For the second time in as many nights, an NHL player was taken off the ice on a stretcher Saturday. This time around it's Florida Panthers forward David Booth, who was on the receiving end of what appears to be a rather borderline hit from Philadelphia's Mike Richards.
Video after the jump.
Richards appears to lead with his shoulder, but it's a hit to the head, and that's never a good thing. He received a five-minute major and a game misconduct for interference, and the play will obviously get some attention from the league. How can a player get five minutes and a game misconduct for interference you ask? Well, let's recall our conservation with former NHL director of officiating Stephen Walkom from a year ago. From Walkom:
"In terms of that call, a year ago the general managers decided that in our rule book we always had a minor penalty for interference," said Walkom. "Someone asked the question one day, 'What happens if a player doesn't play the puck, gets hit, and gets injured ... Shouldn't that be a major penalty? And a game misconduct?' So, the major penalty and a game misconduct were added to the rule book last year. It was approved by the competition committee, the board of governors and the general managers first."Once the major penalty is issued, the game misconduct becomes automatic. It's all under rules 56.4 and 56.5 in the NHL rule book.
Booth scored his second goal of the season earlier in the game.
So, what do you think, hockey fans? Is this a legal hit with an unfortunate result, or a player that requires further discipline from the league?
UPDATE: Booth has been released from a Philadelphia hospital after suffering a concussion.
(H/T HFBoards for posting the video)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
10-24-2009 @ 10:26PM
spinyn6502 said...
clean hit, never left his feet and had no time or angle to see that he got rid of the puck.
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10-24-2009 @ 10:26PM
missucat said...
Give me a break! Its hockey not knitting.
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10-25-2009 @ 9:52AM
Sieben said...
The REAL THUGS OF SPORTS
10-24-2009 @ 10:35PM
Roach said...
are you two blind????? did you not see the contact to the head and then richards flying across the ice????
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10-24-2009 @ 10:44PM
Curt said...
Thank you Roach for pointing that out to the other two knuckleheads. Richards would have clearly seen the passed puck. I say sit him for 20 games.
10-24-2009 @ 10:44PM
afghangirl1014 said...
Totally clean. Richie couldn't have known that would happen. Shouldn't get suspended, a fine at most.
If ovechkin can get away with his slew foot with just a fine, then Richie definitely shouldn't have a problem being cleared if this
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10-25-2009 @ 12:45AM
soulsojourn72 said...
See Richards should have know what was going on and played the puck not go for the hit. Also he should not have hit Booth in the head with his shoulder. I am saying he should have known what was going on for that is his job. See he is a hockey player and they need to follow the rules of the game and play attention to what is going on in the game. If it was about blindsiding people who are not in the play then great job Richards, but it is not. The Philly fans like you trying to defend this hit just shows how classy the city of brotherly love is.
10-24-2009 @ 10:45PM
billyp01 said...
whats the first thing you learn in hockey? keep your head up.. he was watching his pass and richards led with his shoulder.. the only reason richards went flying is becase they were both going at such a high rate of speed. its a bang bang play when your on the ice, especially at the level of the NHL. richards is and always will be a hard nose gritty hockey player, but classy at the same time. he is how you would want any hockey player and i know for a fact, there was no intent to harm from that hit
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10-25-2009 @ 12:02PM
Joel Lafargue said...
What you said makes sense, but have you ever heard of a thing known as CAPITALIZATION? Every first word of a sentence MUST begin with a CAPITAL letter. Please learn where the "shift" key is, and what it does. Don't be lazy.
10-24-2009 @ 10:46PM
tbhockeyboy said...
Technically a clean hit, but even so, this is really dangerous stuff. I am a huge Richard's fan and I know he certainly had no intent to injure, but I think this calls for justice from the league.
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10-24-2009 @ 11:13PM
JWo said...
I don't think Richards had any time to react to the fact that Booth had passed the puck, but since he has the Flyers history behind him, I'm sure the rest of the league will scream "Head Hunter" and I bet a 5 to 10 game suspension.
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10-24-2009 @ 11:26PM
nohockeysense said...
Very dirty. Intentional headshot to a player that had no chance of protecting himself. The timing of the hit is marginal, but the deliberate intent to hurt is the terrible part. Oh, Richards is my favourite player in the NHL.
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10-24-2009 @ 11:33PM
Tommy said...
It was a clean hit and it fell within the rules. Looking at the video, remember it is slowed down so there was only a second or two between the pass and the hit. That means that really it was not interference. Also Richards did not mean to hurt the guy. There should not have been a penalty after this despite the guy being hurt. Unfortunately for Richards he is probably going to be suspended, but he should only be fined if anything because what he did fell within the rules.
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10-25-2009 @ 1:33AM
Rich said...
If what he did is within the rules, then why would you say he should get fined? Bottom line, Richards was head hunting, so now a deer hunting he can go.
10-24-2009 @ 11:43PM
b said...
Legal.
Only one second expires from pass to contact.
Add this clip to the many in support of a rule making contact to the head a penalty.
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10-24-2009 @ 11:48PM
Nicholas said...
It was a borderline clean hit. He caught him with his head down and he dropped his shoulder and leveled him. It was unintentional head contact. Richards wasn't trying to injure him, just take him out of the play. Hockey is a contact sport.
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10-24-2009 @ 11:55PM
mrhammerstein said...
dirty. hit to the head is always dirty.
i don't care if richards meant to hurt him or not, it's a dirty hit to the head. hockey is tough, but plays like that are dangerous. a clean hit to the shoulder would have leveled him all the same, but richards went right for the head. give him a couple of games suspension and be done with it.
booth better keep his head up if he wants to stay in the league.
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10-25-2009 @ 1:03AM
Jeff said...
it's a clean, unintentionally brutal hit but the league should make any head contact an immediate fine and suspension. those plays would stop quickly.
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10-25-2009 @ 1:47AM
joebobwho said...
texctbook hit. richards lowered his shoulder exactly like your told to do. booths hesd was down and he puy himself in a bad position. this is how hockey is played around the world and all players are tought from mights up to keep your head up.. there was no intent to hit his head. If his head was up it would have been shoulder to shoulder end of story
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10-25-2009 @ 1:58AM
Jaylynn said...
Being from Philly and a Flyers fan honestly i hope he gets penalized by the league...if you watch the replay of the video Richards lowered his shoulder then shot up as Booth came behind him...i dont wanna hear he couldnt see him or it was a clean hit because he didnt leave his feet..it was a bad shot and he should have to pay for it
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