Hartnell hit on Hedman

[doom88]

At game speed it looked just fine, and I was surprised it was called a penalty. Then I hear headshot. If Hedman is four inches taller and Hartnell doesn't leave his skates (he didn't), what is the responsibility of the skater for protecting themselves? Why was it even close if Hedman is supposed to keep his head up? That looks like chest to me at game speed, and a potential error on Hedman.

If this is the new way, why not skate with your head down and in front? Why not stop three feet from the boards and show your numbers?

[nossagog]

Didn't see this hit, but Letang got called for a hit to the head in the Pens/Oilers game last night that was nothing more than the typical pinch to the boards behind the net.  It looked like nothing, and a penalty was called.  I wonder of some edict has come down from the league lately.   Is the NHL getting so overprotective of head injuries?

[yave1964]

 Looked like just a hit to me, nothing special. I couldn't even see it as a penalty let alone a reason to call Shanny. For one thing Hedman has what, five, six inches on Hartnell? Any shoulder delivered by Hartnell to Hedman if both players are standing straight is going to risk hitting Hedman in the chin. To me it was just one of those things.

[nossagog]

Saw the Youtube, I can see a penalty on the play, but don't see a suspension.  The hit is one of those glancing hits from the side that the league wants to get out.  There's not leaping or anything to the head, so there should not be a suspension,

[flyerrod]

Saw the Youtube, I can see a penalty on the play, but don't see a suspension.  The hit is one of those glancing hits from the side that the league wants to get out.  There's not leaping or anything to the head, so there should not be a suspension,

Hartnell may have came in slightly laterally but the contact is shoulder to chest barely grazing under the chin of Hedman.Hartnell also kept his elbow tight to his body and did NOT launch himself through Hedman. I would certainly not go as far as calling it a blind side hit. If Shanny gets suspension happy on this I will whine about biased suspensions from a caricature of a punishment board......

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvZ3PIFYu08

Edited January 12, 2014 by flyerrod

[nossagog]

Hartnell may have came in slightly laterally but the contact is shoulder to chest barely grazing under the chin of Hedman.Hartnell also kept his elbow tight to his body and did NOT launch himself through Hedman. I would certainly not go as far as calling it a blind side hit. If Shanny gets suspension happy on this I will whine about biased suspensions from a caricature of a punishment board......

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvZ3PIFYu08

Ah, the "Wheel of Justice"  Who knows.  If Hedmen stayed down after the hit, I'd almost say that in today's game it would have been a given that he gets suspended. Because he bounced back up, nah.  A couple of key elements that Shanaban always points out that "could" factor in.

1) Hedmen did not change his head, body position or skating line just prior to the hit.

2) Hartnell modified his skating line and came in from an angle, not straight on for the hit

3) Hartnel did not leave his feet, but did raise his body position, causing a hit that was slightly high

 

It all depends on what is considered the primary point of contact. The pro suspension crown will call it a shoulder to the jaw.  The anti suspension crowd will it was a shoulder to the upper chest that carried through to the head.  With Shanny, who knows,   I wish he would publish ALL their reviews, not only the suspensions so we could understand his guidelines better. If there is a suspension its going to be because they came across the red line almost at the same and then Hartnell changed directions for what looks like a glancing hit.