The issue of head shot punishment in the NHL has been contentious for years. But a recent report noted that Carolina Hurricanes leadership and ownership want the NHL to be more progressive in punishing head shots. Does the league’s current standard protect players?
The NHL’s standard for punishing head injuries has been a hot topic of conversation of late, with a Sportsnet report noting that NHL commissioner Gary Bettman had a notable exchange with Carolina Hurricanes GM Erik Tulsky at the recent NHL GM meetings in Florida this past week.
Tulsky reportedly told Bettman that he strongly believes the league needs stronger enforcement of the head shot issue, as he believes the current standard/interpretation of the NHL’s Rule 48: Illegal Check to the Head is insufficient.
On Friday night in Toronto, with the Hurricanes in town playing the Toronto Maple Leafs, Carolina’s players, coach Rod Brind’Amour, and captain Jordan Staal weren’t ready to step up and demand change to the head shot issue, the way Canes owner Tom Dundon reportedly wants.
“Actually, I haven’t even heard about this,” Brind’Amour told reporters about the issue after the Canes beat the Maple Leafs 4-3 in overtime. “I mean, it’s always kind of been part of the game. The guys (are) getting bigger and stronger and faster… it’s a tough, tough thing to really police and manage because we could talk all day about it, but, I think when there’s intent, that’s when you got to kind of crack down.”
Brind’Amour was a physical competitor in his NHL career, so it’s only natural that he wasn’t going to berate the league and supplemental discipline executive George Parros publicly. The general sense around the Carolina team was that they weren’t eager to step up and point fingers at league officials over their current standard for head shots.
“(Head shots are) always a touchy subject,” Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal said after the Leafs game. “I feel like when there’s always someone getting fined or getting games, everyone has their own opinion on how many games and whatnot.
“And, (the penalties for head shots have) been up and down. There’s been some good (supplemental decisions) and bad ones, I think, and there’s good ones, bad ones every year. So I really have not much more to say about that.”
That said, the Sportsnet story reported that Dundon wants more protection for players’ heads and harsher punishment for violations, as Dundon’s “ire was re-ignited” by Minnesota Wild forward Tyler Pitlick’s hit on Hurricanes defenseman Jalen Chatfield in November. Pitlick was ejected from the game for the hit, but he wasn’t suspended.
At the GM meetings, Tulsky was the only GM who stepped up and spoke out in front of Bettman. The only way things are going to change regarding supplemental discipline is if people with power in the game demand change – and that’s what Dundon and Tulsky want.
But the sport’s culture is deeply ingrained, which is why there were few takers for publicly speaking out about the issue. Hockey has always carried risk, and despite Tulsky and Dundon wanting a more progressive approach to punishing head shots, their employees clearly weren’t willing to step up and say the same.
“I think there’s always going to be (head injuries) because we’re (playing) a physical sport,” Brind’Amour said Friday.
And that means there’s still a ways to go before NHL figures are ready to push for change on head shots. Until players, coaches, GMs, and owners all rise in unison, the head shot punishment issue will remain contentious.
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