Marc Savard of the Boston Bruins lay motionless on the ice. After a slap slot, Matt Cooke of the Pittsburgh Penguins elbowed him in the side of the head. Dangerous head hits seem commonplace lately. We remember Junior hockey player Patrice Cromier’s disgusting hit that made headlines earlier this season and Florida Panthers star David Booth having to be carted off the ice after a hit by Philadelphia Flyers. These horrific injuries have become a major topic at the NHL GM meetings in Boca Raton, Florida.
The Associated Press reported via Yahoo! Sports that GMs are trying to find a way to deal with these types of hits. “I think we all care about the safety of our players, first and foremost,” Philadelphia Flyers GM Paul Holmgren said.
Some have been discussing tougher penalties for those who repeatedly commit dangerous acts on the ice. Former player and current Dallas Stars GM Joe Nieuwendyk said, “Clearly, the blindside and the unsuspecting player is what we’re targeting.”
Nieuwendyk also said that GMs don’t want to take hitting out of the game. “It’s a rough sport, but we’re just trying to take the necessary steps to protect our players.”
San Jose Sharks GM Doug Wilson said the GMs would like to have something in place as early as this week.
Other issues being discussed at the meetings are potential play-in games, different point formats and the all-star game selection process.
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Matthew Coller is a staff member of the Business of Sports Network, and is a freelance writer. He can be followed on Twitter
