During the Calgary Flames game at Nashville, James Neal delivered a so-called ‘minor check to the head’ to Calgary Flames captain Mark Giordano. The question is, can a check to the head ever be considered minor?
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Obviously, what happens game-to-game needs to be evaluated game-to-game, but James Neal doesn’t exactly have a spotless record when it comes to these sorts of plays. This wouldn’t be the first time he has made a silly mistake like this.
Other players may have played up the situation more, but the Calgary Flames captain Giordano isn’t exactly a guy historically known for an over-the-top falls or the like – he can be a pretty rough and ready player himself.
Looking back at the game, it was a bit of a cheap shot by James Neal on the Calgary Flames captain:
Now, obviously there are a few questions to be asked. The most obvious one being; what does the rule book have to say about this play?
From an outsider perspective, the NHL Department of Player Safety shouldn’t take a light view of this hit. The Calgary Flames player didn’t see it coming, and it was at full speed to the head.
Whether the Calgary Flames captain said something on a previous play, we may never know, but in light of all the concussion protocols and the like – any full-speed check to the head should be considered a major, and a suspension should be handed down – this isn’t currently what the rule book states; something that TSN took a good look at this in it’s C’Mon Ref column.
The onus should be for the Calgary Flames to now pursue this and seek proper punishment for the offender, in this case, James Neal. If the NHL is indeed serious about all of its head injury and concussion research, it’s about time the penalties aligned with it.
This is an opportunity for the Calgary Flames staff to make a real positive impact on the game by seeking that the league starts to view head checks as major penalties, minimum.
Thankfully, Mark Giordano was able to shake off the hit as the Calgary Flames went on to win the game in over-time, but it does bring to light a side of the game that is ever more unwanted.
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