One of the new rules implemented in the NHL was an outlaw of blindside hits to the head to protect players from hits like the ones that David Booth from the Florida Panthers and Marc Savard from the Boston Bruins suffered last year. The one thing that always seems to be overlooked though are hits from behind. One such incident occurred during a WHL game between the Tri-City Americans and the Saskatoon Blades:
While Hits To Head Are Scrutinized, Hitting From Behind Is Often Overlooked
Saskatoon Blades’ Josh Nichols received a bruised back and a concussion from the hit and Tri-City’s Brendan Shinnimin received a boarding major and game misconduct for the hit. It reopens this debate on hits from behind because they are so dangerous. Our Puck Worlds editor Bruce Peter was at that game and had this initial reaction about the hit:
Hitting from behind at any level of hockey, particularly when dealing with teenagers, seems like an issue non-grata. What Shinnimin did was absolutely atrocious, but it was merely the escalation that comes at the end of games where the outcome is not in doubt.
Quite simply put... a 2 minute minor for checking from behind is not protecting anyone's head.
While hits like this will happen in the NHL this season, the debate over how severe they should be punished will still continue.
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