With all the talk of banning head shots, concussions and the long-term effects they have on players, there have been some critics calling for the elimination of hitting in hockey altogether. So when I was asked to write an article about the possibility of banning hitting in hockey, my response was quick and immediate and took only two words: no way.
That is not to say the NHL shouldn’t do all it can to minimize concussions and other injuries—all it can within reason, that is. Get better and safer equipment, limit head shots and hitting from behind and anything else that makes sense. But eliminate hitting? If you do that, it isn’t hockey anymore.
Leafs GM Brian Burke agrees. He told the New York Times that part of hockey is that you can get knocked down hard “any time you have the puck. That’s what’s distinctive and interesting—and what our fans like in our game. We’re going to have concussions. What we have to do is make the game as safe as we can make it within that context.”
If you want to know what hockey is like without hitting, try imagining the All-Star game being the norm for the sport ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Brad Kurtzberg
Is It Time for the NHL to Consider Banning Hitting Altogether?
June 26th, 2012 by Brad Kurtzberg Leave a reply »
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