TSN's Dave Hodge sounds off on all the hockey issues of the day in Hodgemail. Write in to answer Dave's weekly question and watch the NHL on TSN later tonight to see if he reads your response.
The NHL rulebook outlines a broad range of penalties for everything ranging from stick infractions to fighting majors. But from season to season, there continues to be a distinct grey area when it comes to the judging of hits to the head.
There currently is no penalty for headchecking in the NHL, yet more severe examples of hits to the head have drawn suspensions from the league in the past.
Arguments have been made that as long as there is no outline in the rulebook, players are in a grey area regarding how far to go with their physical play.
Hits to the head caused Eric Lindros and Paul Kariya to miss significant time during their careers and recently, Panthers' forward David Booth.
So here's Dave's question to you: Should the NHL institute a penalty for headchecking?
And here are the answers that Dave liked best:
Accidental high-sticking penalties are called—why not all hits to the head, including the accidental ones? The NHL could decide later if further discipline is required. - Geoff, Ottawa
The rules are fine. Players are paid millions of dollars to entertain us and bodychecking is part of the entertainment. If they don't like it, they should keep their heads up or go to Europe. - Danny, Gatineau, Que.
Hitting a player with the puck is designed to free the puck; that's fine, that's hockey. Hitting a player who no longer has the puck is nothing but punishment. Penalize the unnecessary hit, like Mike Richards' hit on David Booth. - Alex, Saskatoon, Sask.
There is no way to eliminate hits to the head while maintaining hockey's physical aspect. The difference in player size is too great to implement a headchecking penalty. - Wes, Hamiota, Man.
Let the players decide—they're the ones taking the hits and they're the ones dishing them out. - Jamieson, Ottawa
A clear, distinct hit to the head should result in a 5 minute penalty, game misconduct and an automatic game suspension. It's time to get this dirty play out of the game, too many players have had careers cut short due to concussions. - Tyson, Stephenville, Nfld.
Absolutely. It works in every other hockey league in the world, and it would work in the NHL - if only to make players think before flying at others with the reckless abandon we see these days. - Chris, Ottawa
No. If it's a hit with the shoulder and theres no jumping involved before the hit then it's legal. Hitting is a part of the game. - Jonathan
The NHL should follow the concept laid out in minor hoockey, whereby a check directly to the head is penalized. Checks that involve contact to the shoulder and inadvertantly hit the head do not fall under a check to the head. - Steve, Newmarket, Ont.
If you add hits to the head – what is fighting? Several punches to the head. - Matthew, Edmonton
When you go after a guy's head, especially from the blind side,that is in the rulebook. It's called intent to injure. - Ben, Charlottetown
If a player has his head down and gets a clean shoulder to the noggin that is fair game. - Kristen
Yes, hits to the head should be illegal. The larger issue for me is why players are allowed to where their chin straps so loose, if the helmet isn't in the correct position it won't help the player at all. - Zack
Sadly, until someone either dies or becomes a paraplegic, the NHL will do nothing. At that point we'll collectively feel bad, blame it on the player, but in essence it lies with the league allowing this to occur. - Jean-Paul
The NHL needs to impose the same sort of penalties done by all major sports that have big time physical contact. Enough of seeing guys lying on the ice. I'm sure the NFL & CFL wouldn't stand by and do nothing. - Dean, Montreal
The real question here is simple. What's more important: protecting the sanctity of hitting in hockey or the future of hockey players? The health and safety of the players has to come first. Excuse the pun, but it seems like a "no-brainer" to me. - Conor, Montreal
A capital letters, definite "YES!" A rule dealing with head shots should be clearly spelled out in the rule book and called everytime it happens, whether a player is hurt or not. - Gerald, Saskatoon
The purpose of bodychecking is to knock a guy off the puck not to disable him from playing for the rest of the game or even weeks at a time. I had hoped that BS died when Scott Stevens retired. - Dana, Fredericton, NB
I say no. 80% of the time it's the victim's fault, either because he doesn't keep his head up, or because he has placed himself in a vulnerable position to take a headshot. - Jordan, St. Paul, Alta.
Not if its a clean hit with your elbows down and your feet on the ground. It's part of the game and its an issue where it would be impossible to draw a line on fair and foul. - Steve, Long Island
Of course they should, it appears that not until someone gets killed that the NHL will finally do something about headchecks. Its barbaric, and should not be part of hockey. - Stan
When it comes to headchecking or headhunting it is no longer a question of clean or dirty hit, but a moral issue as well. The fact that the League is even on the fence on this issue is ANOTHER black eye for a sport that cant afford them. - Angelo, Guelph
And Dave's Reply To All:
Obviously, those who think that hitting is part of the game believe that hockey wouldn't be worth watching if its physical and sometimes violent side disappeared. So those people are reluctant to pass a rule on headchecks, because if players aren't allowed to hit high after they've been forbidden to hit low, or late, or from behind, or from too far away, or against the boards, or to punish - well, hitting will disappear. But to draw a line in the rulebook that leaves headchecks immune is hardly sensible - the head is the first thing that needs to be protected. Tough to do, though, in a sport that wants punches to the head to be allowed forever.