Hits to the head are a hot topic these days. On the one hand, this is an indication that the league and player's association care about the health and safety of the combatants on the ice, which is a good thing. On the other hand, the fact that we have to keep talking about it means that players are still out there taking liberties with each other, and whatever measures and suspensions the league is dishing out to perpetrators seem to lack the substance required to make an impact. No decision on the legality of a hit ever seems to satisfy everyone. For instance, I thought Thomas Pock and Denis Gauthier were over-penalized for questionable hits this season, while Brendan Witt got off easy, and a teammate of his and Pock's, (Doug Weight) got off scot-free. My opinion takes into account a number of factors, the most important of which being whether or not the hitter was trying to make a "legitimate hockey play." Pock and Gauthier, while throwing dirty hits, did so while trying to separate their man from the puck. Both were overzealous, and suspensions were warranted, but not five games in length. Weight's hit on an unsuspecting Brandon Sutter was as unnecessary as it was malicious. I like Doug Weight, but he crossed the line, and the league looked the other way. Fortunately, Sutter is now ok. Witt though, he's another story. His elbow to the head of Niklas Hagman (who three weeks later, is still recovering) was blatantly violent, and in no way, shape or form was he trying to do anything else but injure Hagman. He should have had a suspension in the Steve Downie range. For all future purposes, the "Steve Downie Range" encompasses suspensions approximately 20 games in length, as he is no stranger to those.
So why bring all of this up now? Well, Ben Eager was suspended for three games for a hit to the head on Liam Reddox. Evgeni Malkin threw an eerily similar hit on the Kings' Wayne Simmonds a couple of nights later, and received no suspension. So this month, Eager is the equivalent of Pock and Malkin is the equivalent of Weight. People are up in arms over the fact that there appears to be a double standard being applied across the league. There seems to be one set of rules for the stars and another for those who aren't. Is this true? If so, is it justifiable? These are all intriguing questions.
I think the evidence suggests there is some inconsistency here. Since Eager was suspended, Malkin should have been also, based on the rules. Neither player was interested in the puck during their respective headshot sequences. They were only interested in crushing in the skull of their opponent. I'm supportive of suspensions for these kinds of hits in general, but I would also advocate longer banishments. So why doesn't the league agree? Consider what the common denominator in all of these cases is. The player on the receiving end of the dirty hit has yet to be someone of significance. With all due respect to people like Reddox, Simmonds, Hagman, Sutter, and Josh Gorges, they are role players, not superstars. If Pavel Datsyuk or Sidney Crosby had their heads slammed by the third and fourth liners of the world, leading to either of them missing substantial time, I'm absolutely positive the league would step in and make a statement. And from a business perspective, I understand that - the league has to protect their assets. Through similar logic, I can understand why Evgeni Malkin and Doug Weight were not suspended - they are also superstars. Well, one is, and the latter was.
All things being equal, the league would properly assess hits and reprimand players appropriately. But in sports, like in life, all things aren't equal. That's just something we're all going to have to live with. Besides, I'm sure highlights of the Malkin hit, which got plenty of airplay on all the major networks over the weekend, will be replaced almost instantly by a world-class offensive play. It's a "what have you done for me lately" kind of business. And lately, no one has been better than Evgeni Malkin. Life at the top has its perks...
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