It seems like every new NHL season brings with it hand-wringing and discussions from fans and pundits regarding whether the league needs to do something to better protect its players from vicious, illegal hits to the head.
Of course, the chattering always starts up when another player is blindsided with a head shot. This time, it came from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), when Patrice Cormier laid an elbow to Mikael Tam.
Even though the hit has put into question what kinds of penalties should be in place for players who completely disregard their opponent’s safety, it happened in the QMJHL, so then, people will ask, why does the NHL have to worry about it?
It’s simple, the NHL is the standard bearer of what can and cannot be allowed into the sport of hockey. It is their responsibility to set the example for the style of play and the behaviour of its players on and off the ice.
Head shots have always been a contentious issue because die hard hockey fans will claim that policing those hits would mean the game of hockey would be watered down and eventually lead to ...
To understand this phenomenon we must go back to March 13, 1955. On this date, the Montreal Canadians were playing a game in Boston against the Bruins. One of the opposing players, Hal Laycoe, high-sticked Maurice Richard, injuring him to the point of requiring eight stitches on his scalp. Richard retaliated by smashing his own stick over Laycoe's head and shoulders and slashed him with another player's stick until it splintered. Becoming annoyed with the official's interference in the fight, Richard then turned and punched him. Since hitting an official was the least honorable thing to do, Richard was expelled from the game (2000).
When a skater checks against the dasher boards, it seems as if one player is attempting to do more than simply separate the player from the puck. For this reason, hockey rules insist that certain methods of checking against boards are illegal. Players for instance, earn a roughness penalty for using the stick, or any part of the arm to slam a player’s head into the
Hockey is the game played with the curved stick and it is found in every culture. It has been a part of the Canadian and North American culture for over a hundred years. Hockey has developed from the original six to thirty teams, and many leagues. One thing that is prominent in hockey is the hit on the opposing player when he has the puck. Checking can be defined as using physical force to either gain possession of the puck or to disrupt the opposition’s play without breaking the rules. Checking has been a part of hockey since the beginning. Recently, there has been much controversy over whether or not checking in hockey should be banned. In the year 2005 and 2006 there were many rules and regulations added to checking that were not penalized before. Checking has made the hockey game more interesting game and also has given the opportunity to players to play more with minimal stoppage. I believe that checking should not be banned because medical science has gotten the ability to heal all injuries that occur in sports, players know in advance that there is high risk in the activity, and it allows a fan to sublimate his aggressive tendency.
It’s Saturday Night, the crowd gone wild with an epic hit on the opposing team. The occasional drunk sitting next to you, as your kids enjoy delicious Dipping Dots. Right as the momentum is swinging towards the home team, a penalty is called. A powerplay opportunity is awarded to the defending team. With the home team fighting with all their might to defend from a goal, down 4 on 5, they run around like chickens with their heads chopped off, trying to get the puck out of their zone. Then when everything seems to simmer down, a fight breaks between the bulkiest guys on each team, punches being thrown, blood spattering across the ice. In hockey today, there are two main leagues in the United states: the NHL, and USA Hockey. Just like in any game, there are basic rules that must be followed. In these two leagues there are similarities and differences in basic “golden” rules, benefits from playing, and the official’s code of conduct.
Are current equipment regulations enough to keep our hockey athletes safe? I ask this after the life threatening injury that recently occurred here in Buffalo. However this isn’t the first time that the NHL (National Hockey League) has seen injuries of this magnitude. What were these injuries? How did they affect the NHL rules? What kind of rules are in place today? What is the NHL doing about neck guards? These questions and more will be answered as we take a look into NHL injuries, the history of equipment regulations, current equipment regulations, and the debate over neck guards.
First, the rules that are enforced are a great way of making the game safe for the players. There are rules like, not being allowed to tackle certain ways. For example, if you tackle someone from the back by pulling them, then that is said to be an illegal tackle. It is also said that it is illegal for someone to pull on others facemask when tackling. There are many others rules that are enforced in the game. Another one is the rule that says, Head to Head is not allowed. What that basically is that you cannot tackle someone by contacting your helmet to the opposing player. This rule makes it greatly safe because it reduces the numbers of injuries that occur to the head and the neck. The head is the key part of the human body. When someone hits another player with the helmet in the head, it reduces the risks of concussion and that can result to serious and severe body failures, including being...
fights in hockey than any other team sport), but parents should leave the body contact to
Should fighting stay in hockey? Should we allow players hit other player in the face with a hockey sticks or take other cheap shots and not do anything about it? If your star player got taken off the ice because of a stick to the face, you would want to do something about it wouldn’t you? Fighting should stay in hockey. For the fan appeal, players getting revenge, having
Ice hockey is a fast-paced and full contact sport whether you are in a body checking league or not. However with a full contact sports, concussions are unfortunately inevitable. There are numerous factors that play into the number of concussions in ice hockey. Body checking and numerous head impact injuries that occur in hockey are a huge reason for concussions. Although administrators are taking steps towards concussion prevention and education, this education is proving to be ineffective. This paper will take a look at the various injury mechanisms that contribute to concussions and other head-impact injuries in ice hockey, as well as discussing concussion education.
Millions of people are registered throughout North America for participation in Canada’s national sport and pastime, ice hockey. Most young hockey players have the dream of making it to the National Hockey League (NHL). Because of this incentive to keep striving towards their ultimate goal in their hockey career, they idolize the players in the NHL. Therefore, youth players may obtain certain habits from the elite, whether those habits are good or bad. Some cases are of bad influences, such as young players obtaining the dirty playing habits of the professionals. The primary action that influences the youthful population is body checking. With the thought of losing a game, it is no wonder why players have the urge to play rough and potentially hurt the opposing team in order to be victorious. For that reason, hockey is a strong collision sport that requires great skill and motivation. Although body checking is believed to be a useful tool in the winning of hockey games, it can be the cause that leads to injury among players. Because of the rougher play, lasting brain injuries are becoming a worry and too many players are exposed to the lasting effects of the head injury. According to Michael Cusimano July 22, 2003 the article entitled “Body Checking and Concussions” states, “With the rising incidence of traumatic brain injury in hockey, too many players are exposed to the lasting effects of such injuries, some of which are not fully realized until the brain completes its maturation.” For this reason, new equipment and regulations need to be devised for use in the near future.
Hockey is one of the most dangerous sports to play today, not because of the fast pace of the game, but because of the some of the equipment that is used. The most punishing and non forgiving piece of equipment in hockey is the puck. The word puck became mainstream in 1867 in Canada. It is possible that Halifax natives, who were Irish, introduced the word to Canada. The hockey puck has evolved over the years it came into existence just like the game itself. People have tried and failed to think of news ways to make a hockey puck, but only one way has proved itself to be the only one. Without the puck there would be no hockey culture. Lets lace up the skates and skate our way into what the hockey culture is and take a look at how the puck has created this culture from the beginning of its time.
In 1994, the Canadian Federal government compromised and voted to make hockey Canada’s National Winter Sport and lacrosse Canada’s National Summer Sport. Which Sport should be named Canada’s true national sport? Hockey is in the blood of all Canadians. Millions can vividly remember the first time they put on a pair of skates and stepped onto the ice. Providing nation-wide entertainment, Canadians are overcome by emotional realization that “Canada is hockey.”- Mike Weir. Generations of Canadians were brought up listening to Hockey Night in Canada every Saturday evening on the radio. It is more than just a sport in Canada, it defines the culture. Look no further than the five-dollar bill. One will observe a group of children playing a game of hockey on a frozen pond. The sport is part of Canada’s national identity.
March 8th, 2004 was supposed to be nothing more than a competitive and action packed regular season hockey game between feuding rivals, the Colorado Avalanche and the Vancouver Canucks. The game slipped away from the Canucks, with the Avalanche up 6-2 heading into the third period. The heated contested already had its fair share of fighting majors, but an incident that happened late in the third period shocked the more than 18,000 fans in attendance at Rogers Arena, the hockey community, and North America. After failing to instigate a fight with Avalanche forward Steve Moore, Todd Bertuzzi of the Vancouver Canucks grabbed the back of Moore’s jersey, landed a vicious punch to the back of Moore’s head, before slamming him face first on the ice and falling on top of him. Moore had to be helped off the ice on a stretcher, and has never returned to the NHL. Bertuzzi, on the other hand, was suspended for 20 games by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, and is still playing in the NHL for the Detroit Red Wings. This is one of many examples of deviance in sports, and how a win-at-all costs mentality can drive athletes to act in extreme manners. As a result of the growing commercialization of sports, athletes are socialized at young ages to believe that winning is everything, and that stopping at nothing will help you succeed. Athletes will do almost anything to gain the upper hand in their respective sports, whether it is through engaging in excessive on-field violence or through the use of performance enhancing drugs, excessively committing themselves to their sport, or by violating league rules and policies. In sports, deviance is viewed in a different light than in the outside world. As professional athletes strive towards conforming to spor...
pucks, the rock hard ice floor and of Course the aggressive players. The helmet is the
A. Subpoint: Many people do not like to focus on the violent nature of the game. Big hits and tackles are frequently praised and seen on top plays. But there are too many cases where these big hits result in serious concussions.