Even if you’re not a hockey fan, you’ve probably heard about Florida Panthers forward Richard Zednik. Maybe you’ve even seen the footage; either the complete scene or the less-gruesome clip. Either way, unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that Zednik’s carotid artery was partially severed by teammate Olli Jokinen‘s skate accidentally. Zednik will be fine and is slated to be released from the hospital in the upcoming days.
What annoys me is that the media will make a huge issue about this. Even worse is when people who don’t follow hockey condemn the sport for being violent and barbaric. These same people showed up when Todd Bertuzzi sucker-punched Steve Moore. While there’s no denying what Bertuzzi did was wrong, it does take some knowledge of hockey to be able to step back to see why the event occured. Non-hockey followers won’t understand why an isolated incident like that happened. They also won’t understand why the NHL isn’t scrambling to change equipment regulations in the wake of Zednik’s injury.
Nineteen years ago, Sabres goalie Clint Malarchuk had his jugular sliced by a skate blade during a collision in his crease. I was thirteen years old when that happened – I recall watching the game and the incident as it unfolded. It was gruesome and I remember that immediately afterwards, all players on teams that were part of the TMHA were instructed by our coaches and trainers to purchase neck guards. Come to think of it, when we played teams from other cities and towns in Ontario and Quebec, all of their players were wearing neck guards, too. Neck guards have been mandatory for minor hockey ever since. Although no incidents of cuts necks occured in minor hockey since the neck guard mandate, I can remember an incident occuring before the mandate either. Are there no cut necks in minor hockey because of players wearing neck guards, or is it because if such an accident were to happen, it truly would be a freak accident? An argument in favour of spacious reasoning such as this is captured perfectly in the “Much Apu About Nothing” episode of the Simpsons:
Homer: Not a bear in sight. The Bear Patrol must be working like a
charm.
Lisa: That’s spacious reasoning, Dad.
Homer: Thank you, dear.
Lisa: By your logic I could claim that this rock keeps tigers away.
Homer: Oh, how does it work?
Lisa: It doesn’t work.
Homer: Uh-huh.
Lisa: It’s just a stupid rock.
Homer: Uh-huh.
Lisa: But I don’t see any tigers around, do you?
[Homer thinks of this, then pulls out some money]
Homer: Lisa, I want to buy your rock.
[Lisa refuses at first, then takes the exchange]
Canucks forward Kevin Bieksa had his left calf lacerated by a skate blade earlier this season. While a serious injury, it wasn’t life threating in the same way as Zednik’s injury. It’s hockey, folks. Skates have blades on them. You can’t wrap the players up full-body protection and skate blade-related injuries are few and far in between. Hopefully those who aren’t hockey fans cease to chime in on this, since they only show up when necks are cut in hockey games, and that only appears to happen once every twenty years.
To add, I haven’t purchase a neck guard since Zednik’s injury and have no plans to do so.
