NHL Renders Verdict on Aaron Rome

[duwal]

Savard didn't get a stretcher?

no that many, many players still think they're okay if they can get up on their own

[Wickabee]

The high hit intent was there. The guy left his feet, and you don't lunge up at a guy if you aren't intending to hit him high.

Not a high hit, left his feet.

[durangatang]

Why is Thomas allowed to blocker a guy in the chest?

I was wondering that too, it sure looked like Thomas gave Sedin all arms in his face, not shoulder like a normal check. Are forwards/defencemen allowed to do that? It would be called an elbow if anyone else probably did it.

As for Rome, I think the suspension was too much. 1 or 2 games would probably have been enough considering everything else in the playoffs this year. If the league is just trying to keep him out of the series to avoid a melee then I think it is a good decision on their part.

[durangatang]

Very very late. Hmmmmmmmmm. TSN broke it down frame by frame (from the time Horton pased the puck till he was hit. It took 29 frames, way lesss than a second.

I would like to see any human stop something they started in less than a second. Maybe superman.

And the NHL states any later than 1/2 a second. What a farce!!

Doesn't TV run at 30 fps, at least in North America? So wouldn't that mean it is around a second?

I always thought you were supposed to abide by the 3 mississippis rule, as in you can hit a guy as long as it is before 3 mississippis (the amount of time would be probably over a second by the time you say "1 mississippi, 2 mississippi, 3 mississippi"). Obviously that is kind of arbitrary, but I thought it was an unofficial rule in hockey.

[Dergula]

I just dont understand the game anymore. 4 game suspension for a good clean solid bodycheck. Maybe Hortons head bouncing off the ice had something to do with it?? Might as well make the NHL a no contact league, then there is no question on what is a "clean" hit.

Believe me there were just as hard hits years before and you never seen the amount of concussions and suspensions like it is now. With all these new rules players try to take advantage of it.

I doubt Horton will admire anymore of his passes.

One other point, maybe the league should look at what the players eqpt like elbow and shoulder pads are made of these days. It is basically Kevlar which is as hard as steel. No wonder players are getting the injuries they are!!

The NHL is in a sad state of affairs and constantly applying more rules that are just destroying the game. (my opinion only)

I agree 100%. Whats going on??? People can't hit anymore. I can understand getting rid of the dirty but i mean to me that was a good hit (tad late) but bang on.

[edthesandwich]

I just dont understand the game anymore. 4 game suspension for a good clean solid bodycheck. Maybe Hortons head bouncing off the ice had something to do with it?? Might as well make the NHL a no contact league, then there is no question on what is a "clean" hit.

Believe me there were just as hard hits years before and you never seen the amount of concussions and suspensions like it is now. With all these new rules players try to take advantage of it.

I doubt Horton will admire anymore of his passes.

One other point, maybe the league should look at what the players eqpt like elbow and shoulder pads are made of these days. It is basically Kevlar which is as hard as steel. No wonder players are getting the injuries they are!!

The NHL is in a sad state of affairs and constantly applying more rules that are just destroying the game. (my opinion only)

1) It wasn't a good clean solid bodycheck. It was late. And giving Rome a four-game suspension isn't the NHL's way of saying "stop hitting altogether." It's a clear message that head shots will not be tolerated. Period. Guys can and do hit cleanly and without repercussions. Stop acting like the league is going soft simply because it is choosing a course of action that, while not popular with all fans, potentially reduces the number of players lost to head injuries.

2) There were hard hits in the past -- that much is true. But to suggest that there weren't nearly the same number of concussions is bollocks. There were MORE concussions -- but doctors didn't diagnose them, front offices and coaches looked the other way and players were encouraged to "shake 'em off" and get back on the ice. Just because guys in the 50s, 60s and 70s weren't diagnosed with concussions doesn't mean they didn't suffer them. The medical community had little understanding of how concussions worked back then. It does now -- so why not make changes to prevent them? You'd rather we ignore the deluge of medical evidence suggesting that concussions are bad news, particularly as they accumulate within an individual?

3) The equipment is a problem -- but it's not the biggest problem. The idea of the equipment is actually worse -- that is, players today feel invincible on the ice. While that actually enhances certain aspects of the game -- players are more comfortable blocking shots, and have, in turn, become better at it -- the fact that elbow and shoulder pads are rock-solid can only be a detriment when it comes to physical contact. I agree that softening up the pads is a must, but that will never happen. Players are militant about their equipment -- look at how many of the goalies had the audacity to complain when the NHL regulated their pad size. Also, the NHL is sponsored by hockey equipment manufacturers who make millions a year selling bulletproof equipment. Not going to happen.

4) Nothing about the NHL's rule changes is "destroying the game." You want to know what would destroy the game? Losing more players to concussions. Think about the players whose careers were cut short because of complications from head shots. Pat LaFontaine. Eric Lindros. Keith Primeau. Adam Deadmarsh. Geoff Courtnall. Steve Moore. And dozens of other players, too. Then consider all of the guys who missed considerable time with concussions and post-concussion syndrome. Here's the list just from this season:

Sidney Crosby
Pavel Datsyuk
Marian Gaborik
Max Pacioretty
Brad Richards
Ales Hemsky
Andy McDonald
David Krejci
Mike Knuble
Jason Pominville
David Perron
Marc Savard
Johan Franzen
John Tavares
Bryan Little
Rene Bourque
Drew Doughty
Mike Green
Brad Stuart
Dan Hamhuis
Toni Lydman
Andrej Meszaros
Ondrej Pavelec
And now ... Nathan Horton.

10 percent of players on active NHL rosters suffered a concussion this year. But yeah, taking checks to the head out of the game -- clean or otherwise -- is what's ruining hockey. Keep telling yourself that. Personally, I'd rather see the NHL be too tough on shots to the head. Maybe then we'll start seeing less of them.

[bojohnson]

1) It wasn't a good clean solid bodycheck. It was late. And giving Rome a four-game suspension isn't the NHL's way of saying "stop hitting altogether." It's a clear message that head shots will not be tolerated. Period. Guys can and do hit cleanly and without repercussions. Stop acting like the league is going soft simply because it is choosing a course of action that, while not popular with all fans, potentially reduces the number of players lost to head injuries.

2) There were hard hits in the past -- that much is true. But to suggest that there weren't nearly the same number of concussions is bollocks. There were MORE concussions -- but doctors didn't diagnose them, front offices and coaches looked the other way and players were encouraged to "shake 'em off" and get back on the ice. Just because guys in the 50s, 60s and 70s weren't diagnosed with concussions doesn't mean they didn't suffer them. The medical community had little understanding of how concussions worked back then. It does now -- so why not make changes to prevent them? You'd rather we ignore the deluge of medical evidence suggesting that concussions are bad news, particularly as they accumulate within an individual?

3) The equipment is a problem -- but it's not the biggest problem. The idea of the equipment is actually worse -- that is, players today feel invincible on the ice. While that actually enhances certain aspects of the game -- players are more comfortable blocking shots, and have, in turn, become better at it -- the fact that elbow and shoulder pads are rock-solid can only be a detriment when it comes to physical contact. I agree that softening up the pads is a must, but that will never happen. Players are militant about their equipment -- look at how many of the goalies had the audacity to complain when the NHL regulated their pad size. Also, the NHL is sponsored by hockey equipment manufacturers who make millions a year selling bulletproof equipment. Not going to happen.

4) Nothing about the NHL's rule changes is "destroying the game." You want to know what would destroy the game? Losing more players to concussions. Think about the players whose careers were cut short because of complications from head shots. Pat LaFontaine. Eric Lindros. Keith Primeau. Adam Deadmarsh. Geoff Courtnall. Steve Moore. And dozens of other players, too. Then consider all of the guys who missed considerable time with concussions and post-concussion syndrome. Here's the list just from this season:

Sidney Crosby
Pavel Datsyuk
Marian Gaborik
Max Pacioretty
Brad Richards
Ales Hemsky
Andy McDonald
David Krejci
Mike Knuble
Jason Pominville
David Perron
Marc Savard
Johan Franzen
John Tavares
Bryan Little
Rene Bourque
Drew Doughty
Mike Green
Brad Stuart
Dan Hamhuis
Toni Lydman
Andrej Meszaros
Ondrej Pavelec
And now ... Nathan Horton.

10 percent of players on active NHL rosters suffered a concussion this year. But yeah, taking checks to the head out of the game -- clean or otherwise -- is what's ruining hockey. Keep telling yourself that. Personally, I'd rather see the NHL be too tough on shots to the head. Maybe then we'll start seeing less of them.

this is one of the better posts ive seen on here.

you know why crosby was gone for half the year???
cause of an event(s) similar to horton.

[nhanna68]

Dan Hamhuis is made of glass.

[Wickabee]

1) It wasn't a good clean solid bodycheck. It was late. And giving Rome a four-game suspension isn't the NHL's way of saying "stop hitting altogether." It's a clear message that head shots will not be tolerated. Period. Guys can and do hit cleanly and without repercussions. Stop acting like the league is going soft simply because it is choosing a course of action that, while not popular with all fans, potentially reduces the number of players lost to head injuries.

2) There were hard hits in the past -- that much is true. But to suggest that there weren't nearly the same number of concussions is bollocks. There were MORE concussions -- but doctors didn't diagnose them, front offices and coaches looked the other way and players were encouraged to "shake 'em off" and get back on the ice. Just because guys in the 50s, 60s and 70s weren't diagnosed with concussions doesn't mean they didn't suffer them. The medical community had little understanding of how concussions worked back then. It does now -- so why not make changes to prevent them? You'd rather we ignore the deluge of medical evidence suggesting that concussions are bad news, particularly as they accumulate within an individual?

3) The equipment is a problem -- but it's not the biggest problem. The idea of the equipment is actually worse -- that is, players today feel invincible on the ice. While that actually enhances certain aspects of the game -- players are more comfortable blocking shots, and have, in turn, become better at it -- the fact that elbow and shoulder pads are rock-solid can only be a detriment when it comes to physical contact. I agree that softening up the pads is a must, but that will never happen. Players are militant about their equipment -- look at how many of the goalies had the audacity to complain when the NHL regulated their pad size. Also, the NHL is sponsored by hockey equipment manufacturers who make millions a year selling bulletproof equipment. Not going to happen.

4) Nothing about the NHL's rule changes is "destroying the game." You want to know what would destroy the game? Losing more players to concussions. Think about the players whose careers were cut short because of complications from head shots. Pat LaFontaine. Eric Lindros. Keith Primeau. Adam Deadmarsh. Geoff Courtnall. Steve Moore. And dozens of other players, too. Then consider all of the guys who missed considerable time with concussions and post-concussion syndrome. Here's the list just from this season:

Sidney Crosby
Pavel Datsyuk
Marian Gaborik
Max Pacioretty
Brad Richards
Ales Hemsky
Andy McDonald
David Krejci
Mike Knuble
Jason Pominville
David Perron
Marc Savard
Johan Franzen
John Tavares
Bryan Little
Rene Bourque
Drew Doughty
Mike Green
Brad Stuart
Dan Hamhuis
Toni Lydman
Andrej Meszaros
Ondrej Pavelec
And now ... Nathan Horton.

10 percent of players on active NHL rosters suffered a concussion this year. But yeah, taking checks to the head out of the game -- clean or otherwise -- is what's ruining hockey. Keep telling yourself that. Personally, I'd rather see the NHL be too tough on shots to the head. Maybe then we'll start seeing less of them.

They should have picked a hit to the head instead of a late hit to send a message. Don't be surprised if next year is exactly the same.