Headhunters (cont.)

David Booth was hospitalized with a concussion after a brutal open-ice hit by Mike Richards. AP Allan Muir's Mailbag Submit a comment or question for Allan. Name: Email: Hometown: Question: SEND

The hits-to-the-head issue isn't going away. Mike Richards' quelling of David Booth appeared to be within the rules -- Campbell's decision not to tack on a suspension suggests as much -- but the image of the Panthers forward face down on the ice raised a reasonable question: should it be legal?

I fully believe that hitting is as intrinsic to the game as scoring and don't want to see rules enacted that diminish the physical element. At the same time, it's clear that, for all the talk from players about respect, there's not an awful lot of it in the game. An opponent's head is, for many players, a fair target. In fact, more than a few players and commentators described this play as a "clean hit to the head" in the aftermath, and that may have been more shocking to me than the actual blow.

In my book, the only clean hit to a head comes when gloves are dropped and both players accept the imminent danger. Anything beyond that deserves a second look.

So, what should the league do to minimize the chance of another career-ending concussion...or worse? First, address the hard caps on shoulder and elbow pads. Ask players and they'll tell you that those things are as responsible for the carnage as the impact itself. Campbell has said that the NHL is considering unilateral implementation of restrictions regarding pads because instability within the NHLPA is dragging out the process. If it happens (forgive my skeptical nature), then good on him. As 75 years of the game's history shows, shoulders and elbows don't need to be armored like an assault vehicle to be protected.

But that's a rather passive step, isn't it? It's like strapping a pillow on the baby's bottom instead of taking him off the balcony. The NHL needs to follow the lead of the Ontario Hockey League, which instituted a specific head checking penalty in 2005 and...surprise!...has seen no dip in hard, physical play. Allow the refs to penalize this contact with something other than an intent-to-injure major (which they clearly hate to call, given the game-changing advantage it creates) that will also give them leeway to recognize that size discrepancies and the speed of the game -- and yes, sometimes the actions of the victim -- make some head contact unavoidable.

The presence of such a rule wouldn't eliminate the infraction, but it might give pause to that growing number of players who see a cheap shot to the head as just another way to make a statement.

Ominous footsteps

I'm thinking the Americans are starting to look like a serious contender at the Olympics. Canada always enters these tournaments with two distinct advantages: superior goaltending and a confidence built on a legacy of winning. The U.S. won't be able to match that swagger, especially with a transitional lineup up front. But, in Ryan Miller and Craig Anderson, they have the type of goaltending that's capable of stealing not just a game, but a medal.

"Miller's getting a lot of [defensive] help that he hasn't in the past," one scout said of his hot start in Buffalo, "but he's taken his game up, too. I haven't seen anyone playing better this season. Give him a lead, he locks it down. If [the Americans] give him a couple goals, he's going to be tough to beat."

Marc-Andre Fleury won't start the tournament for Canada, but he will finish it. It's not just a matter of winning more big games than anyone over the last two years -- he's been the country's best stopper this season. And if the Canadian brass learned anything from past defeats, it's the importance of going with Mr. Right Now.

More ominous footsteps

Doesn't Colorado need to start mixing in the occasional win in the face-off circle? Last season, the seven teams with the lowest winning percentage in the circle missed the postseason, and right now the Avs are dead last in the league at 45.9 percent. So many breaks are going the way of the NHL's hottest team right now that this hasn't been an issue...yet. But when their balloon pops, don't be surprised if their inability to control the puck off the draw serves as the needle.

Then again...

Doesn't Colorado's Greg Sherman look like a solid candidate for executive of the year? Granted, the laurels for hiring Joe Sacco (who's quickly proving his mettle with his adroit handling of Wojtek Wolski) should be heaped on Pierre Lacroix, but he was in charge when the team signed Anderson (who just tied the mark for best record in October at 10-1), drafted two players (Matt Duchene and Ryan O'Reilly) who stepped directly into the lineup, and signed veteran Milan Hejduk to an extension. That's a promising start for the former accountant whose hiring was lampooned in many corners, including this one.