The hot topic in the NHL lately has been the number of serious head injuries sustained because of hits to the head. 

As hockey fans, we have all seen some nasty checks, and some scary moments on the ice. Any time you see a player laying motionless on the ice, on your favorite team or your biggest rival, it is always scary to watch. Everyone prays that the player will be OK.

Some people have become so scared of watching these hits though, that it has lead to a league wide discussion on the legality of hits to the head. 

Now obviously the league wants to protect the players. Like any company, they have a product, and they don't want to lose any. But making hits to the head illegal will not save the NHL the way some think it will. If that is allowed to go through, the NHL is not only eliminating the risk that makes hockey players some of the most courageous athletes in all of sports, but they are dishonoring the past players that make those big hits a trade mark of their games.

Everyone, no matter which sport they call their favorite, knows the toughness in hockey. 

While some aren't fans of the game, they at least recognize that hockey poses a lot of danger, arguably more then all other team sports. Eliminating hits to the head makes the game less dangerous. While most say, "hey, thats good" it is in fact not good at all. 

Players know the risk every time they touch the puck. At any moment they can be checked out of nowhere and wake up a few minutes later wondering what state they are in. The best of players, however, power on, and do not hesitate on making a play, knowing full well the risk that it poses. 

Play like this is what puts hockey in a league of its own. But if you eliminate hits to the head, you take away that risk. You take some of the skill out of the game, by not just saying it's OK for a player to put their head down, but even encouraging it. 

The simple phrase of "keep your head up" has been the first rule of hockey when you start playing in leagues that check. It's the first thing you are told when your a hockey player that turns 12. If you want to keep playing, you have to be able to take a hit. By eliminating hits to the head, you eliminate the un-written rule of keeping your head up. You are daring the other team to hit you as you skate through the neutral zone with your head down, because the major penalty that would follow is sure to help.

Some great players in NHL history have been known for putting an opponent down when they were dumb enough to come through with their heads down. Last year, Scott Stevens was inducted in to the Hall Of Fame, and for good reason. One only needs to search his name on youtube to find some of the best hits ever to be laid upon any soul that was unfortunate enough to be on the ice with him. 

While Stevens was not a bad offensive player, it was his hitting that earned him respect among all players in the league. In fact, defensively he was so good, he did not have one season in his career in which he had a minus rating on the year, with a +393 on his career. But is he a Hall of Famer without the hitting? Well, that's a different discussion for a different time, but it is clear, the hard hits he put on his foes made him an automatic first ballot Hall of Famer. 

Now, I am not a Devils fan, in fact, I hate them with a passion. I am

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