#crosschecking

Ma’am? Yiiiiikes. Are you trying to make me feel old?

That’s fine. YMMV and all that. It is my opinon that all crosschecks and particularly crosschecks from behind should be taken more seriously, called more frequently, and penalised more heavily. We can split hairs over ejections, etc, but if you send a player out for a game (or more), then why do you get to stay in?

Are all crosschecks intended to injure? Probably not. Do they all result in injury? No. But the potential is definitely there, especially with crosschecks to the head and from behind, and when refs don’t call it or only give out 2 minute minors, players/teams are enabled to make those potentially harmful hits. There’s a reason that there’s a rule against crosschecking and refs not calling it is wrong.

As for the Dube hit, he did raise his stick to waist level and drive it forward and up into Dickinson’s back well after Dickinson had turned and his numbers were fully visible. (LINK) Had Dickinson been closer to the boards he wouldn’t have been able to brace himself like he did and it may have been more serious than a trip to the dressing room for a look at his leg. Or not. But when Calgary complained about the penalty the ref stated: “That's dangerous, that's dangerous. That's a dangerous hit and I'm calling that every time.” (LINK)

Setting aside Dicky and looking at other crosschecks from behind (See: Dubois’s hit on Muzzin which sent him forward into the oncoming knee of another player and landed him on a stretcher and then in hospital) as well as other hits leading to serious head injuries (See: Stephen Johns, Sidney Crosby, Dan Carcillo, etc etc etc etc) we know there’s a good potential for them to be very dangerous. So refs need to call it. Period.

Hi anon! You don’t have to apologize. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I was just clarifying my stance. And I hear you, I do. The Dubois hit was very obviously worse than the Dube hit, and was intentional whereas I don’t expect Dube intended to injure.

But my view on it is still that close calls like that, where things could be much worse even if they’re not intentional, would happen less often if there were consistent consequences.

Morrissey’s hit on Staal highlights NHL's acceptance of casual cross-checking

[ad_1] The Jets’ Josh Morrissey is going through supplemental self-discipline after a cross-check to the pinnacle of the Wild’s Eric Staal, however the play would by no means have occurred if the NHL did not permit gamers to get away with a lot net-front stickwork. Not precisely certain what’s extra disturbing, the truth that two referees didn’t see a blatant cross-check that would in the end be…