Paul Stewart: Winners Don't Wait for Calls and Breaks
- Paul Stewart
On the reverse check Oshie delivered, it was definitely not an elbow, but doesn't rule 48 address that?
48.1 Illegal Check to the Head - A lateral or blind side hit to an opponent where the head is targeted and/or the principle point of contact is not permitted.
It was a lateral check and to the head and it was tough to see if it was the principle point of contact as the term broadcasters and others use. But let's back up, what does the NHL mean by "principle" in "principle point of contact". It's a "fundamental or general truth or law" that he got hit right on the schnozz. It was "the source or fundamental cause" that he got hit on the head. The biggest point of contact was Miller's face. Oshie saw him coming and stood up right at Miller's head and then after contact was made followed through with his upper body.
The wording sucks and is way too vague even for the rest of the rule book. Are they using it to mean "initial" and if so why the hell aren't they using "initial". Should we be splitting hairs if Oshie's elbow glanced off Miller's chest first? Oshie could just as easily get down into a stance and brace for the hit and probably hit him much harder, but he decided to stand up and go high. If they're serious about getting head shots out they need to do a much better job than they're currently doing. "Oh, well, Wilson hit his arm first, you see, then he broke his jaw...no supplemental discipline."
Why can't they just adopt the IIHF's rule?
"RULE 124 – CHECKING TO THE HEAD OR NECK
DEFINITION: A player who directs a hit of any sort, with any part of his
body or equipment, to the head or neck of an opposing player or drives
or forces the head of an opposing player into the protective glass or
boards. This rule supersedes all similar actions regarding hits to the head
and neck except those related to fighting."
That cuts out all ambiguity.
"i. There is no such thing as a clean hit to the head. Whether accidental
or intentional, every direct hit to the head or neck of an opponent will
be penalized.
ii. A player who directs a check to the head or neck of an opponent will
be assessed one of: (1) a minor penalty and misconduct penalty;
(2) a major penalty and automatic game-misconduct penalty; (3) a
match penalty.
iii. A player who injures or recklessly endangers an opponent as a result
of checking to the head or neck will be assessed a match penalty.
iv. A penalty for checking to the head or neck will be assessed if one of
the following occurs when a player checks an opponent:
1. The skater directs a hit with any part of his body or equipment to
the head or neck of an opponent;
2. The skater drives or forces the head of an opponent into the
protective glass or boards by using any part of his upper body;
3. The skater extends and directs any part of his upper body to
make contact with the head or neck of an opponent;
4. The skater extends his body upward or outward in order to reach
his opponent or uses any part of the upper body to make contact
with an opponent’s head or neck;
5. The skater jumps (leaves his skates) to deliver a blow to the head
or neck of an opponent."
Skipping a couple irrelevent to this discussion.
"viii. If a skater maintains his position in the normal course of game action
as an opponent runs into him, the ensuing contact will not be
considered checking to the head or neck unless conditions in Rules
124-iv or 124-v are violated."
Section iv was definitely violated in that instance as bolded above. If Miller simply ran into him it wouldn't have been a penalty, but Oshie saw him and went high, it's as simple as that. I don't think it was vicious, but it merited a 2 and 10 under the IIHF rules. But the NHL is too chickensh¡t to do anything that drastic. They only want the appear to get tough, the same goes for the joke that is the supplemental discipline system.
