Head Shots in the NHL: Are They a Future Infestation?

Having just watched Boston Bruins defenseman Johnny Boychuk’s attempted decapitation of Toronto Maple Leafs forward Matt Stajan this past Saturday night, I’m all for stoking the fire of the debate. All season long, head shots have been a hot topic around the NHL, and the subject has raised extreme feelings on both sides of the debate.

On one side, you have science. Former Chicago Blackhawks player Reggie Fleming passed away this past July at the age of 73. After his brain tissue was examined post-mortem, he was diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) following an estimated 20 concussions over a 13-year career.

CTE is the kind of injury most often found in football players or boxers. It is also the same injury that former Pro Wrestler Chris Benoit suffered from, and we all know how that ended for him.

On the other side, you have ego. “Stop wussifying the game!” is their battle cry. “It’s a tough game played by tough men!” They want the players to police themselves through fighting. You know, as though a 6’2” 225lb athlete in his 20s will somehow be afraid to bodycheck for fear he’ll get punched. These men willingly jump in front of a speeding hunk of frozen rubber. Brad May’s fist, formidable as it may be, pales in comparison.

So here is one possible solution: adopt the “Strike Zone.” Hitting is allowed only from the middle of the thigh to the shoulders (in other words, baseball’s strike zone on most nights). A hit anywhere else, even incidental, is an automatic one-game suspension.

We have reached the point where size trumps skill, a problem that was supposed to be corrected after the lockout. I don't believe that the NHL should go back to pond hockey rules , but common sense should inform the Rules Committee that putting a Ford Focus on ice skates and running down Sidney Crosby is not a good idea.