2011 NHL Playoffs: Should Raffi Torres Feel Commissioner Bettman's Wrath?

The NHL has taken some serious steps in addressing dangerous hits to players' heads this season.

Referees are watching hits much more closely—if anything comes near the head then it is a distinct possibility that culprits could see a five-minute major, and possibly even be ejected from the game.

The new concussion policy that the NHL has introduced is another great way to make sure that players are kept safe.

That being said, the playoffs are a different beast. We all know it. The referees are more inclined to let the players play, so that the officiating is not a major influence on who wins a series. 

All of this brings us to the most recent hit that will spark conversations at several water coolers around North America. 

During Game 3 of the Western Conference quarterfinals, Raffi Torres absolutely annihilated Brent Seabrook.

Seabrook looked like he got a serious hit to the head, but thankfully emerged unhurt. A penalty was called immediately, but the question is whether Raffi Torres should face any kind of disciplinary action from the league.

First, let's analyze this.

The penalty that was called was not a hitting from behind, a boarding or even an elbowing call.

Torres was called for interference. If you look at the replay, that's what it was. Seabrook hadn't yet received the puck before Torres laid him out.

However, Torres had just come back from a four-game suspension for an elbow to the head. Now he's immediately got himself into this type of situation again.

The NHL has not been lenient on repeat offenders and Torres now falls into that category. Plus, the way that Seabrook's head snapped back made it look pretty bad.

On the other hand, as you look at the replay, Torres definitely makes an effort to keep his elbow down—he doesn't make any contact with his elbow. You can actually see him yelling at the referee that his arm was down.

Torres definitely has a reputation as the kind of guy who will hit anything that moves.

In the past, he has occasionally got himself into trouble for some, let's say, "questionable" hits. This is definitely not the type of situation that he wants to find himself in again.

All the same, having watched the replay, it looks exactly like what was called on the ice—a hard interference call, nothing more.

There was no intent to injure and Torres clearly kept his arm down.

Essentially, he just ran into a guy who didn't yet have the puck with some force.

If he wanted to, he could have hit Seabrook much harder and in a much more dangerous fashion.

It's obvious that the league wants to take dangerous hits out of the game and I don't think you'll find anybody that disagrees with that, but there is a fine line to walk. This is not a dangerous hit, it's just a hard one.

Was it a penalty? Yes.

Should he be suspended for it? Absolutely not.