TORONTO, ONTARIO– Tuesday night left the NHL disciplinary panel with plenty to talk about. New Jersey defenceman Anton Volchenkov and Pittsburgh’s Matt Cooke could both face disciplinary action (note – at the time of writing no formal suspension had been handed out), whilst Maple Leafs Captain Dion Phaneuf looks likely to escape any further punishment. Volchenkov’s elbow clearly made contact with the head of Carolina’s Zac Boychuk, whilst Cooke appeared to run Columbus D man Fedyor Tyutin in to the boards from behind. There is some debate over how aware Tyutin was of Cooke’s presence, but it comes as little surprise either hit is under review. Phaneuf however seems to have slipped through the net. The Toronto skipper is known for his body jarring hits and has never shied away from an opportunity to rattle opponents’ teeth. On Tuesday it was Islanders star John Tavares who felt the force. The issue is not that Tavares got hit, this should not be mistaken for a ‘league stars should be untouchable’ debate, it was where the hit came originated and the situation in wich it took place. Tavares, victim of one concussion already this season, had just released a shot on goal – he was completing his follow through when – BOOM! Watching the replay only makes the situation appear worse as there seems to be little opportunity for Tavares to see the big Leafs blue liner coming; ergo it is a ‘blind side’ hit. This is not suggest Phaneuf was out to give the sophomore a second concussion of the season, not at all, but the hit appears reckless to say the least. It represents the kind of hit that is firmly under scrutiny in the NHL today. But it seems because Phaneuf did not make direct contact with Tavares head, nor the numbers on his back, it is deemed a legal hit. Something about that sits uneasily with this writer. Boston forward Marc Savard’s season was ended this week as the Bruins announced he would play no further part in the 2010/11 season or the play-offs following yet another concussion. Savard was the victim of a terrible hit by the aforementioned Cooke last season, a hit which went unpunished. David Booth missed significant time after being laid out by a hit from Flyer Captain Mike Richards. Again little was done to attempt to stamp out hits of a similar nature. Checks to the head are a very hot topic right now. It’s an emotive subject and one which cannot be easily solved. However, at some point the leagues duty of care to its players needs to become a major factor. One of the leagues poster boys, Sidney Crosby, is sidelined with a concussion. Tavares has already missed time this season and is without question the #1 guy on Long Island. Take him out of an already battered Islanders line up and the fans have little to get excited about. As much as they are valuable players to their team, fans do not specifically pay to watch Maxime Talbot, Frans Nielsen or LA’s Kyle Clifford. They want to see Crosby, Ovechkin and alike. Hits like the one Phaneuf laid on Tavares Tuesday night need to be stamped out. He didn’t catch a naïve sophomore crossing the blue line with his head down, he hit a fellow professional in a vulnerable position. That has to stop before things really get out of hand. Contact the author: rob.mcgregor@prohockeynews.com
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