The Hit the NHL Missed

You missed it NHL.  You said you’d be looking for plays like this and would punish player swiftly and justly.  You said you would protect players.  You said head-hunting wouldn’t be tolerated.  After losing stars like Marc Savard and Sidney Crosby one would think you’d do something.

…but you didn’t NHL… you missed it.

It was a blatant attempt to injure an opposing player by targeting the head and launching with a high elbow.   BLATANT disregard for the rules the NHL so adamantly defends.

…But this wasn’t Aaron Rome.  This did not involve Nathan Horton.  And no one ended up in the hospital.

The game was over.  With under two minutes left and the Bruins laying a beat-down on the Canucks 7-1, Vancouver’s Raffi Torres took a run at Johnny Boychuck’s head.  Torres skated clear across the ice with no plan on playing the puck or issuing a clean body check.  Torres instead leaped off his skates and shot his elbow directly at Boychuck’s noggin. 

…but he missed.  A charging minor was called and the game continued.

Where are you on this one NHL?  Does a player only face discipline if he lands a crushing, season ending hit?  Does a hit only get reviewed if it sends a man to the hospital?   

This was by all accounts a cheap, viscous, thoughtless, unsportsmanlike play by Torres.  The Bruins are just fortunate Boychuck had the wherewithal to dodge this SlapShot-esque attack.

But wait!  There’s more, NHL!  What about your promise to punish repeat offenders?!

Raffi Torres missed the final 2 games of the season and the first 2 playoff games because he did this same thing in early April.  In a 2-0 Canucks loss Torres blasted Edmonton’s Jordan Eberle’s head with an elbow.  Classless!   Now the NHL is going to ignore his violent attempt to do it again?  Clearly he learned nothing from the 4 game suspension and needs to be reminded by the league that it won’t be tolerated.

So let’s recap:

1. Blowout game with the outcome decided:  Check

2. Launching off skates to hit high on an opponent:  Check

3. Targeting the head:  Check

4. Repeat Offender:  Big check

NHL action:  None

Get well soon Horton…and Savard…and Crosby..and…