Safety through violence

Kevin Cave, Victoria, B.C.

I know it won't solve everything, but the instigator simply has to go.

There is a lot of talk around the league about players not respecting each other and these big, though legal, hits that are sidelining players for long periods of time.

There are always going to be players that don't have that level of respect for the game that most others seem to, so lets give those players some very real, immediate consequences.

Fines and suspensions are all well and good, but they happen well after the action and will therefore never reflect the passion and emotion involved at the time.

Even in the case of a legal hit, like Mike Richards made earlier this year, if you know you are going to have to answer the bell right away you're more likely to make the check safe since the consequences would be immediate and often measured but the level of injury you inflicted.

Hockey is a fast, emotional game and the consequences should reflect that. And for the players who want to save their Chiclets, they can always turtle and have the refs save their tails.

They may lose face with their teammates, but at least they'll protect the pretty if that's what's important to them.