The game we all know and love is slowly falling apart as a seemingly contagious disease is creeping and crawling its way into player’s minds and onto the rink. It is nowhere as serious as cancer, although it can still be life threatening; it is a little something people like to call dirty hits.

It seems that no longer can we sit and enjoy one game without seeing someone try to knock someone else’s head clean off. Let it be via hit from behind, slash to the helmet, or just a classic shoulder/elbow/forearm to the face; it is in someway going to happen.

These days a player who is skilled and can actually play the game may as well skate around with a giant target painted on their helmet and the words “hit me here” written on the backs of their jerseys. At least this would speed up the inevitable and make it easier for the opposing goons to act like idiots. I am joking of course, but it is just that frustrating.

A prime example of what I am talking about is the crushing blow delivered a few weeks ago by Erie Otters overage forward Michael Liambas on the Kitchener Rangers 16 year old defenseman Ben Fanelli, leaving him in critical condition.
At least the OHL did what I thought was the right thing and suspended him for the rest of the year, showing that this kind of stuff cannot be tolerated any longer.

However, only one short week later Ottawa 67’s Jon Carnevale delivered an almost identical hit to Liambas’s on Sarnia Sting player Brent Sullivan and did not even receive a penalty, let alone a suspension; simply because unlike Fanelli, Sullivan got right back up. 

Which brings me to my next point. Ever dirty hit should be viewed the same and any player who commits one of these acts should be punished, plain and simple. It should not matter in the least bit if the victim was injured or not to determine whether or not a suspension should be given.

If the OHL and NHL are actually serious about getting rid of these shenanigans, they need to do lay down the law; give the player a hefty suspension, fine him, do something that shows you mean business. Like I said the suspension to Liambas was a start, but you can’t sit back and let the same play occur one week later without any punishment at all; it contradicts everything you’re trying to do.

While hockey cannot ever fully cleanse itself from this stuff, it can most defiantly take a stand against it and reduce it from occurring on a regular basis.

For this to happen people need to play with respect while the leagues need to wake up and not suspended only a few, but all who do it.

Last but not least people need to think about what they are doing and if everyone can take it upon themselves to do so, the game will again be back to the greatness it once was.