Hockey violence: how much is too much?

Regular readers know Walt likes hockey as much as the next guy. [Are you saying you like guys? Ed.] OK, let's just say Walt is a big fan of hockey, ever since the days of the Original Six.

Readers who know Canada's younger national sport also know that it's a violent sport. I'm not just talking about the fighting which is part of the game, but about the fact that you have 10 six-footers weighing around 200 pounds hurtling around an 85' by 200' rink. Collisions are bound to occur. They're supposed to occur.

The defensive side of the game comes down to stopping an opposing player who is advancing towards your goal with the puck. If you don't, he might score. So what you do is hit him. That's what you're supposed to do.

However, there are right ways and wrong ways to stop the opposing player in his tracks. This is the wrong way.

The commentary comes from NESN. You'll hear the announcer with the Back Bay accent say that Chara -- all 6'7" of him -- was just doing his job, and didn't deserve even a 5-minute penalty. Walt calls BULLSHIT!

Zdeno Chara is an experienced player. He's also huge. He towers over all the others on the Big Bad Bruins, and the rest of the NHL. He should be aware of his own size and strength. He should also have been aware of his position on the ice, and that of Max Pacioretty, the object of his really dirty hit from behind.

Montréal's La Presse has called for a criminal investigation, which would focus on Chara's intention. If it were found that he intended to rub Pacioretty out on the boards -- which is certainly how it appears -- criminal charges might follow. It's not normal for the law to get involved in what happens on the ice, but there are precedents.

The NESN apologists for Chara are saying he didn't mean to do it. If that's so, all Chara had to do was turn away. Pacioretty wasn't about to bang his head into the stanchion just to see what it felt like. Walt thinks Chara did the crime and deserves punishment -- if not in the Québec criminal courts, at least by the NHL. A hefty fine and suspension for the balance of the season and the playoffs should be about right.

Over to you, Don Cherry.

Update (and sigh of relief): Maxpac is reported to be awake, alert and able to move his arms and legs. He could have been killed...