Headshot Bonanza!

By Eric Rosenhek

Headshots. Headshots! That’s all I’m hearing these days. Headshots. Headshots. Headshots.

It’s a subject that’s taken up so much space. There are clean hits, dirty hits, blindside hits, hits from the front, hits from the back. Shoulder to shoulder. Shoulder to head. He’s got a concussion. He’s out six to eight weeks. Penalties, missed calls, the ref didn’t see it...

And then there are the replays. Oh, the replays from various angles! How many times have I seen Marc Savard get smoked? Probably five to six - thousand.  How many times have I seen Sidney Crosby get nailed by David Steckel? I’ve actually lost count.

Headshots and their vicious consequences. The perpetrator, moving with the force of 1000 suns, strikes with guidance from almighty Zeus. The victim, no longer the same human being he once was, falls to the ice. His brain has suffered incredible trauma.

Columnists and insiders point fingers:

It’s the referees’ fault.

No! The refs are human beings. They’re not perfect. They’re doing the best they can. They don’t have the luxury of instant replay.

It’s the league’s fault.

The league has imposed and/or considered rules and/or suspensions for headshots. But sadly, the NHL won’t do anything significant until a player actually dies on the ice. The NHL likes aggressive behaviour. The league feels it’s the only way to attract eyeballs.

It’s the players’ fault. They need to show more respect.

RESPECT?! There’s no respect in professional hockey. Have you seen the equipment the players wear? It’s given them the sense of invisibility. Emotional reactions dominate the game. Win by any means necessary.

Headshots are a disease that affects the sport we love. There must be a cure!

How about having the players wear only shirts and shorts on the ice? No helmets. No pads. Who would dare take a run at an opponent then?

How about having stricter punishments that actually forces players to think before they act? Maybe it’s time for NHL teams to stitch the STOP sign on the back of their jerseys.

How about allowing the referees to use instant replay? The technology exists, so why not use it?

Three solutions to cure this epidemic and there are many more. They might not be perfect, but it’s a much-needed start.

All this talk about headshots will drive a person insane. Fortunately, that hasn’t happened yet.

Right?