Kukla's Korner Hockey

Kukla's Korner Hockey

Head Hits Continue

03/24/2018 at 3:43pm EDT

from Larry Brooks of the New York Post,

Goaltender interference controversies will not diminish by substituting one subjective opinion from an officiating supervisor based in Toronto for another subjective opinion from a referee on the ice, but the peril of incurring brain trauma will persist as long as both the NHL and NHLPA mutually tolerate blows to the head — such as the one St. Louis’ Brayden Schenn laid on Boston’s unaware David Krejci on Wednesday.

You can argue Krejci, who looked down momentarily to move a puck out of the corner on his backhand, should have been aware he was in imminent danger. Clearly, he had placed himself in a vulnerable position. You can also believe, as did the Department of Player Safety in declining to prosecute Schenn, that the hit was unavoidable because of the Bruin’s body position.

Upon review, however, it certainly seems as if Schenn could have avoided a direct hit to Krejci’s head. But then, according to the rules adopted by the league and codified by the union, that wasn’t Schenn’s obligation. There is no rule in the book that turns primary contact with the head into an automatic penalty, let alone a suspendable offense.

continued plus more topics like this...

Gary Bettman believes the coaches’ challenge for goaltender interference should be used only “when it’s a completely blown call.”

Apparently because in the commissioner’s world, there is such a thing as partially blown call.

If you missed or want to review the Schenn hit, watch below.

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Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.

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