LARSMONT… As I was watching the Anaheim Ducks and Columbus Blue Jackets this eve, yet another player has been the target of a high hit, has suffered injuries that are still under evaluation, and will probably be out of action for an undetermined amount of time. The target was the always classy Saku Koivu and the player that delivered the hit was the Jackets Brandon Dubinsky. I don’t consider “Doobie” to be a dirty player, but he does play a tough brand of hockey. Koivu had just made a pass and was no longer in possession of the puck and didn’t appear ready for the contact as initiated by Dubinsky.
But that was in no way, shape or form the hit of the week. That occurred in a tilt between the Boston Bruins and the Buffalo Sabres. In the buildup to this game, since it was the “rivalry” night game of the week on NBC Sports channel, it was promoted frequently as some big rivalry contest. Now, certainly the two clubs have been playing each other for years and have had some big games in the past. I have never considered them to be rivals of the sort that the Bruins, and lets say the Canadiens are. That one is decades old with a lot of history behind it.
But the Bruin-Sabre matchup has had some recent bad blood behind it due to a game where the Bruins Milan Lucic ran over the Sabres net minder, the 120 lb. Ryan Miller and no one from the Sabres answered the bell when it counted. Enter former Minnesota Wild and Chicago Blackhawk player John Scott. Big John is 6’8” and is billed at 270 lbs. Suffice it to say that not many mess with Scott out on the frozen sheet. It is no secret to anyone in the game that the Sabres signed Scott to be their official deterrent to a situation like that occurring again. The first time the two clubs met after Scott joined the Sabres there were some dustups and it appeared the matter would be closed.

But doggone it. If I heard the “rivalry” TV promo once leading up to the game I heard it 50 times. Perhaps the NBC TV gods were trying to pump this game up into something it may not have actually turned out to be. Well fate would have it that much fuel has been added to that fire. At 5:49 of the 3rd period and with the Bruins in charge at 4-2, Scott came cross ice and leveled a high hit on the Bruins Loui Ericksson. It appeared that Erickson was not ready for the hit and may not have even seen it coming. Add Scott’s size to the situation and a propensity for natural high hits is almost a given. In addition, as often seems to be the case, Ericksson had already played the puck ahead and was no longer in possession. Ericksson is concussed. Koivu, I am guessing, is also probably concussed.  
It would seem the league is on pace to have a record number of fines and suspensions this season. The most games played by one club so far stands at 13. We have already witnessed 14 suspensions, 4 fines only, and a total of over $800k in compensation being forfeited. John Scott will be suspended and I have to believe Dubinsky will be joining him shortly and we are not even nearing the quarter mark yet. The worst part of this is that of the injuries of the players on the receiving end. There is almost always a concussion and multiple games are missed by the victims. Compounding the problems of these head trauma injuries is the unknown nature of post career mental and physical health levels. What are the post career consequences? There is some data, but it is incomplete overall.
So, does the NHL think we have arrived at a crisis level yet regarding this? I do. As concerned as they seem to be about head trauma injuries, the suspensions seem to be having little effect on the frequency of occurrence.  And as is usually the case, hockey blog’s and talk shows were filled with those that think attempts to change the nature of the game and it’s rules are misguided and will only make the game less macho. Let me tell you, there is nothing macho about sitting in a dark, silent room, trying to overcome a head trauma injury. Especially one that has needlessly occurred. Why does this league allow it’s players, no longer in possession of the puck to be freight trained by opponents?

The suspensions I believe, have perhaps been a part of a sea change attempt by the NHL to shift responsibility about when or when not to make a hit on to those on the giving end of the hit. The message though, does not seem to be getting the crystal clear reception it should be. I also heard all of the complaining about John Scott and players like him not belonging in the league. They are called the 4 minute per game players and why are they even in the league? I have also heard all of the nonsensical ideas and babbling debate about how to fix this situation.  
And you know, I’m not so sure some rule changes or tweaks can achieve the desired effect. The majority of hockey guys are genuine, real deal, caring guys. They really are. They care about their teams, teammates, organizations, fans, communities and even the league. They have parents, families, spouses, kids, pets and friends like all of us. John Scott is one of those guys. He doesn’t play the game to hurt anyone. I saw that when he was with the Wild, and with the Hawks. One of his best buddies in Chicago was Joey the Junior Reporter. Big John loved that kid.
At the same time Scott has intimate knowledge of why he is in the game and what he is supposed to do when called upon. I don’t think Scott was called upon to lay out Erickson, I think that was just the result of a bad hit gone wrong. The real thing is, is that Scott is but a symptom of a disease, a disease that he had no part of creating. And that is the culture of hockey in general and of the NHL in particular. It is a culture that can’t be cured with silence and a dark room. It can only be fixed by men with a clear vision of a better game with no attention given to old school ways that don’t work anymore. Here’s to hoping they will succeed… PEACE

Marc Elliott is a free lance sports opinion writer who splits time between his hometown in Illinois and Minnesota.