See that is a dirty hit.  Hard and from behind against the board.  Five and a game, plus a game or two. 

Not this is it legal or not, we need to slow it down, see it in 15 different angles and then still have to take into account the time of the game, the feelings of the players towards each other and if the mens rea of the hit was there bullshit that is for all these other great hits that people are ruining.

Posted by moore00 from Columbus, OH/Grand Rapids, MI on 10/06/09 at 02:34 PM ET

Agree totally.  It should have been 5 and a game for a hit from behind.  Another 1 or 2 would have sent a good message.  Don’t understand how they continue to not get this right…

Posted by WingMan from The Q C on 10/06/09 at 02:42 PM ET

Totally a clean hit.  Not sure how anyone can think that was dirty.  Boll just was unfortunate to get hit by two people at like the same time.  Hordichuk was already making his hitting motion when rypien hit boll causing him to turn.  Not enough time for hordichuck to let up.  Refs had it right.  Maybe roughing, but really no penalty needed at all and only one called cause he got hurt.  Phaneuf on okposo was worse.

Posted by John on 10/06/09 at 02:48 PM ET

don’t know what the hell your looking at john. Hordichuck could have let up. He should be gone for a few games.

Posted by ME on 10/06/09 at 03:18 PM ET

If you are following this post, I added Bob McKenzie’s take on the hit to the post.

Posted by Paul from Motown Area on 10/06/09 at 03:19 PM ET

Through that entire replay, at no time was Boll in a position where he could have been checked cleanly by Hordichuk.  The last-minute nature of the hit by Rypien put him in a more vulnerable position to be sure, but Hordichuk was facing his back the entire time, and made sure he finished the hit.

Posted by J.J. from Kansas on 10/06/09 at 03:20 PM ET

^ Good point JJ.

Also agreed on the automatic suspension. Make it automatic like high-sticking and increase the number of games according to the situation. But there should be a base line automatic suspension regardless of intention. You simply have to be in control.

btw. “not having enough time” to do or not do something is nonsense. if you’ve watched a live hockey game near the ice, you know how fast the pace of the game is. these are professional athletes whose response time in ten times quicker than ours.

Posted by Osrt on 10/06/09 at 03:29 PM ET

I hate tough guys that can’t take a hit. The guy has no ability. He’s out there for one reason so be prepared. The hit was nothing to get excited about. Maybe if you want to be a tough guy you should find out if you have a glass jaw first…..

Posted by kevin from boston on 10/06/09 at 03:45 PM ET

If you ever want a textbook wxample of a dirty hit from bewhind, this one fits the bill.

Any time someone complains that a player was checked from behind, that hit should be indexed to this one and to the degree they match, the complaint is valid.

Posted by HockeyinHD on 10/06/09 at 03:50 PM ET

McKenzie is right. The NHL and NHLPA need to wake up and solve this in a hurry, before someone dies. And sad as it is, someone will die from this. Look no further than the NFL where guys with closed head injuries go apeshit 20 years later because they have so much brain damage they can’t control their emotions.

I don’t care if it pussifies the game, it’s time to do something. With hits to the head, it should be irrelevant whether or not the check was “clean,” as in a shoulder or elbow, whatever. If you paste a guy in the dome, you should be in the box automatically.

This problem won’t be solved until the league and PA are willing to change the definition of a “clean” hit.

Posted by Nathan from the scoresheet! on 10/06/09 at 03:53 PM ET

I can see how it’s a dirty hit, but it doesn’t seem all that hard, nor does it seem all that bad. I hate to see a guy go down like that, but I feel like I’ve seen much worse…

Posted by kabutar on 10/06/09 at 04:13 PM ET

It doesn’t look that bad until you slow it down and watch the angle of Boll’s body and the skating pattern of Hordichuk. Hordichuk knew he was in a vulnerable position and still skated full blast with the intention of crushing him.

Posted by Performance Parts on 10/07/09 at 08:30 AM ET

All comes back to the lack of respect in this league among some of the players. It’s a damn shame.

Posted by Performance Parts on 10/07/09 at 08:31 AM ET