NHL: Zdeno Chara Hit on Max Pacioretty

[Stuntman]

There have been a lot of opinions about the lack of a suspension for Chara. Air Canada, one major sponsor of some NHL team, have threatened to pull its sponsorship in light of the lack of supplemental discipline on this hit (and other plays resulting in head injuries).

My opinion of the play was that Chara was trying to run a little interference on Pacioretty to prevent Pacioretty from getting past Chara with speed. It is a rather typical play where the defender tries to squeeze out the opposing player along the boards. The reason that this particular play caused a significant injury was that the there is a post where the bench ends and the glass begins. Pacioretty was pushed towards the boards and his head contacted the post while he was skating at a very high speed. The result was a severe concussion and fractured vertebrae.

Some believe that Chara intentionally pushed him into the post. I don't think that this is the case since. It looks like he wanted to run some interference and forced Pacioretty outside. He did give him a little shove, but I do not believe he intentionally tried to force his head into the post. Had this exact same play happened on the opposite side of the rink where there are no benches, there is likely no injury. The other side of the rink has glass all the way and there would be no post.

To me this is just an unfortunate accident. Pacioretty tried to get past Chara and was a little off balanced and Chara was the biggest player in the league and his shove caused Pacioretty to go even more off balance and fall head first into the post while skating at a high rate of speed.

In any case, I sincerely hope Pacioretty is able to recover from this unfortunate incident.


For those who haven't seen it, I've included the link below. Be warned that it is a very gruesome injury.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmPyKb3PRy0

 

[Homan13PSU]

I agree. Not a dirty hit, more consequences of the placement of the glass and stancian at the end of the bench rather than Charra trying to purposefully run him into it.

 

[Member138406]

NHL actually made the right decision finally. Hit was a little high but I dont think there was any intent to injure. At Chara's height it is pretty hard not to deliver a high hit also...

 

[Ichapp]

NHL actually made the right decision finally. Hit was a little high but I dont think there was any intent to injure. At Chara's height it is pretty hard not to deliver a high hit also...

The fact that it was a high hit warranted the five minute match penalty, but I also agree with the decision for no further disciplinary action. This hit happened at the exact wrong place on the ice and that was the cause of the injury to Pacioretty.

I thought Bruce Boudreau made a good point on the Habs fans protesting the other day.

...if that was Hal Gill that hit David Krejci I don't think there'd be a protest going on here tonight.

The TSN article

 

[Member138406]

The fact that it was a high hit warranted the five minute match penalty, but I also agree with the decision for no further disciplinary action. This hit happened at the exact wrong place on the ice and that was the cause of the injury to Pacioretty.

I thought Bruce Boudreau made a good point on the Habs fans protesting the other day.
The TSN article

Yup, because it was in a Canadian market I think it gets blown way out of proportion. Ya it was a bad injury, but if this was an ATL V. Nashville game.. we would see it a few times and then it would have been dropped.