Hits to the head in hockey are becoming an increasing problem lately for players from youth to the pros, because of the concussions that result from such hits.
Recently, Scott Trask of the Moncton Wildcats was suspended indefinitely by the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) for a hit to the head, a shot that has turned into the talk of the NHL over the last couple of weeks.
Yet, he is not the only one, there are other players who charge around the rink with reckless disdain without looking out for the well-being of an opposing player.
Matt Cooke hit Boston Bruins’ Marc Savard with a clean shoulder to the head – or so the NHL claims. The only difference was that Cooke got more of his shoulder to Savard’s head than Trask did, not to mention Cooke had more momentum to put into his hit which resulted in Savard being wheeled off the ice.
Just 11 days after the Cooke incident, the Bruins and the Penguins met on the ice once again. From the moment Cooke stepped onto the ice fans started booing. Two minutes later, Bruins forward Shawn Thornton challenged Cooke to a standoff at centre ice.  Cooke’s previous fights include non-fighters Ilya Kovalchuk, Chris Drury, Rob Niedermayer and Ryan Callahan, so Thornton must have been similar to a giant in difference. Cooke admittedly says fighting is stupid and must have realized just how dirty his hit was on Savard, because he accepted a challenge from the 6’2, 217 lb Thornton.
Cooke, nicknamed the biggest pest in the NHL by his peers, Cooke must have feared retribution from Savard’s Bruins teammates and for the first time in his NHL career, did the right thing.
The fight ended in a draw, but that doesn’t mean that anything was solved. Dealing with concussion symptoms is not fun for anyone. Imagine lying on your bed with the lights out for a week or longer, because you get dizzy with the lights on and feel like fainting from nausea each time you have to concentrate.  Forget interaction. If you’re lucky, you won’t have a raging headache for weeks on end.
So why does Scott Trask get suspended for a less deadly, but similar head shot to Cooke’s, but players escape punishment in the NHL?
This past week, the NHL’s 30 general managers met for three days and drafted a rule that gives referees the power to hand out a minor or major penalty for any hit to the head of an unsuspecting player. However, the ruling must still be approved by the competition committee and board of governors before becoming official.
A poll recently conducted by the Canadian Press says 91 per cent of respondents believe it’s good the NHL is looking at instituting a rule to curb hits to the head with 32 per cent saying even that rule wouldn’t go far enough.
The QMJHL is on the right path by suspending Scott Trask for a long time, but the NHL doesn’t hold up its responsibilities to youth who idolize the league’s players. We put X’s on the backs of youth jerseys and tell them it’s not respectful or safe to do so, but the NHL is saying that if you make millions of dollars you can do whatever you want on the ice. If Matt Cooke were to commit the same hit in the QMJHL, he would be suspended for a long time. The NHL, straight down to youth hockey, must do everything they can to prevent players from growing up with disrespect for the opposition and they must all send the same message.