Raffi Torres Suspension: NHL Must Suspend Coyotes Forward for Entire Playoffs

It’s time for the NHL to man up and suspend Phoenix Coyotes forward Raffi Torres for the remainder of the playoffs for his hit on Chicago Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa Tuesday night.

At the same time, they will be setting the precedent for all future seasons; if a player hits another star in the head during a playoff game, they will be thrown out of the remainder of the team’s playoff games.

It’s that simple.

UPDATE: Wednesday, April 18, 4:40 p.m. ET by Donald Wood

While the NHL thinks about what it should do, they have suspended Coyotes forward Raffi Torres indefinitely until they meet in-person Friday. While it’s unclear what the penalty may be, it’s certain that the meeting will weigh heavily on the decision.

Hockey reporter for RDS Renaud P Lavoie is reporting about Torres’s suspension and hearing:

"

Phoenix Coyotes forward Raffi Torres has been suspended indefinitely, pending an in-person hearing Friday, April 20.

— Renaud P Lavoie (@RenLavoieRDS) April 18, 2012"

While this is just a holding pattern, it’s the perfect opportunity for the NHL to uphold the suspension indefinitely and make it for the remainder of the playoffs. The intent to injure was clear and making an example of Torres has to be the way the NHL responds.

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As you can see in the video, Torres lined up Chicago Blackhawks finesse forward and one of the team’s top offensive threats, Marian Hossa, from the width of the ice away. It’s obvious that he went out of his way to make the hit on Hossa, but it was the fact that he left his feet to lay the perfect shoulder check into Hossa's jaw that makes it even worse.

In my opinion, the resulting injuries from the hit should not play a part in the judging of the punishment. The criteria should be based on intent.

Just as we saw with Andrew Shaw’s suspension, the NHL sees when players can avoid hits and when they go out of their way to make them happen. No matter how injured a player gets, it’s hard to argue that Torres and Shaw didn’t have the exact same level of intent.

While the rule outlawing these actions would be extreme, the concussion battle is one that can’t be taken lightly. This is damage that’s done to a human being’s brain that will cause them serious health issues down the road. The NHL has the duty to protect the players and outlawing head shots is the only way to ensure it.

My suspension policy would be simple: for the regular season, the first offense will be a 10-game suspension, second is 25 games and the third offense is a full season. As harsh as it sounds, it would save the lives and extend the playing careers of the men these teams pay so much money.

As far as the playoffs go, just like Torres, Shaw and Nashville’s Shea Weber, just to name a few, any hit to the head should warrant a dismissal from the postseason.

If the NHL wants to stop the problem, they need to make an extreme statement. They can expect backlash like the NFL has faced, but as time goes on people will only remember the good that the rule changes have brought and will continue to bring.

Act now, NHL, or fear alienating yourself farther from the mainstream spotlight.

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