Rule 48 has been discussed ad nauseum. Anyone who is a fan of the NHL has probably heard Brendan Shanahan read the rule so many times that they know it by heart. Regardless, I’m going to reiterate exactly what Rule 48 says, simply because this hit by Jean-Francois Jacques on R.J. Umberger is so outrageous that it implies that Jacques is completely unfamiliar with the rule. From the NHL:
J.F. Jacques Suspended 3 Games For Elbowing R.J. Umberger
Jean-Francois Jacques of the Anaheim Ducks has been suspended three games for an illegal hit on R.J. Umberger of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
A hit resulting in contact with an opponent’s head where the head is targeted and the principal point of contact is not permitted.
Is it possible to contact the head more. target the head more, and do more to make the head the principal point of contact than Jacques does in this hit?
As Shanahan explains, this hit is very illegal. Francois was handed a three-game suspension for the hit. He was lucky that Umberger didn’t sustain a concussion on the hit, which would have extended the suspension. Shanahan’s explanation in this video sounds tired and annoyed, as if he’s extremely frustrated that he even has to explain that someone made a hit this dumb, why it is illegal, and that the player who committed the illegal action will be suspended.
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