NHL Players Must Take Responsibility for On-ice Actions
FollowZedo Chara’s hit on Max Pacioretty on Tuesday night was yet another black eye for the NHL. The scary incident (which can be seen here) left the young Montreal Canadien forward with a severe concussion and a non-displaced fracture to the fourth cervical vertebra in his neck.
The hit was legal, but it was extremely dangerous and could have been avoided. Instead, Chara caught Pacioretty in a very vulnerable position leaving him little chance to brace for the impact and the result was the possible end to a bright hockey career. The incident occurred along the corner glass near the players bench with Chara shouldering Pacioretty into the boards essentially pushing his head to collide with the turnbuckle.
The league did not suspend Chara for the hit stating that it was a legal hit and that it was “part of the game”. While I believe the hit was in fact legal according to the NHL rules, I also believe that Chara’s intent was to injure Pacioretty. The 12-year NHL veteran should have recognized the possibility for injury as he rammed Pacioretty’s head into the turnbuckle. He didn’t and now he can only hope that Pacioretty is able to lead a normal life even if that means never playing another NHL game again.
While the NHL should and MUST crack down on illegal checks to the head, players must also take responsibility for their actions on the ice. Physical play is an important part of the game, but playing with the intent to hurt someone should not be tolerated. Beyond league punishment, there is a level of responsibility and awareness that is clearly missing. If the NHL wants to draw more fans and become more mainstream then it must eliminate these far too frequent violent episodes. If this is in fact “part of the game”, then the game needs to be re-learned.