Good on the NHL for realizing the danger of head-shots and looking into doing something about it.
It’ll take time, and a lot of work to decide how to combat the problem in time for next season, but the league’s decision to take steps must be commended, even if it’s taken way too long to get to this point.
Thankfully the likes of Brian Burke have decided it’s high time to see if they can find some solutions to a problem that had to be addressed, after spending the past couple of years talking about “the code” and calling the sport a “man’s game."
Hey, hockey is a physical game. Hitting and checking is part of it all, but the speed of the game these days is a major factor in the danger we see.
However, no matter how much money a player makes, he shouldn’t have to fear for his life on the ice because of a blind-side shot the melon.
That’s not hockey, and good on the NHL for deciding it’s time to figure out a solution.
Flaming C-notes
Anybody else want to see Dustin Boyd given a chance on a line with Jarome Iginla and Olli Jokinen? Sure, the Flames only have four natural centres, but it would be interesting to see him really given a shot while Curtis Glencross is out due to suspension ... A bit of a prospects update: Greg Nemisz (first round, 2008) is fifth in OHL scoring prior to last night with 33 points (18-15-33) in 23 games. Defenceman T.J. Brodie (4th round, 2008) was traded Monday from Saginaw to Barrie. Brodie (19GP 4-19-23) is third in the OHL among defencemen in scoring ... The Montreal Canadiens may want to consider mothballing the 1910-11 model sweaters they wore against the Flames the other night. The last time they won wearing that sweater — which made you think the Flames were facing the Minnesota Wild — was Feb. 18, 1911. In fact, Montreal has been shutout the last two times wearing that sweater. The Habs lost 5-0 to Ottawa March 10, 1911.
Hockey talky
Many players around the NHL are sporting moustaches as part of the Movember charity movement, which has created all kinds of good humour. For example, Columbus Blue Jackets forward Jason Chimera has been taking all kinds of ribbing. “I saw him get on the plane for Washington with the (moustache) and laughed. I love things like that. Guys have fun with it. As long as his wife can take it, we can take it,” Blue Jackets defenceman Mike Commodore told the Columbus Dispatch ... It’s hard to believe Bobby and Brett Hull are only the second father-son duo in the Hockey Hall of Fame in the player category, joining Lester (1947) and Lynn (1980) Patrick ... The Oilers may be thanking their lucky stars that Dany Heatley kiboshed the trade from Ottawa that would have sent him to Edmonton considering how well Dustin Penner, Andrew Cogliano and Ladislav Smid, but you have to think Ottawa isn’t thrilled about their returns from San Jose. While Heatley has racked up 12 goals and 21 points for the Sharks, the Senators have received only one goal from Jonathan Cheechoo. Milan Michalek has been OK, but the Sens would be better off with the trio the Oilers were offering ... Anaheim’s Teemu Selanne failed to score Wednesday night at New Jersey’s Prudential Center. Selanne has scored in 52 different NHL arenas, past and present, but not the new home of the Devils, which is the only current rink he hasn’t lit the lamp. Maybe Selanne will hang on another season or two ... How valuable is Jonathan Toews to the Blackhawks? When he missed 16 games a couple of seasons ago, they went 5-9-2 and missed the playoffs by three points. Chicago’s record while he was on the shelf due to a concussion this season was 3-2-1.
You don’t say
“Every night, he cried himself to sleep.”
Vancouver’s Daniel Sedin about his twin brother Henrik. It appeared the pair would be reunited this week after Daniel suffered a broken foot in early October, but now he won’t be back in action until next weekend.
