A Head Shot's A Head Shot

People need to understand. It's not 1995 anymore. In fact, when it comes to head shots, it's not even 2009 anymore.

All hockey organizations with their wits about them are clamping down to some degree on deliberate blows to the head. That's why head-hunting Zack Kassian of the Canadian national junior team got an extra game suspension - the New Year's Eve game against Sweden - for his shoulder blow to the head of the Czech Republic's Petr Senkerik. Kassian already was automatically banned for Wednesday's Norway game because of the major and game misconduct he received.

Replays were crystal clear Senkerik took Kassian's shoulder directly to his jaw, and those who keep insisting that's not the case are simply in some state of peculiar denial, possibly caused by looking at this through a red Hockey Canada filter. That said, the IIHF defines this type of foul as any "part of the body above the collarbone and shoulder pads (i.e., unprotected areas)." So even for those who want to insist there was no initial contact to the head, Kassian's hit was clearly too high for IIHF rules.

Some will try to say it's unfair to apply these rules to teenagers used to playing under other regulations. Well, understand that there is no country more prepared for this event than Canada, and if Kassian, in particular, didn't have the different IIHF rules carefully explained to him, then that was the shortcoming of the Canadian coaching staff. if he did and ignored them, well, that's the risk of having this type of player on your national team.

(Former NHL referee Dan Marouelli applied the supplementary discipline, so for all those folks who like to bleat incessantly about how the NHL shouldn't just let one man (Colin Campbell) mete out suspensions, here's your chance to apply the same standard of belly-aching to the IIHF.)

It doesn't matter that Kassian didn't jump or use his elbow, and it doesn't matter that he's a bigger player, and it doesn't matter that years ago Scott Stevens used to be able to make this kind of hit with inpunity. No longer can you drive you shoulder into the head of an opponent from either the blindside or even an east-west/lateral direction.

Hockey organizations, after seeing so many players lose their careers to concussions, are finally starting to understanding the head has to be protected to a point of zero tolerance. 

Really, Kassian's lucky. He could have received a longer suspension, but now will be able to play in the medal round. You might think the 20-gamer he got last season in the OHL might have taught him a lesson, but apparently not.

For those worried that the poor Canadians are being picked on, please note that Slovakia's Petr Hrasko was actually given one more game than Kassian for his head shot on Team USA's Jerry D'Amigo on Tuesday night. 

From a team point-of-view, Canadian head coach Dave Cameron needs to rein this stuff in, and now. Team Canada can circle the wagons all their want and have every player and coach parrot the media-speak "he was just finishing his check," but that's not going to make Kassian's hit a clean one.

Every other player on this team needs to have it drilled into their head that Kassian wasn't finishing his check. He was delivering a dangerous, illegal hit, the kind that could cost Canada dearly later in this tournament. 

Making it seem as though Kassian got a raw deal just gives his teammates licence to do the same thing, which is the last thing Cameron needs.

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Jules]

I don't know Damian, I think you're being a little hard on the kid. Yes he has a history, and yes that 20 game suspension did teach him something, according to McGuire and crew his penalty minutes are way down this season and he's cleaned up his game allot. I think its a big stretch to say it was a hit to the head, when you can only "see it" in super slo motion. Are you asking these kids who play the game at full speed to view the game that way? I would say the hit was late and probably deserved a penalty, but I don't believe for a second that Kassian was head hunting.

[john]

Having your head down crossing the blue line should be equally punishable.

If I decide to jay walk and get hit by a car.
Is it the drivers fault for hitting me?

[Simmer]

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree. I just can't help think this wouldn't have been a penalty let alone a suspension had the Czech player not been injured.

They can clamp down on headshots all they want, but you're going to get yourself hurt if you skate through the middle with your head down, unless hitting is totally removed from hockey.

[Pension Plan Puppets]

I agree with you but love to see you get your Colin Campbell water-carrying in. Does Marouelli have a kid on any of the team's in the tournament? Does he constantly e-mails referees to complain about calls against that kid of his?

When you have a winning argument, stick to it. Don't veer off to re-fight ones you've already lost.

[Eric Mercer]

You can't body check a player who is not in possession of the puck. As soon as another player receives a pass the first player cannot legally be hit. This is clearly the case here. Sure it's fast, sure Kassian is committed to the hit. So what. It is clearly an illegal hit notwithstanding Kassian's reputation. Given this fact, he got off easy.

[Bill Green]

Ah the solution then is to employ only short players on the team. Then they can run around with impunity because every check is a dirty one! All we need now is a team of Theo Fleury's and we will be unbeatable!

[James Silvestri]

Anyone who has given or received an open ice check like this knows how quickly they happen. A high elbow is a clear indication of intent to injure. It is very difficult for a checker to control the height of his shoulder and it is impossible to control the height of someone elses head...they can move at the last second! I watched this hit live and then the replays...it was not a dirty hit and it did not warrant a suspension.

[Goalie]

Damien, you are absolutely wrong on this. There have been numerous hits like Kassian's during this week but not as hard as this one. If it was a case of the player not having the puck on his stick, that would be another matter. If the hit had been clearly to the head, I would have suspended him for the remainder of the tournament.

[paulo]

a blind side hit is a blindside hit and should be illegal but why are they wearing football pads but no football helmets?

[Jacek]

I agree... how could Pierre McGuire repeatedly say that there was no contact to the head? I thought bribing was left to the Russians, but I guess I was wrong.

[Ami Angelwings]

@John: if the driver was aiming for you, yes

[James]

I don't get this 'finishing the check'stuff, it seems to be the company line these days. At what point has time elapsed for the check to be finished. It is clear on the replay that the player had lost/given up control of the puck well before the hit. I agree with Damien that Canada had better get more disciplined with this sort of stuff or it will cost them dearly. This isn't the WWF sorry I meant the NHL.

[Ryan]

Kaissian was not head hunting, he was delivering a hit that ended up catching a part of the opponent's chin. There was no intent to hurt the Czech player who's body was facing Kaissian when he got levelled. And intent, Mr. Cox, is the key ingredient that defines a head hunter. Because determining intent in a game as fast as hockey can be difficult at the best of times I can live with him getting penalized. Hell, give the offender 5 minutes and send him to the locker room for whatever time remains because he hit the guy a little high BY ACCIDENT. But anything more than that is rediculous. If Cameron "reins in" the team's relentless aggression and hitting you can say good bye to gold right now. This has been one of the most entertaining groups that Canada has sent in past years simply because of their determination. Their ability to wear down opponents and make them think twice anytime the puck gets near them is not something any coach in their right mind should rein in.

[paul137]

You can be as technical as you like about contact with the head and where his elbow and shoulder were, but watching it makes it pretty clear that Kassian's sole intent was to deliver a hit that would hurt the player. The puck was gone.

As for the fans in the arena who started chanting "bull****" when the penalty was assessed, right after a young man was taken from the ice on a stretcher -- you should be ashamed of yourselves. I know this tournament has become big business and it's SO important that our teenagers beat everyone else's teenagers, but we need to get a grip on ourselves here.

[Dandmb50]

@dandmb50 - I do think it was vicious, and I think he should have been penalized, my beef is there was no call being made. No ref was going to call it until after the fact, and that's my beef. Can they now make/call penalties after they see what the result will be in the IIHL? I think the thing that made me think it was a bit much was that he was clearly looking straight at the players head when he came in for the kill. I didn't even know he had a previous suspension and I think he should have been warned be his previous encounter. There's no place for "goons" in international hockey.

Daniel .. Toronto, CANADA
http://dandmb50.wordpress.com/

[Scott]

Sorry but Damien is correct. Everyone can bleat the same nonsense all they want: "...it was a clean check", "...no contact to the head", etc, etc. No amount of bellyaching will change the fact that the rules are the rules and Kassian broke them. The onus is on players to follow the rules, no exceptions and please no more excuses. You can pine all you want about the Scott Stevens days but they are gone and not coming back, so we should all get used to it.

[paul]

I think you have it exactly right. Hockey in 2010 can not be played the way it was in past decades. The players are bigger and faster and the equipment is in equal parts protective and dangerous. I love the game and I love the hard hits but I do not love seeing players getting dangerous head and back injuries. Players have to self police. The need to have respect for each other and the game. There is no place in the game for hits that have such a high probability of injury as Kassians and if the players can't do it lets take the mid ice hits out of the game with serious consequences like long suspensions. I used to see many more knee on knee hits mid ice but now that it is considered "dirty" play and punished consistently by the officials and the players it seems to be less common. We need to consider the mid ice hit in the same light. It is dirty and unnecessary.

[Ed]

Thats OK folks... I say we train our kids to go for the knees when they play in these international tournaments... I dont think the IIHF has any rule on those hits and who cares if they take out a knee (sarcasm here)... The hit was a split second late in my opinion and the Chech player should have at least had his head up... Bottom line the extra game is a joke and he probably would not have gotten a penalty in the NHL...

[JR Jake]

Damon isn't this the third time you have run this story? I believe any player in any sport who deliberately goes after a players head gets an automatic 5 game suspension and fine. In football you have helmets, no harm no farm....that is until the player removes his helmet or a player uses his helmet as a smackdown. A pitcher can be expected to be wild at times, but there is usually no question when he heaves a fastball at the upper torso of another what his intent. In hockey when the gloves comes off and the helmet is removed that is a clear cut sign 'I'm going to hurt ya'. Sports has passion, fierce and force are part of the game. But when the sport turns into a true battle with the only goal of taking a player out of the game; than it has to be addressed. Happy New Year to ya Damon.

[James Brown]

Wow, for once I am in agreement with you Mr. Cox. In my opinion in comes down to respect for your opponent and unfortunately there are players that lack that. For too many players it's about "whatever it takes for me to make an impact". We can't all be scorers so we gotta be able to do something, right? The culture of the game must change.

[Whitfit]

The problem with this hit is that the damage doesn't come from contact to the head, but the acceleration and deceleration of the head in a twisting motion. It is the speed and strength of the hit that does the damage, not the contact to the head.

For the poster who mentioned "football style helmets", this is a red herring. Like I said, it is the twisting and acceleration and deceleration, not impact to the head or jaw.

Injuries like this, and career ending concussions, will continue to happen while big open ice checks are part of the game. That is a hard truth, because it means there are no easy fixes (ie, stop hitting the head directly, improve helmets).

For the posters who blame the kid that got hit because he had his head down, well, a split second bit of distraction (especially when you have already gotten rid of the puck) or inability to see in all directions shouldn't sentence these kids, or even professionals, to a lifetime of brain injury. When you are in the scenario hundreds of times, you will miss it once.

[Simmer]

@paul137

That is EXACTLY what is wrong with the reffing in this tournament. It is reacive reffing based on the injury rather than proactive reffing making calls based on the play.

[TPiddy]

I'm going to throw my lot in with the group that disagrees here. Kassian clearly lowers the body into Senkerik's chest. Due to the height difference, Senkerik's chin hits Kassian on top of the shoulder, but the brunt of the impact of the hit was to the chest.

Was it a little late? Yes. Should he have gotten the match penalty and one-game suspension that comes with it? Yes. Was he head hunting? Clearly not. No elbow, no leaning into the head or even aiming towards it. Kassian intentionally lowered his frame by bending at his knees and hips in order to deliver the check to his chest. Give me a break Damien.

[Al Cleverdon]

I really do get a kick out of you Damien.You think by stating that anyone seeing it differently can only do so because they are biased Canadians.Sometimes and probably most times people disagree with you because they actually believe what they say.I know this is a huge stretch for someone as arrogant as yourself but it's a new year coming.Give it a try.

[Dean]

I've watched the replay at least five times in slow motion, something that the ref didn't have access to but the IIHF did, and I am amazed that Kaissian was penalized let alone suspended. The hit was viscious but it was clearly shoulder to the chest of the player, bad on everyone who says otherwise