[Lil' Lavery]

Originally Posted by Bill Gold

The way the game of hockey has been enforced for the more than 15 years that I've been a fan of it state that it's basically a referee judgment call. If they think the defending player struck by the puck isn't seriously hurt (puck to the face) then they won't blow their whistles. They don't want a situation where after every blocked shot the defender will stay on the ice to get a stoppage in play, especially after a series of a minute or more of constant pressure. It was obvious that the puck was nowhere near his face when it hit him, and hit him in his lower to mid-body. It's too bad he got hit where he was hit (luckily ESPN says he's alright enough not to have surgery), and it would suck to have your team (whether you're a part of it or a fan) scored against on a play where a player was hurt, but it has happened in the past and will happen in the future. It's part of the game.

Agreed. Part of the reason I'm not a soccer fan is the "diving" that takes place late in games. I don't want something similar in the NHL.