Mar 14, 2016
Dreger Report: Expect GMs to debate Rule 48
A number of general managers want further discussion on the rule based on the belief any head contact, accidental or otherwise, is dangerous and should be penalized, Darren Dreger writes.
The NHL's Department of Player Safety will play a key role at this week's general managers meetings in Boca Raton, Fla.
Player Safety will provide a video presentation on Rule 48 (Illegal Check to the Head), using a collection of hits over the course of the season to illustrate and explain why certain hits, where contact to the head was made, aren't a violation of the rule.
The official rule reads: "A hit resulting in contact with an opponent's head where the head was the main point of contact and such contact to the head was avoidable, is not permitted."
A number of general managers want further discussion on the rule based on the belief any head contact, accidental or otherwise, is dangerous and should be penalized.
Florida Panthers GM Dale Tallon is among those encouraging a full discussion on the rule. A number of Panthers players have been on the receiving end of hits this season where contact with the head was made, including a Feb. 8 hit by Detroit's Justin Abdelkader on Florida's Aleksander Barkov. Abdelkader was not given a penalty for the hit, nor did he face supplemental discipline.
Tallon would like to see the league adopt additional coverage within the language of the rule to try and further reduce the risk of head injuries.
Columbus Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen is also a strong advocate for stiffer sanctions for hits he still considers "blindside."
In a game on Jan. 8, Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno was levelled by Carolina's Brad Malone. Foligno missed six games with an upper-body injury, while Malone escaped with no penalty. Malone also wasn't suspended as the hit was not viewed by on-ice officials or the Department of Player Safety as an illegal check to the head.
Another example sure to be included in the video presentation is Tampa Bay defenceman Anton Stralman, far from a reckless or dirty player, ending Winnipeg forward Bryan Little's season on Feb. 18 with a hit the NHL deemed as unavoidable, given Little's positioning. The Jets top-line centre suffered a compression fracture of his vertebrae. Stralman was not penalized.
Winnipeg GM Kevin Cheveldayoff is expected to be an active participant in what could be one of this annual meeting's more contentious topics.
Support for open discussion on Rule 48 extends beyond those impacted by the video evidence we have isolated in the Dreger Report. However, support for discussion and an amendment to the rule are two significantly different things.
Undoubtedly, multiple examples of players getting tagged by mistakenly stumbling into the mishap or a simple turning of head that results in head contact will also be included in the breakdown, along with a clear definition of the rule, specific to what is believed to be illegal contact to the head as opposed to unavoidable contact.
Those who defend the existing rule are concerned that if the managers broaden the scope to the point where all head contact is penalized, the unintended consequences may include a reduction in hitting overall or a rash of penalties and significant increase in suspensions.
It's unlikely Rule 48 will be changed this week in Boca Raton. This is a debate that may require more evidence to sway the vote. However, there is enough concern over those injured this season by head, neck, back or, less specifically, upper-body injuries, to at least warrant consideration.