Tag Archives: nhl

"Zdeno Chara is innocent"

13 Mar

Last week in the NHL, Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara viciously checked (hockey term) Montreal Canadiens left winger Max Pacioretty.

“Pacioretty suffered a severe concussion, and a non-displaced fracture of the fourth vertebra in his neck when his head hit the partition between the benches in the waning seconds of the second period.”

Here’s the hit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdIs-IY2LBI

Chara was penalized for interference and a game misconduct.  While the league has not, and will not suspend or fine him for this, Montreal police actually started a criminal investigation.

Pretty much everyone involved in, or around hockey actually understands that Pacioretty’s injuries were caused by where he was at the time, and the nature of the game of hockey, and not Chara’s viciousness.

To me, this is quite hypocritical given that the Canada’s government’s laws (and our’s too) allow professional hockey to have fighting.  Yes, fighting.  Yes, guys are allowed to punch each other in the face legally, without being prosecuted for it.

For the most part, I don’t like the idea of law enforcement getting involved in anything within a pro sports game, particularly sports like football and hockey, which are constructed to be violent sports.

Listen po-po, unless one guy whacks another guy in the face with his stick 25+ times, stay out of hockey, because otherwise you might as well just ban the sport entirely.