Two College Hockey Players Deserve Jail Time, Get 1 Year Suspensions

The video is tough to watch. The consequences are severe but not severe enough.

I hope that the NHL cracks down on intent to injure, but at the moment, the worst stuff is happening in the minors and below. Early this year, Don Sanderson died after a fight. Just a few weeks later, Garrett Klotz, age 20, left the ice on a stretcher, having had a seizure after a fight.

NHL owners should be ashamed about head shots, but they aren't. Bloggers keep calling for change, but there is none. There should be a debate, but there is none.

This blog is called Crosby's Concussion because there will no change until a marquee player dies. Plenty have left the game early from concussions (Lindros, LaFontaine). The NHL has made it clear that nothing short of death will bring change, and thereby is guaranteeing that a player will die.

College hockey players take the NHL as their model. The two Michigan State players deliberately assaulted a player, Steve Kampfer, who had already been assaulted by a member of his own college's football team (possibly for flirting with that player's girlfriend). The football player, Mike Milano, has been charged with a felony. Kampfer suffered a skull fracture and a broken vertebra but was back playing hockey that same year.

Freshman forward Andrew Conboy and sophomore forward Corey Tropp of Michigan State should face the same.

An Important Week

Especially in HTH leagues, this next week is very important. Taking a look at the schedule ahead, I'd say avoid any CHI players your league-mates have dropped because the Hawks' road trip is quite impressive, lasting several weeks, going through the toughest teams in the West that are outside the Central league.

Top of the list is Atlanta, with a nifty schedule this week. If Little, White, and Kovalchuk are not available, take a look at Bogosian (recent stats) and Peverley. Peverley has been on the top line while Little was hurt and might get demoted.

Blake is still one week away from returning, so look at other SJ defencemen who may be available. Ehrhoff has not done well of late, and Murray seems to be the one to take. Of course, if Boyle is available (he shouldn't be) take him first.

Filatov out

Quick note to say I dropped Filatov.

Other note: CHI's upcoming schedule is terrible.

Filatov!

With all those goals, I've joined the Filatov rush. If you missed it, Peca should be available in your league.

Quick game notes, Jan. 7 2009

Only one game done so far: NYR vs. Montreal.

I guess sometimes one line is hot. Tonight it was Robert Lang's. Montreal has depth and could lose forwards without losing a step. The other big news is that Montreal's two D finally produced to potential: Markov 1 G 1 A and Hamrlik 3 A.

Quick game notes, Jan. 6 2009

Defense!

Wisnewski -- 1 assist.

Coburn -- 8 shots on goal.

Zidlicky -- GWG.

Campbell -- +3


Other notes:

PIT is very streaky, but doing well tonight.

FLA vs TOR -- FLA dominates. That Weiss-Booth line is getting good.

CHI 5 goals and counting.

Nabokov losing vs. CAL, but he loses big a few times each year, and CAL is a strong opponent.

It's time for helmet rules

Hockey player death prompts helmet talk

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=3807147

A minor league player has died from injuries after hitting his head on the ice during a fight. I assume that he was unconscious when he fell and was unable to break his own fall. I've seen that happen in the NHL.

The NHL has to act but I'm not confident because the NHL isn't really concerned with blows to the head.