While the NHL has been cracking down on hits to the head starting this year, college hockey and the WCHA have been trying to eliminate it for years. Unfortunately for North Dakota’s Brad Malone, he ended up catching Denver’s Jesse Martin in a vulnerable position on Saturday night and it will cost him one game as a result.
North Dakota’s Brad Malone Suspended One Game For Brutal Hit
Jesse Martin was hospitalized with a fractured neck and Malone will miss Friday’s game against Minnesota-Duluth. Our western college hockey site had this to say about the hit before the suspension was brought down:
I understand that people say it’s difficult to tell Malone to slow down there and not throw a big hit, since that’s how he’s been coached since he was a youngster. But if Martin’s back had been turned on that play, I’m betting Malone would have found a way to slow down and not blow him up there. Because people in the game of hockey have done a tremendous job doing whatever it takes to teach players that when an opponent is in a vulnerable position, facing towards the boards, it’s absolutely unacceptable to put a big hit on him because the consequences can be so severe.
While plays like this absolutely have to be eliminated from the game of hockey, you almost have to feel for both of the people in this incident.
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