Dr. Pierre Harvey, the Quebec physician who brought forward the motion condemning the NHL, says he was motivated by incidents like a 2011 hit on Montreal Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty which left the player hospitalized with a concussion and fractured neck. “He could well have been dead,” says Harvey, but the perpetrator of the hit, Boston Bruin Zdeno Chara, wasn’t even suspended.

There’s more at stake here than just the health of NHL players, says Harvey. These athletes are role models for thousands of youngsters and that makes brutality in the NHL all the more deplorable. The league should listen to Canada’s doctors and finally end its dangerous acceptance of violence. If not for current players, do it for the kids.

-Editorial piece in the Toronto Star, where you can read more on this subject.