The Hockey News: Brian Costello's blog: THN.com Blog: What's next, eliminate hitting?

THN.com Blog: What's next, eliminate hitting?

Ian Laperriere's hit knocked Nicklas Lidstrom out of the game. (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images)

Brian Costello
2008-02-24 14:17:51

It didn’t occur to me that anyone would find fault with the Ian Laperriere hit on Nicklas Lidstrom until a colleague sent me a video feed of the incident with the subject line: Foul or fair?

The shoulder-to-shoulder collision looked, to me, so clean and so, well, hockey, I just assumed the colleague was inviting me to lunch. Foul (chicken, I suppose) or fair (food fair at the mall perhaps?).

I accepted, but no lunch was forthcoming. He was suggesting perhaps the hit was dirty. Not committing to it, but throwing the topic up for discussion.

I scoffed at the idea any hockey fan would have a problem with it because, let’s face it, hockey is a contact sport. On this play Feb. 18, Colorado’s Laperriere and Detroit’s Lidstrom were approaching a loose puck at a 90-degree angle. Both players saw each other, bent their legs, lowered their shoulders and collided.

Lidstrom looked to angle away at the last instant and took the brunt of the impact. Laperriere’s momentum carried Lidstrom into the boards where he was visibly shaken up and left the game with an injured knee. No penalty. No suspension. No reason for it.

Fabulous hit I thought. Laperriere didn’t leave his feet or get too low to take out Lidstrom’s knees or go in with a leading elbow. The fact Laperriere’s elbow then extended out from his body is simply a result of the undeniable laws of physics. The bodies bouncing off one another was the reaction to an action, with the arm in the middle acting as the fulcrum.

The fact one staffer in the office called it dirty, vicious and worthy of suspension is, to me, appalling.

I don’t buy his argument that this was a headshot and the league should do everything in its power to deal with headshots. Nor do I agree that a player the caliber of Lidstrom should have to worry about this headhunting when he’s trying to play a skill game.

Had Laperriere circled rather than hit or tried to poke check one of the game’s craftiest players, I’d expect him to be reprimanded by coach Joel Quenneville during the next stoppage.

Naturally, Laperriere had to defend himself against the nearest tough guy, Detroit’s Aaron Downey, which unfortunately has to happen under hockey’s unwritten code.

But Laperriere shouldn’t have to defend himself against overly sensitive fans or media who clearly have some serious issues with this wonderful game.

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Brian Costello is The Hockey News’s senior special editions editor and a regular contributor to THN.com. You can read his Top 10 list on Wednesdays and his blog each weekend.

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COMMENTS (26)

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hockeynerd Posted
(2009-04-30 06:03:17)

The NHL claims to be promoting players like Crosby, but the actual fact is that players like Bertuzzi and McCarty get the press. Brodeur or Luongo can have a great game, Joe Thornton can do something nearly physically impossible, but the ink is spend on skate blade blood, fistfights, and injuries. I call it "the enforcement of mediocrity" because if you're too good, you get hit. Stats nerds like myself are starting to pay attention to the PIMs drawn stat. I'd like to see this stat: who gets hit the most in the NHL? I bet it would be all of those franchise players -- including the goalies.

James Posted
(2009-04-30 06:02:30)

"The fact Laperriere’s elbow then extended out from his body is simply a result of the undeniable laws of physics. The bodies bouncing off one another was the reaction to an action, with the arm in the middle acting as the fulcrum." I sincerely hope you never become a physics professor. Please, stick to hockey.

Tom M Posted
(2009-04-30 06:02:28)

what a joke. i wonder where all theese nay sayers would be if it was Golden Boy Crosby that was hit.... Lapierre would be lynched. and this crap about , 'well, his elbow came up in the follow thru.." if is a player is always responsible for his stick, i.e. follow thru, than why no this elbows, knees, etc. pretty lame excuse, in my mind. the hit was not dirty, but the elbow at the end should of been a two minute call. nothing else, as Lidstrom, and the rest of the Wings have said. i remember when the Great One was in Edmonton and Dave Semeko (sp??, sorry), was his 'protector'. "what a great guy" was the general concept. but Downey is dirty for protecting Nick. if Nick was a 'good Canadian Boy', as Don Cherry would say, a lot of people would be calling a different tune,.. oh, and are you going to say the butt end to Filppula face in th e 3rd period of the same game not a dirty hit, or 'he was just following thru.... the refereeing , imho, for all games, is way too inconsistent. get it right guys!!

Randy Posted
(2009-04-30 06:02:27)

The was intended to be legal, but the follow through made it illegal. With the way the NHL games are being called, it should have been a penalty. There are far too many head shots in hockey, and this is another example. I do not ever remember being taught to hit with my arms like this hit was. You are taught to check with your shoulder.

John Durnell Posted
(2009-04-30 06:02:26)

I am a wings fan from a suburb of Detroit. Lidstrom is one of my favorit players. The hit was not even close to being dirty, or worthy of a penalty. As for the assertion that Laperriere shouldn't have to defend himself is laughable. Lidstrom isn't a physical player, and is one of the top 10 players in the world. Anyone who takes a run at him, clean or dirty, is going to have to pay the price. It has always, and will always be that way. Take a run at Ovechkin, or Crosby and see what happens. Without accountability, Hits will become dirty alot more often. This hit however, wasn't dirty.

Josh Posted
(2009-04-30 06:02:25)

I've yet to encounter anyone who has found this hit to be dirty. It was a nice hard finishing check, and Lidstrom just happened to get injured. If he gets up and hops back into the play, nobody cares, but the fact that he is hurt somehow changes the complexion of the hit.

Janet Posted
(2009-04-30 06:02:24)

Clean hit....debateable, a bruise on Lidstrom's chin from Laparierre's elbow would say it wasn't so clean, but definately not the dirtiest hit going. A penalty probably could of been called for an elbow, but definately not a suspension worthy hit.

Jason Posted
(2009-04-30 06:02:23)

I'm an avid hockey player and have played hockey for many years but to call that body check a "clean" check is very questionable. When I did play contact many moons ago (I'm 33, lol!) of course we were taught to come in with the shoulder low and stand up based on contact. You can clearly see that the forearm/elbow came in contact with the chest and of course as you stand up, you're elbow's going to come up as well. You can see Laperierre's effort to push off with his arm into the boards as well. I see more and more of this in the NHL as of recently and am frustrated to see a lot of these so called "BODY" checks into "FOREARM" checks. Collide with the shoulder and not with the forearm/elbow. A second note, a penalty should have definitely been called based on interferance. I was watching the game and didn't even see Lindstrom even coming close to coming in contact with the puck. I can't speak for Laperriere but I'm sure his intent wasn't definitely to come in contact with the puck!

Marcus Eriksson Posted
(2009-04-30 06:02:22)

Hi Briana, sorry if my english is a bit crappy. Of course the hit was clean, no doubt about it, the big argument is that, players like, Lidstrom,Rafalski,Sidney Crosby,Evgeni Malkin, and even Gretzky when he was active, wounderfull playmakers and goalscorers, shouldnt have to worry about getting hurt out on the ice. Of course Ian did the right thing, he would probably be benched if he didnt hit Lidstrom, but players witch i just namned should be met, during a situation like this with more respect, thats the big issue, thats why Red Wings reacted the way they did....Nothing else, it wasent beacuse teh hit was uggly, beacuse it wasnt. But everyone knows, from div 4 in Sweden to the Elitserien(top division in sweden) if you make a big,heavy hit (eaven if its clean) on one of the other teams top players, you have to watch your back, its as simple as that, Ian knew this and hit Lidstrom as hard as he can anyway, he showed currage and heart....and he didnt complain when he got pounded afterwards.

Lindsay Posted
(2009-04-30 06:02:20)

It was a clean hit . The fact it was on a "notable"player and caused injury made it more prominent . Laparierre is not a cheap shot artist but a hard nosed player , and fights his battles rather than backing down and hiding on his bench.