an elbow, the hit is clean. Hockey is a contact sport, and the person who receives the hit is at fault for bad positioning or being unaware of the opponents around them.

The other group argues that while hockey is a contact sport, deliberately throwing a hit to someones head, a tactic that could potentially end one's career, has no place in the sport of hockey.

Perhaps the most well known hit in hockey history came on May 26, 2000, when Scott Stevens threw a hit on Eric Lindros that would be the defining moment in the careers of both players.

Stevens' Devils won the game, series, and eventually the Stanley Cup. Lindros missed all 82 games of the following season, and his play was never the same when he resumed his hockey career with the Rangers in 2002.

Fast forward a decade.

Ryan Wilson is an undrafted rookie who was able to secure a spot on the Avalanche, and he's going to do anything he can not to give that spot up. And considering the team he played for was plagued by defensemen who shied away from physical play last season, it's really great to watch an up-and-comer lay someone out.

It's equally as painful to watch a class act like Elias lay helpless on the ice for five minutes.