Many prominent writers and on air personalities feel that "head checks" should be out of hockey. To me it seems like media members are pushing for big hits to be removed harder than anybody else and I can't stand it.
Big hits are exiting game changing events that has the same effect as a big save, a killed penalty or a fight. A penalty for head checks puts discretion into the hands of the referee and doubt into the mind of a player. Do they really want a Defenceman who is lining up to punish a forward thinking, “I better not, he might get hurt, I might get a penalty”. Sorry but that is not professional sports.
If there were any way to eliminate “head checks” it would be from the grass-roots level. Teaching the kids how to hit properly is not the answer (they are taught this already), teaching them to carry the puck properly is. When I was kid I learned a lesson early, "when you skate with your head down, you’re probably going to get hammered," look at me concussion free...........thank-you Rockem Sockem 6-20.
The last ten years have seen a drop in concussions, the highest ever incidences per 1000 exposures was in 1998 when it reached 1.81, fast forward 10 years and the number has dropped to 1.04/1000.
reference: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19235451
Players are getting hurt less often than they were in 1998, they are being treated more appropriately and they are getting paid more. The time that a player spends injured has increased, new guidelines are assuring the players are taken care of properly.
A major reason why NHL players have an average salary just over $1.9 million is danger pay. Being injured is part of the game, if a player happens to suffer an injury that ends their career; an organization known as the NHLPA will make sure the player is taken care of. If all the danger is going to be eliminated, then pay them $70,000 a season for giving us figure skating with shoulder pads.
Big hits are exiting game changing events that has the same effect as a big save, a killed penalty or a fight. A penalty for head checks puts discretion into the hands of the referee and doubt into the mind of a player. Do they really want a Defenceman who is lining up to punish a forward thinking, “I better not, he might get hurt, I might get a penalty”. Sorry but that is not professional sports.
If there were any way to eliminate “head checks” it would be from the grass-roots level. Teaching the kids how to hit properly is not the answer (they are taught this already), teaching them to carry the puck properly is. When I was kid I learned a lesson early, "when you skate with your head down, you’re probably going to get hammered," look at me concussion free...........thank-you Rockem Sockem 6-20.
The last ten years have seen a drop in concussions, the highest ever incidences per 1000 exposures was in 1998 when it reached 1.81, fast forward 10 years and the number has dropped to 1.04/1000.
reference: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19235451
Players are getting hurt less often than they were in 1998, they are being treated more appropriately and they are getting paid more. The time that a player spends injured has increased, new guidelines are assuring the players are taken care of properly.
A major reason why NHL players have an average salary just over $1.9 million is danger pay. Being injured is part of the game, if a player happens to suffer an injury that ends their career; an organization known as the NHLPA will make sure the player is taken care of. If all the danger is going to be eliminated, then pay them $70,000 a season for giving us figure skating with shoulder pads.
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