Day: September 9, 2011

by Jamy Baron

As summer comes to an end, so too does the long wait for Rangers hockey to start up again. I don’t know about you, but I’ve been waiting since the day the Rangers lost to Washington, very impatiently to say the least.

Eliminate all head shots from the NHL.  Sounds like a worthy endeavor, and even something that can be achieved with relatively little effort given the number of concussions to some of the premier offensive players like Sidney Crosby, Brad Richards, Marian Gaborik and Marc Savard among others.  But as the saying goes, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

Perhaps the best example in recent times is the instigator rule, added in 1992.  The rule was introduced to help protect players from being jumped by an opponent when they weren’t prepared.  It didn’t eliminate fighting altogether – it does still allow willing combatants to square off – but it has to some extent reduced the violence in the sport.