Hitting

The next article(s) will be an explanation of my season predictions. I apologize for the wait. I'm thinking about doing sections rather than one piece. For now, I wanted to discuss a topic that’s been on my mind for a while: hitting. NHL.com currently has a plethora of videos highlighting extraordinary hits from the 2010-2011 season. While the hits are quite entertaining, what happens after intrigues me.

Why do players jump any opponent who delivers a hit? I understand sticking up for your teammates, but there is a time and a place to do so. Hits are landed throughout the length of the game. If your teammate happens to be on the receiving end of one of these big checks, there will be plenty of time for that opposing checker to receive the proper consequences.

Before I begin, I would like to clarify that my opinions solely reflect on LEGAL checks.

Here are some examples of proper and improper reactions to a handful of hits:

Wrong Reaction: Tootoo on Frolik 

This is a perfect example of exactly what is wrong with the current mentality in the NHL. Jordan Tootoo lined up a prefect check on Frolik, who – surprise, surprise – did not have his head up. After delivering the check, Tootoo gets jumped by Bryan McCabe. Why? McCabe deserves a penalty. He delayed the game by jumping Tootoo. McCabe also threw off his gloves.

This is not the only example. Here are a few more misguided reactions:

Wrong Reaction: Doughty on Hall 

This particular situation, both players and announcers, baffles me. In the video, Taylor Hall receives a leading pass in the neutral zone from a teammate. As he stretches out for the puck, Drew Doughty flies in from just inside the blueline and sends Hall spinning into the boards. Dustin Penner immediately stops and attacks Doughty. For what? Checking? I understand that Hall is a very important player to the Oiler’s organization. I also understand that when a teammate is hit this hard, it’s natural to come to his aid. However, Hall has no one to blame but himself. There are several other options for his teammates rather than the blindside pummeling of Doughty. These stoppages only serve to hinder the flow of the game and as a devoted hockey fan, I shake my head – because it’s up.

The announcers worsen the situation by labeling the check a hit to the head. Well, when your head is at the approximate height of an opposing player’s hip, it is near impossible to hit anything else. Moral of the story: watch where you’re skating.

Now, with the foolish attitudes out of the way, let’s take a look at how hockey should be played.

Correct Reaction: Phaneuf on Ruutu

In this clip, Dion Phaneuf lines up an open-ice check on Tuomo Ruutu cutting across center ice. Earlier in the game, Ruutu delivered a fairly heavy hit on Phaneuf against the boards. Phaneuf kept the hit logged in his memory just as he should. And finally, later in the game, he delivered the crushing blow and both players skated away accepting their fate - just as they should. Thank you! Moving on….

Correct Reaction: Umberger on Seabrook

I really enjoy this clip because it provides an example of a strange situation in hockey where players engage one another before arriving to the puck. When this situation arises, officials have an important decision to make: did both players engage in the physicality or did an individual interfere? Here, Umberger and Seabrook both make eye contact and accept the physical play. Umberger gets the better position and sends Seabrook careening into the boards. After the hit, both players get up and the two teams resume play without any interference. Perfect.