Source of the post I think this - NHL players dealing with concussions & other current or post-play injuries - is easily the biggest issue facing the NHL right now. More than the terrible reffing. Far more than the "diving." This is a critical issue.
it's an issue that people can easily ignore - which means it's not the biggest issue. the diminishing quality of the product is going to kill the game again. that's the biggest issue.
but this is certainly a poignant and sad story.
To me, both of these can be addressed together (partially). So much of the wear & tear, the injuries that go on, are caused by the "battle" of the NHL: the clutch & grab, the late hits, etc. Letang's concussion is a perfect example for me: a slightly unnecessary & slightly late hit that caused a concussion. Was it a strange situation? Of course. Does that change the fact that it could've been prevented? Nah.
Call the game by the rules, and let skill win out. Let the Tarasenkos, the Letangs, the Crosbys, the Ovechkins shine. Don't make the playoffs about the Clutterbucks, or the Marc Staals, or Dominic Moore. Who of the "stars" of the NHL is shining right now? Goaltending and defense. What everyone wants to watch, right? If they called the games much more strictly, that would cut down on the slashing, the cross-checking, and the interference. It would let Kane, or Silfverberg, or the Sedins shine just as Messi, Ronaldo, Hazard, Fabregas, Rooney, & other soccer players consistently shine. The teams would adjust, just as they're adjusting to the pre-lockout return.
Netwolf went on a rant the other day that I fully agree with...
[Mike Johnston said] "I'd rather see the battle. I like to see those battles. I like to see guys having to fight through those battles. It's playoff time." [This was after game 3.]
I realize he can't just blast the stripes, but at the same time, being this accepting of what's going on is part of the problem.
I've said it before, the NHL is so in love with the battle aspect of things...
...they allow it to run roughshod over all of the great things the sport has to offer.
I look forward to them minimizing all the great thing McDavid could accomplish, much in the same way they did to 66/68.
And once interest fades & the cash slows, they'll have another lockout, then slap a temp fix in that will slowly backslide away.
Wash, rinse, repeat. Same as it ever was. Fin.
If you call the rules more consistently & stringently, you cut back on the chances of microfractured hands (like the Subban tomahawk on Stone that was deemed only a 2-minute penalty by many), concussions (Doan's hit on Letang after he moved the puck), etc. Does it remove all of those injuries? Nah; hockey is still a very rough & physical game, just as soccer is. But it causes players to hesitate when going in for the check more often. It removes the Rinaldos from the game unless they shape up like Cooke did (for the most part).
Or, like the NHL is trying, they can slow down the game and at the same time reduce its entertainment value.
Of course, that's only half of the battle. The other half is addressing the post-trauma depressions & such that concussed players get, as well as helping with post-retirement. This is a whole different animal that would take a lot more to address; however, there needs to be a lot more awareness and concerted effort to make it a known problem.
Whatever the case, I'm incredibly happy Carcillo spoke up. This needs to be addressed. This needs to be at the center of discussion. Players having severe depression & (potentially; Montador's cause of death isn't sure) committing suicide is unacceptable.
As an aside, this more than anything else is why I rant against the refs. I'm more concerned about the stupid injuries & the playing through them that are praised as the "battle" than seeing the Pens be "targeted by the refs" or whatever... and I'm more concerned about the ruining of the game.