really ought to be looked at… even if there is no “intent” some kind of deterrent is needed. It’s kind of like flagrant fouls in basketball (which can be called even if it was an accident, I think) and those new QB rules in the NFL. As long as the rule is well defined, it shouldn’t take much away from the game and at least avoids the more dangerous situations.

That said, being so new to the sport, I don’t feel I’m qualified to define “significant”…

I recall ‘soft’ capped elbow pads. As a relative short player, I ate them with regularity in the corners & slot. I am not sure they’re much better – and wonder if soft capping the gear would make a lot of difference.

But am leary of something that makes ANY head shot a automatic penalty or suspension. Some are truely “Clean” hits, just the circumstances of the game led to a guy getting his clock cleaned. Toews missed 6 games for getting leveled on a clean hit, which warneted no penalty let alone a suspension. If a player has his head down, has the puck, is checked but not charging no elbows or cross checking, the play/hit is to seperate the puck and player, and one player forgets his name at the end, well that IS hockey.

Cooke is the type of player that gives the sport in some people (short sighted) eyes a bad name. He is hitting here for effect (injur, daze, rattle, intimidate, ect.) not for play. THIS needs to be stopped and this asshat is a good example of bad things on ice, as with that fuck stick Patrice Cormier (who should be banned for his hit)
I Like the idea of the equipment and really think it should be looked at, perhaps softer outer cover on Forearm and elbow pads, of a little weaker to not make it so easy.
Just DO NOT go to OVERKILL! This is a rough sport, shit happens, but if it happens as part of the game that is one thing, and the players are aware of the risk. But is some Jerk Off makes the head a target (Except Fisticuffs, particularly on Backes, Kesler and Crosby), the NHL/AHL/ECHL/OHL ALL of them need to come down with an iron fist, because that is not part of that game anymore, but simply dangerous conduct and one can only reason for one purpose to injur another player, no league should tolerate that (Except Backes getting his brains beat in by Burish for GP)

“Turd burglar” …….he is a piece of crap….and you guys are gonna yell at me …but skilled enforcers would eliminate his predatory behavior.

Not sure what the answer is.

Anisimov skates across the blue line with the puck and his head down. If that’s my 17-year old son, I’m cringing.

The Savard hit was terrible- much more of a cheap “crackback block” feel.

Paraphrasing the Supreme Court justice on pornography: I can’t define it, but I know it when I see it.

and I’m glad you’ve opened up the discussion, but I have a couple of questions:

If changing the padding is part of the solution, then the biggest conundrum for me is this: how do you design padding that protects the players, yet doesn’t make a player feel invincible? They’re basically wearing football pads now. If you’re suggesting adding soft padding on top of a hard shell, I’m pretty certain this won’t prevent concussions. It’s the momentum behind the hit that causes these injuries and I doubt a 1/2 inch of padding will diminish the force enough to change anything. Force = mass x acceleration. Button line, guys are bigger and faster, so there needs to be a deterrent and a soft padding on top of hard isn’t it. If you’re suggesting soft padding without a hard plastic base, then that may prevent the sense of invulnerability of these hitters, but what about the majority of players that don’t engage in this type of play? Take a guy like Sopel. He wouldn’t survive a full game in soft padding. Shit, as we’ve joked about before, hard padding isn’t even enough for him, he needs Kevlar.

I also disagree that “fighting after clean hits=BAD”. You go after my guy, I’m going after you. I don’t want you hitting my star players and if me going after you is gonna make you think twice, then that might negate hits in general. If a player doesn’t want to face the consequences, then he shouldn’t make the hit, period. You think a guy like Stralman is going to reconsider putting a hit on Kane? I think so. It’s not like the guys on the ice have the advantage of slow motion replay to determine if the hit was clean and even then there’s usually debate. It’s reactionary and a policing part of the game IMO.

Hans strap on…….nothing is gonna help. When the brain go bouncing around and the neck is whipped….ur fucked. At the best it is a concussion and it gets worse from there. In car accidents , blunt trama to the head and you are dealing with both short term and long term head issues. Savard will suffer from ocassionally headaches to personality changes—due to head trama

There’s not as much public outcry over it as Cooke’s cheap shots (and probably for good reason). Brouwer fighting Brown after his big hit was ridiculous. The fact the Brown didn’t get and instigator amazed me. Calling that probably would have gotten Brown a 2 game suspension for instigating with a visor and instigating in the last 5 mins.

so he hits guys with their head down, fine, but he elbows both guys in the head instead of hitting with shoulder.

Send that guy off for the rest of the year and maybe he’ll learn his lesson.