Paul Stewart: Upon Further Review of the Brooks Orpik Hit on Dan Boyle...

Paul you touch on a very important part of the headshot rule. It's only a penalty if the head was the principal point of contact and if contact with the head is avoidable. Every hit to the head isn't automatically a penalty. Orpik's hit was square through Boyle's body, and based on Boyle's posture contact with the head was unavoidable.

Clean hit.

Only thing I disagree with you Paul is he did leave his feet. Doesn't matter either way, the refs weren't going to, and shouldn't have called a charging penalty at that time of the game. Only thing I care about is the Rangers won.

Also you could do a blog everyday with the asinine things Milbury says.

Only thing I disagree with you Paul is he did leave his feet. Doesn't matter either way, the refs weren't going to, and shouldn't have called a charging penalty at that time of the game. Only thing I care about is the Rangers won.

Also you could do a blog everyday with the asinine things Milbury says.

- mdw7413

There aren't enough days in the year, enough years any of us will be alive to ever run out of asinine things Milbury says

It was tough to tell about the skates leaving the ice, but initially, and after watching the replays during the broadcast, I thought Orpik kind of chicken-winged through the hit and if anything caught Boyle with an elbow...

Yes, the principal point of contact was the head. Yes, Boyle did not make a sudden movement that changed the angle of the hit. However, Boyle was hunched over at the time, trying to make a play with the puck. His head was below the height of the boards as his momentum carried him toward Orpik. That's one check mark in Orpik's favor. There was really no other place Orpik could have realistically made contact with Boyle.
- Paul Stewart

I guess hip checks are illegal now? Or is the rule now written as, "You can't hit a player in the head, unless he's hunched over and/or you're taller than him."

You once talked about your error in not calling an automatic delay of game penalty the first time you reffed a game after the puck over the glass rule was instituted; you said that you had to call the rules as they're written, not as you feel they SHOULD be written."

Now, Claude 2 of Rule 48 does stipulate that you should consider "Whether the opponent put himself in a vulnerable position by assuming a posture that made head contact on an otherwise full body check unavoidable." Again, this could be argued, but it also means that every time a player like Zdeno Chara makes a "lega'" body check on Tyler Ennis, he's going to end up clobbering him in the head since, even if Ennis' posture is skating as upright as possible, his head is in line with Chara's shoulder. Does this mean that it's okay to hit a player in the head as long as he's substantially smaller than you?

I don't think it was a very dirty hit, and I don't think it should have been a major/misconduct. However, it probably warranted a 2-minute minor and an ass beating the next time Orpik plays the Rangers.

I don't think it was a very dirty hit, and I don't think it should have been a major/misconduct. However, it probably warranted a 2-minute minor and an ass beating the next time Orpik plays the Rangers.
- jmatchett383

Maybe the Rangers can employ Thornton for a few games next season...

There aren't enough days in the year, enough years any of us will be alive to ever run out of asinine things Milbury says
- Stripes77

Did you (frank) the waitress?

Did you (frank) the waitress?
- edmhatescal

Stewie, once again, you nailed it, just as Orpik did! If you ever get to the Philly, lehigh valley, or Wilkes barre area again, and you'd like some intelligent hockey conversation, look me up. It would be an honor!

The primary object of a check remains as it's always been, to capture possession of the puck, not to rattle your opponent's head off the inside of his skull.

With everything we now know about head trauma, how about a more simple rule: Any hits to the head of an opponent are a minor penalty, at minimum.

The league does not need anymore Steve Montador tragedies. Or lawsuits.

If Dan Carcillo is smart enough to figure it out, you'd think everyone would. And what about the NHLPA protecting their members. From other members.

The NFL, hardly a leader in forward thinking, has eliminated head slaps, and other blows to the head, because such actions could effectively lead to the end the sport. Time for the NHL to follow suit.

For all of you who say that was a good hit, how would you respond to Dan Boyle's family if he's suffering dementia in 20 years, due to hits like this.

The primary object of a check remains as it's always been, to capture possession of the puck, not to rattle your opponent's head off the inside of his skull.

With everything we now know about head trauma, how about a more simple rule: Any hits to the head of an opponent are a minor penalty, at minimum.

The league does not need anymore Steve Montador tragedies. Or lawsuits.

If Dan Carcillo is smart enough to figure it out, you'd think everyone would. And what about the NHLPA protecting their members. From other members.

The NFL, hardly a leader in forward thinking, has eliminated head slaps, and other blows to the head, because such actions could effectively lead to the end the sport. Time for the NHL to follow suit.

For all of you who say that was a good hit, how would you respond to Dan Boyle's family if he's suffering dementia in 20 years, due to hits like this.
- scottak

I am not going to say the concussion lawsuit due to tragedies such as the Montador issue is a light subject because its not. However when a player knowingly plays this game and knowingly puts himself in position as Boyle did looking down while carrying the puck along side of the boards and bending over like that any defensemen INCLUDING Dan Boyle would do exactly what Orrpik did. If you play this game and put yourself in a position like that you're gonna have a bad time. We aren't talking a Lapierre hit here. I am not saying it was "clean" but it was legal by NHL standards anyway.

You don't have to dissect every little nuance of the hit. Just look at the clip and it's clearly a purposeful and unnecessary head shot delivered by a player with a storied history of it. You do realize that former players and officials of repute who perpetuate this clean hit bullpoop are the people who continue to give license to guys like Orpik and plays like this?

I am not going to say the concussion lawsuit due to tragedies such as the Montador issue is a light subject because its not. However when a player knowingly plays this game and knowingly puts himself in position as Boyle did looking down while carrying the puck along side of the boards and bending over like that any defensemen INCLUDING Dan Boyle would do exactly what Orrpik did. If you play this game and put yourself in a position like that you're gonna have a bad time. We aren't talking a Lapierre hit here. I am not saying it was "clean" but it was legal by NHL standards anyway.
- Stripes77

That's just an outright fabrication

You can't make bull riding/boxing/mma fighting, "safe." These athletes know what they are doing, and they know the risks.
Hockey is no different. It's a violent sport played at very high speeds. Hits like this will always happen, accidentally or not.

The primary object of a check remains as it's always been, to capture possession of the puck, not to rattle your opponent's head off the inside of his skull.

With everything we now know about head trauma, how about a more simple rule: Any hits to the head of an opponent are a minor penalty, at minimum.

The league does not need anymore Steve Montador tragedies. Or lawsuits.

If Dan Carcillo is smart enough to figure it out, you'd think everyone would. And what about the NHLPA protecting their members. From other members.

The NFL, hardly a leader in forward thinking, has eliminated head slaps, and other blows to the head, because such actions could effectively lead to the end the sport. Time for the NHL to follow suit.

For all of you who say that was a good hit, how would you respond to Dan Boyle's family if he's suffering dementia in 20 years, due to hits like this.
- scottak

Oh for crying out loud. These players know the risks when they play the game. It was clean hit. If you don't like it don't watch and save the bleeding heart crap for someone else. I wonder if you felt the same way when Seabrook nailed Backes in the playoffs?

You don't have to dissect every little nuance of the hit. Just look at the clip and it's clearly a purposeful and unnecessary head shot delivered by a player with a storied history...
- gforce

So there's no need to weigh various criteria and look at the specific situation at hand when there's an opportunity to make a knee-jerk reaction based solely on reputation? Sounds like a plan.

Oh for crying out loud. These players know the risks when they play the game. It was clean hit. If you don't like it don't watch and save the bleeding heart crap for someone else. I wonder if you felt the same way when Seabrook nailed Backes in the playoffs?
- acdc1206

That's a pretty hollow argument. Because they know the risks, everything should stay as it is, instead of the league trying to minimize those risks?

So there's no need to weigh various criteria and look at the specific situation at hand when there's an opportunity to make a knee-jerk reaction based solely on reputation? Sounds like a plan.
- Paul Stewart

It's a rotten, dangerous and predatory hit regardless of who delivered it. That's clear in my eyes and many others who don't want to see an epidemic of short and long term brain issues ruin the best sport in the world. I had no real issue with Orpik's hit on Toews if that gives any perspective.

I'm saying respectfully that people such as yourself can sway players' and public opinion. Effectively you empower Orpik and his ilk to carry on. You're the expert though, I should really just shut my mouth. As should Milbury.

You can't make bull riding/boxing/mma fighting, "safe." These athletes know what they are doing, and they know the risks.
Hockey is no different. It's a violent sport played at very high speeds. Hits like this will always happen, accidentally or not.
- edmhatescal

The object in bull riding/boxing/mma is to hurt your opponent. That's a far cry from the object of hockey.

Additionally, Boyle had already given up the puck before the hit, so Orpik could have rode him sideways into the boards. He chose to punish him with a hit to his head.

It's ironic that head hits were more rare back when players were sans helmets. Bill Masterton's death was due to hitting his head on the ice, not from a check to the head. Helmets have emboldened both the hitter and the hitee. And that has lead to where we are now.

And for those of you who don't know who Bill Masterton is, look it up.

Additionally, Boyle had already given up the puck before the hit, so Orpik could have rode him sideways into the boards. He chose to punish him with a hit to his head.

It's ironic that head hits were more rare back when players were sans helmets. Bill Masterson's death was due to hitting his head on the ice, not from a check to the head. Helmets have emboldened both the hitter and the hitee. And that has lead to where we are now.
- scottak

Yup. There's a false notion that these hits were always prevalent. Old time hockey don't ya know.

That's just an outright fabrication
- gforce

Really cause do a simple youtube search

What did you think about Mike Green's second penalty?

It looked to me like Girardi embellished and I wasn't sure it was really worth a penalty. Maybe in regular season but in the playoffs the call looked a bit weak to me.