Kukla's Korner Hockey

Kukla's Korner Hockey

Zac Rinaldo Should Have Been Suspended

10/24/2015 at 4:49pm EDT

from Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer,

The inconsistent manner in which the NHL hands out suspensions would be comical if it wasn't such a serious matter.

Numerous former players have filed a lawsuit against the league for not doing enough to protect them from neurological damage caused by repeated blows to the head. And, yet, the league still has vague interpretations of which hits are legal or not. Hits, by the way, that sometimes cause concussions.

For the latest exhibit of the league's confusing suspension policy, we give you Zac Rinaldo's hit to the head that leveled his ex-teammate, Sean Couturier, in the Flyers' 5-4 overtime win in Boston on Wednesday.

Couturier missed the last two-plus periods in the game and did not play Saturday against the Rangers. The Flyers will not say whether he suffered a concussion, referring to it only as an upper-body injury.

Somehow, Rinaldo, who was the poster boy for knuckleheaded penalties when he played for the Flyers, wasn't suspended.

continued

In case you need a refresher, watch Patrick Burke of Player Safety Department describe the hit 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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