I understand that. The problem is that not everyone has the abilities that Lidstrom did. Also, if you have a team full of Lidstrom-type players your defense is likely going to be pushed around quite a bit.

It's not like all Trouba does is go out head hunting. He's actually a pretty good defenseman (and for what it's worth, he wears the "A" for NY). Keith is guilty of some actions that I believe are more egregious than what Trouba did last night (Slash on Coyle, Elbow to Sedin, etc) and we all think he's the bees knees.
- Chunk

Sedin got him first in the head from the side in the corner and no call. When Sedin got to the blue line he caught one from Keith. Right in front of me and it sure didn't take DK long to get even.

I agree that the hard plastic caps on shoulder and elbow pads are a big part of allot of injuries. When I played as a kid only shin pads had hard plastic caps. The shoulder and elbow pads were cloth stuffing with nylon covering. Although the shoulder pads did have small plastic caps. That were no where near the size or hardness of today’s equipment.
- paulr

I played in the same era. Remember the running the gauntlet to teach us how to take a hit? never once did we ever target anyone's head. That would get your arse kicked pretty quick in my Saskatchewan neighbourhood.

This is what I do not understand about the rule or that hit last night. If the head is down, and you're the charging player coming in full speed, what part of the body do you think you are going to hit with your forearm or shoulder? Couldn't be anything but the head, right? So, how is that not a head shot? Especially, if Trouba doesn't even attempt to play the loose (and available) puck?

This one was made worse by Khaira raising his head right before the hit, thereby getting the shoulder/arm armor right on the chin.

Shaw, who lost his career to too many hits like that, had something to say about it today:

@shawz15er
@NHLPlayerSafety
we gunna see you protect your players or you gunna just point the finger at Jujhar saying he put himself in the position like you told me on many occasions?
- pdx2ord

Wanted to add to this thread other than to a NYR fan kindly coming to a Hawks thread to "talk sense" to the unwashed and uneducated and to offer the obligatory "glad to see the guy who was almost crippled is ok" as well as offering the unread the rule book.

Ain't a person who draws a paycheck playing the sport who thinks the Trouba hit is ok. They don't give a damn what the rule book says every one of them knows when someone is vulnerable and how to give them the respect of not endangering their existence, or not. .. You see that in the Shaw tweet. Every. Single. Player. Knows.

I watch tons and tons of USHL and I can tell you you hit a guy hard, period, and 50% of the time they whistle it. Clean beautiful check, not some phony bs Trouba hit where a player is vulnerable, with no head or leg contact. They call it. Point is they are legislating hits out that are 95% less chance of crippling than the Trouba hit at the lower levels ...... Not at all unlike the NFL now. You hit a guy too hard the flag goes up.

Back in the day 175lb guys ran a 4.4 40. Today 230lb guys run a 4.4 and when they unleash it destroys the brain. Same with hockey except it's worse cuz they are going faster.

No pdx, you understand just fine.

Great post. I was actually against checking in the lower levels UNTIL my son got to first year Bantam. What an absolute clown show, kids running each other, out of control, most don't know how to check, or how to be checked. It was horrible and dangerous.

That year chased a TON of kids out the sport. Many kids left as first year bantams or even before it.

I saw more disgusting, terrible hits in 1st year Bantam than any other season since. And it's because of what you state above.
- kwolf68

Its the reason why a lot of kids leave the sport. Way to much of a height difference. One season i must have reffed 40+ bantam house games and i probably set a record for penalties called.

Truth be told if we teach our children young and the purpose of hitting in our game we can bring back respect and eliminate the predatory hits that are ruining the great game of hockey. And return it to a sport of lets not try to kill our opponent, lets thank them for allowing us to compete.

In any contact sport hitting to hurt will always be part of the game. The only way I see avoiding injuries is to take contact out of the sport completely. Not sure if there’s an audience for non contact hockey or football?
- paulr

I came to a conclusion a long time ago. As I posted already 25 yrs ago Deion Sanders ran a 4.4 40 at 175 lbs. Now Urlacher at 235 lbs does. They can roid themselves into oblivion but they can't protect their brains. ..... Same thing with any sport, hockey included.

The only way IMO to protect these freaks from scrambling each others brains is to take contact out of sport, increase the playing size of the surfaces or play with less people. These playing surfaces were designed 100 yrs ago when the average player was 170 lbs and slow.

Increase every surface to an Olympic sheet and the NFL surface to the size of the Canadian (CFL) surface. The extra space added gives players more time and space to react. How much brutal contact do you see during a 4 on 4? How many car crash collisions do you see in a Canadian Football League game as compared to the NFL?

Great post. I was actually against checking in the lower levels UNTIL my son got to first year Bantam. What an absolute clown show, kids running each other, out of control, most don't know how to check, or how to be checked. It was horrible and dangerous.

That year chased a TON of kids out the sport. Many kids left as first year bantams or even before it.

I saw more disgusting, terrible hits in 1st year Bantam than any other season since. And it's because of what you state above.
- kwolf68

Same thing with fighting. You take fighting out of jrs but allow it in the pros and the first time a 19-20 yr old fights is against a 28 yr old.

What amazes me watching youth hockey is how resilient and pliable their bodies are. They can handle a clean hit and in fact that's when they are best able to learn to hit the right way.

Sedin got him first in the head from the side in the corner and no call. When Sedin got to the blue line he caught one from Keith. Right in front of me and it sure didn't take DK long to get even.
- 6628

Right. So likely a majority of players in the NHL take some liberties on opponents. But fans typically only get really upset if it happens to “their” guy.

I’m not calling you out specifically, just pointing out that the real outrage comes when it hits closer to home. I still maintain that the Seabrook hit on Backes was poopty.

trouba's foream clearly came up before the hit

Trouba just did it again. This time to MacKinnon. It was clean but better watch out when he's on the ice. He used to be a wussy I guess having Reaves around made him play tougher.

Trouba just did it again. This time to MacKinnon. It was clean but better watch out when he's on the ice. He used to be a wussy I guess having Reaves around made him play tougher.
- GPHawksfan

No it wasn't clean. It was a shoulder to the jaw. No matter what the home town goofs are calling....... Other than that watching the Rags get beat is fun.

Trouba just did it again. This time to MacKinnon. It was clean but better watch out when he's on the ice. He used to be a wussy I guess having Reaves around made him play tougher.
- GPHawksfan

Yep, saw that. Hope MacKinnon is okay. Avs toying with the Rangers, like I mentioned yesterday, the Rangers are not as good as their record.

No it wasn't clean. It was a shoulder to the jaw. No matter what the home town goofs are calling....... Other than that watching the Rags get beat is fun.
- Mr Ricochet

Same move - McKinnon hunched over, Trouba turns sideways and gets him in the neck/face area with shoulder / lifting arm armor. No attempt to take away the puck.

Looks like he feels really bad about what he did to Khaira.

https://twitter.com/AndyG.../1468755867600400390?s=20

No it wasn't clean. It was a shoulder to the jaw. No matter what the home town goofs are calling....... Other than that watching the Rags get beat is fun.
- Mr Ricochet

https://twitter.com/willp.../1468423726555353089?s=21

https://twitter.com/willp.../1468423726555353089?s=21
- Ogilthorpe2

Yeah, in that angle, you can't see the shoulder contact with the chin/face.

In the other angles, the Hawks camera side I guess, you can.

Pretty sure if all Trouba hit was the shoulder, Khaira wouldn't have passed out before hitting the ice.

Right. So likely a majority of players in the NHL take some liberties on opponents. But fans typically only get really upset if it happens to “their” guy.

I’m not calling you out specifically, just pointing out that the real outrage comes when it hits closer to home. I still maintain that the Seabrook hit on Backes was poopty.
- Chunk

No doubt Seabrook buried Backass. But I was at all the games back then and every single time Toews had come back from a concussion Backes went out of his way early in the game to give Toews a shot in the head. Multiple times, same thing every time. So if anyone had one coming it was Backes. Just watching one play doesn't usually tell the whole story.

I know I'm a dinosaur but growing up I played D. Forwards would dump the puck in the corner and come flying down to run me while another one would go for the puck. I kept track of the guys who gave me a rough ride and the ones who didn't and dealt with them accordingly in similar fashion. I never used a stick and I never left my feet in the process. But I did take care of business. That's why I understand what Keith and Seabrook did in those instances.

At least Trouba chose his own path. Here's hoping he knows some day, some way, he will get his and he will NOT be able to whine about it when it happens. He is the sole owner of the path he has chosen.
- 35Tony0

Trouba with another header that injures McKinnon. He got his lunch handed to him again after it. Rangers getting their asses kicked. Glad to see it. No love here for anything New York. Well except for Bread.

https://twitter.com/willp.../1468423726555353089?s=21
- Ogilthorpe2

And? So Shaw is wrong asking the league "we gunna see you protect your players or you gunna just point the finger at Jujhar saying he put himself in the position like you told me on many occasions"?

No doubt Seabrook buried Backass. But I was at all the games back then and every single time Toews had come back from a concussion Backes went out of his way early in the game to give Toews a shot in the head. Multiple times, same thing every time. So if anyone had one coming it was Backes. Just watching one play doesn't usually tell the whole story.

I know I'm a dinosaur but growing up I played D. Forwards would dump the puck in the corner and come flying down to run me while another one would go for the puck. I kept track of the guys who gave me a rough ride and the ones who didn't and dealt with them accordingly in similar fashion. I never used a stick and I never left my feet in the process. But I did take care of business. That's why I understand what Keith and Seabrook did in those instances.
- 6628

Any filth coming BackAss' way was deserved. And I doubt he expected anything less.

And? So Shaw is wrong asking the league "we gunna see you protect your players or you gunna just point the finger at Jujhar saying he put himself in the position like you told me on many occasions"?
- Mr Ricochet

I think it was an unnecessary, predatory, douchebag hit. Unfortunately, the way the rule is written, I don’t think it was illegal. Head down shouldn’t = open season. But principal contact was not the head. Shaw is at best a hypocrite. He was a dirty POS too. He was just our dirty POS.

No doubt Seabrook buried Backass. But I was at all the games back then and every single time Toews had come back from a concussion Backes went out of his way early in the game to give Toews a shot in the head. Multiple times, same thing every time. So if anyone had one coming it was Backes. Just watching one play doesn't usually tell the whole story.

I know I'm a dinosaur but growing up I played D. Forwards would dump the puck in the corner and come flying down to run me while another one would go for the puck. I kept track of the guys who gave me a rough ride and the ones who didn't and dealt with them accordingly in similar fashion. I never used a stick and I never left my feet in the process. But I did take care of business. That's why I understand what Keith and Seabrook did in those instances.
- 6628

Agreed. Backes was one of the all time under-the-radar dirty pieces of crap to ever lace them up. The kind of thing you’d only notice if you went to the games. Always behind the play, and off camera. Dirty, dirty, dirty. Hated that wiener.

Yep, saw that. Hope MacKinnon is okay. Avs toying with the Rangers, like I mentioned yesterday, the Rangers are not as good as their record.
- Angotti

Right after the Rag's fans are finished in the Rado thread splaining how the hit on McKinnon was perfect, quote the rule book for them and how they "hope McKinnon is ok", like good sportsmen do, they'll pull out the fancies to show you the last 10 NYR has improved.

And they have but watching Rado put up a 5 spot in the 2nd is lotsa fun.

I think it was an unnecessary, predatory, douchebag hit. Unfortunately, the way the rule is written, I don’t think it was illegal. Head down shouldn’t = open season. But principal contact was not the head. Shaw is at best a hypocrite. He was a dirty POS too. He was just our dirty POS.
- Ogilthorpe2

Shaw is quite open at acknowledging exactly that in his responses to the people calling him out. Reminds me a bit of Carcillo's mea culpas after he retired.

Still think any head to body armor contact, targeted or not, should result in a penalty. Head injuries with a clear causal hit, I'd still love to see the hitter be suspended for time the other player is out or 10 games whichever ends sooner. That will make them think twice.

Of course, that would require a rule change and a DOPS not filled with former enforcers.

Trouba with another header that injures McKinnon. He got his lunch handed to him again after it. Rangers getting their asses kicked. Glad to see it. No love here for anything New York. Well except for Bread.
- Hawkytalk

Perhaps if the league had stepped up and significantly punished Tom Wilson when he was running roughshod through the league last season, Trouba wouldn’t feel empowered to be running anything that moves this season. Reap what you sow.

Perhaps if the league had stepped up and significantly punished Tom Wilson when he was running roughshod through the league last season, Trouba wouldn’t feel empowered to be running anything that moves this season. Reap what you sow.
- Ogilthorpe2

Bingo! Message loud and clear that they will get away with this and until that changes, they won't.

I think it was an unnecessary, predatory, douchebag hit. Unfortunately, the way the rule is written, I don’t think it was illegal. Head down shouldn’t = open season. But principal contact was not the head. Shaw is at best a hypocrite. He was a dirty POS too. He was just our dirty POS.
- Ogilthorpe2

Shaw ain't sniveling. He's just asking if the league is protecting players or are they gonna say Khaira, and now McKinnon, put themselves in that position like they told him numerous times........

And I guess I see Shaw differently than you. Oh yea he'd stick you but never saw him try to cripple unless my memory is poor. Difference between a spear/slash and a hit that lands you in a hospital bed with a halo.