Should the NHL remove these types of hits?
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- čas přidán 30. 04. 2023
- #nhl #hockey #nhlplayoffs
Game 7 between the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils saw one of the biggest hits of the NHL Playoffs. Rangers captain Jacob Trouba absolutely levelled devils forward Timo Meier & it caused a debate on whether or not this type of hit should be legal.
According to the rulebook, it was deemed a clean hit & there was no penalty on the play.. but there was direct contact to the head? We break down the hit & game in this video. - Sport
I thought I mentioned this but it's worth noting that there was no penalty on this play as it was a legal check.
I saw a lot of people questioning whether or not a headshot like this should be legal despite the current rulebook of the NHL.. but in my opinion.. I think that comes with the territory of playing hockey. When you step on the ice, you accept the consequences of playing the game. Just like how UFC fighters accept the consequences when they step into the octagon.
Meier got caught with his head down & paid the price.
What's your opinion on the whole thing??
"you accept the consequences of playing the game" this isnt the UFC, it's hockey. You expect to play hockey, but if a guy steps on the ice and is intending to land a hit to the head like here with no intention of playing the puck, that isnt hockey its just a player looking to make big dirty hits.
@@koalakakesexactly the Rangers barely had any calls on them all night
Perfectly clean hit.
Young players… Keep your head up !
I think it depends how people see it. Stevens world class hitter in the 90s deemed dirty today. trouba it's demed clean under the same scenario head down check into the head. I prefer older hard hitting hockey ie Stevens in Jersey but there needs to a consistency on if it's the defensemans fault or the guy with the puck for having his head down.
You can’t skate with your head down across the blue line into four defenders in a game 7 between the Rangers and Devils (let alone when Trouba is out there) and expect that not to happen.
Devils fan. It was a clean hit. Just a shame Meier's head was down.
Devils fan and I agree . It was hard to see and hard to accept , but after seeing it , it’s a clean hit
I guarantee if you guys lost you’d think it’s a penalty😂
@@yuzre I was watching it live at a bar and specifically was mad at first , and then accepted it in real time lol .. I’m a hockey fan first and care about the rules always
Also a devils fan. Nothing clean about this hit at all lol.
No shit. Thats not the question posed in this video is if its clean or not. Its whether or not it should be legal
As a Devils fan I hate to admit it but that was a clean hit. At times Trouba will use his elbow to throw hits, the one he missed on Palat in last year's playoffs comes to mind, but this was clean.
I have to imagine anyone calling this obviously clean, almost textbook hit, "dirty", must have never played contact hockey in their life and therefore their opinion on the matter really shouldn't matter to anyone
I think everyone needs to do this EVERY game and target mcdavid, McKinnon , Draisaitl , Mathews to get them out of gsme like we did kariya and lindros
@@steve5976 sure. But the best players won't be caught with their head down like that cause they're smarter
I’ve never seen Trouba lead with an elbow. In fact since he’s been a Ranger I’ve never seen him get penalized for a hit.
So sad when people use this as an excuse , Trouba can see the player is vulnerable in almost every hit he makes yet does he let up ? No he decided because you can't see me and defend yourself I will lunge at you and throw every bit of strength I have into hitting you. The league needs to wake up before someone gets killed by a stupid targeted head shot like these. Then all you idiots sit around saying well it was a clean hit!
He had his head down with possession. Clean hit… congrats to the devils on taking it and the shutouts… just wow.
Timo and Troubs even shook and had a little friendly convo at the end. They both knew it was clean.
the question is not whether it was clean, the question is whether you should be allowed to end a player's career with a hit to the head just because you go from an angle he does not see.
That's the question.
Yes, it was a clean hit. Congrats Trouba, you get a cookie.
@@rockymountainpride8172 yeah, it's not like eveyrone knows what's going on.
Until it happens to McJesus nothing will change. And maybe not even then
Head down has shit to do with illegal avoidable contact to the head, learn to skate first before running your mouth you mark
@@martinzyka6432 The game is a blood sport. "Should" isn't even a question. It just is.
@@djmc8505 rules change all the freakin time. Do you really think hits to the head add that much to the game?
Are they really necessary?
You know you can do a different hit to stop the player? it is not a necessity to hit high.
Timo Meier had his head down moving across the blue line in the middle of the ice. You were taught as an amateur never go into that area with your head down. He is a professional. He knows better. Clean hit all the way.
100%
Clean hit all the way would have been shoulder to chest and he still would have blown him up, any time the head takes most the contact even if the guys head is down I wouldn’t call it 100 clean
@@curtisb5978 So they should be allowed to skate anywhere with their heads down and not get hit?
@@curtisb5978 So Trouba has to crouch down with his knees bent like 90 degrees to get underneath his head?
He skated head on, leaned down a bit, shoulder forward never even saw the elbow lift after the hit.
What, he is just supposed to let the guy skate into the zone because his head is down? He did not charge him, he tried to play the body but with his head down the whole way it kinda was the thing leading into the zone and with 2 other Rangers right there it was already a stupid play.
@@curtisb5978 lets call it the curtis entry were you go in the zone head down and everyone has to you in because you are not looking, so therefor cant be hit. ok bro soccer might be better for ya.
Yes. Plain and simple… Keep your head up.
His head was up just a second or two prior. He looked to wear the puck went then BAM .. a player with a history of questionable hits "cleanly" hits his neck and head.
Don't target a defenseless player, even if they put themselves in that position briefly. It's plain and simple, Bucko
@@aparks6463 your just copy and pasting this everywhere 😂
@@sniwevol lmao why a loser
Keep your head up
I wish we could do these kind of hits at my work.
Same
This was overall a clean series. Compare it to BOS - FLA or TOR - TBL. No fights, no dirty hits. In BOS - FLA there was a something going on after every whistle. Well, it was mostly Matt Tkachuck who was like a crazed dog chasing cars, but anyway this was a clean series
Exactly. The most boring soft joke of a playoff series out of all of them. The least watched series out of all of them as well.
You can add Spoilers to xcheck after every whistle slash and more 😅
Beautiful hit. I want MOAR
Hockey is a contact sport. It forces the players to be held accountable. This was 100% on Timo Meier for looking down.
So is football. They have a rule against targeting the neck and head.
You dummy lol. Took to many hits to your own noggin, clearly
@@aparks6463 you been watching too much NBA. Carried off the court with a sprained ankle 😂
keep that in mind when it's mcdavid who gets his bell rung or Mathews.
Accountability is something people are forgetting
Lemme define hockey in an other way. Ice Hockey is a skill sport where contact is allowed, defined by the rules.
Good clean hit.
No it’s not, im section 7.6 of the rule book it says “There is no type of legal contact to the head, face, or neck. It is the players' responsibility to avoid making contact with an opponent's head, face, or neck, at all times.” It’s literally never clean cuz it’s Troubas responsibility to avoid hitting his head
@@whelp8321 How can you hit a player with a clean hit if opponent puts his head down? Right, you can't. Putting your head down is not a "get out of jail" -card from Monopoly.
@@RoyalMela Exactly. If these types of hits weren't clean, there's nothing stopping a player in that instance from keeping his head down the entire play to avoid getting hit and using it as a weapon. It was a clean, justifiable hit that has it's proper place in the rules.
Rules are weird, if boarding isn't allowed because your hitting someone thats in a vulnerable position, then how is this allowed? But hey, remember, Gary said the nhl had nothing to do with CTE so its clearly not a problem
critical thinking is weird too huh?
Watch Basketball if you have a problem with this hit. Clean as they come.
Hit a guy in the head on open ice while his head is down and "it's his fault, should have had his head up." Hit a guy face first into the boards while his head is down, and suddenly "he was in a vulnerable position, that's boarding." There's a serious double standard in the NHL when it comes to head contact.
Agree completely. Sounds like head shots are ok if you’re leaning forward with your head down (commonly known as a vulnerable position). Also looked like a “predatory hit”, a phrase used by NHL Player Safety.
It’s a clean hit. Otherwise, you could just skate with your head down everywhere and now no one can play the body. That’s hockey bud, and it’s as clean of a hit as it gets.
As I said to the other guy it’s as clean as it gets. All of a sudden I skate with my head down everywhere and I’m invincible? Not in this sport, try soccer.
@@TOMTHETYRANT no, just no. What they are saying, at least to me, is that you can still hit them, just not in the head as the principal point of contact.
So nice to see a nuanced comment in the sea of "clean hit keep your head up".
I don't think Trouba was trying to hit him in the head, but I think Trouba also knows where his shoulder is going when he stands up taller right before impact. He could have stayed crouched to match Meier's height and delivered a hit with less head contact.
Clean by the book, but you know Trouba wanted to blast him into next week. This hit reminded me of a lot of Scott Stevens's hits back in the day. Technically they were legal, but you knew that bastard would love it if his opponent ended up in the hospital for a couple days.
are you referring to trouba in that statement cuz Stevens has been on record saying he never wanted to see guys injured.
@@michaelbecker2435 sorry bud but no one gives a fuck what Stevens claims. We watched him play.
do you work for Gary Bettman? lol 😂 jk. But that fool has been trying to eliminate fighting and slowly but surely they are
What has he done to eliminate fighting? Last I checked, only ones stopping fighting is Canadian juniors.
@@csolivais1979 that’s how they eliminate it, start at the lower levels, they have basically eliminated the enforcer position on all levels and it started with juniors limiting fights
@@JPW328 I didn't know Gary had power over a Canadian provincial government to make them put pressure on a junior league to ban fighting. I mean, if he can do that, maybe the draft is rigged after all.
As far as hits go, it seems clean by the rule book. However, my heart always hurts when I see this stuff. Don’t ever want a guy getting hurt, but I know it’s all part of the game. Great game by the devils, love the young core putting in the effort.
Completely agree. Never want to see someone get hurt, but that’s part of the sport. Glad to see Meier was ok & got up on his own power. Guy is a beast.
It doesn't have to be part of the game. This is high % chance of getting the player injured, or at least putting a guy into protocol. That doesn't happen with other types of hits very often - it's very specific to this type. And it's amazing that we blame the player being hit for not doing XYZ when these guys are veterans and not rookies who are getting injured. I'd honestly take it out.
@@Katie-hb8iq Keep your head up and don’t skate right into 4 guys alone trying to be the hero after playing shit for 6 games. If you can’t keep your head up and take a hit, you shouldn’t even be playing the game of hockey.
@@Katie-hb8iq Do you think knockouts and submissions in MMA, and tackling in the NFL should be taken out? Your comment is so ridiculous. Maybe MMA fighters should wear balloons on their hands and the NFL should be flag football.
@@Katie-hb8iq It IS** a part of the game. Should or should not isn't even a valid question. You lack experience and understanding.
Big hit. Not dirty, just unfortunate Trouba comes off the bench right after Meier scans and drops his head. Glad he's alright.
I'm a Devs fan.. as brutal as the hit was it was clean. The key is that he never left his feet. He tucked in and exploded. Very Scott-Stevens like. Timo also took it like a man and gave him props in the handshake line (and hopefully also said.. have fun on the golf course a-hole.. we won)
Scott Stevens? The dirtiest player in history.
Yeah when I think of Scott Stevens I think of flying elbows.
Scott Stevens of the Devils was absolutely famous for hits like this . Now I know we aren't in that era of hockey anymore , but to me that's a pretty solid hit and should be in the game .
Bro. Scott stevens hits were nothing like this. He legit had to raise his elbow to hit lindros in the head.
Scott Stevens..? Please.
tough take
If you replace his shoulder with a forearm shiver, sure, the same hit.
@@noremac0575 Watch the footage again.
I was so happy when they didn’t take 30 minutes to review it. Referees knew the rule set and these games are FOR THE CUP 👍
Teammates gotta be yelling at him to keep his head up so he can brace before impact
No, should not be allowed, because the shoulder hit the head first, before contact with the body.
This is just like when a player is facing the boards to me. It's a dangerous situation for that player so a checker has to let up so that player doesn't get injured, even if it would otherwise be a "clean" hit.
I'm all for big hits, but there's no way Trouba can hit him with his shoulder here without making square contact with Meier's head. I'd be completely fine with a hit here if it was a hip check instead. But he hit him directly in the head and that just needs to stop, no matter how "clean" it is.
I feel like for hits like these a 2 min penalty for accidental contact with the head on a hit. Basically saying we know it was not on purpose but be more careful next time.
I'm sorry, but I think Trouba can avoid this much head contact if he doesn't stand up. He starts crouched much like Meier is. He could have hit him lower, but he stands up because he knows that will deliver a better impact. Players need to be willing to deliver a less explosive hit to make a safer hit.
I don't think this was dirty. I know it can be hard to adjust at full speed, but Trouba knows where his shoulder is aimed. He didn't need to make THAT much head contact.
Tell us you’ve never played a sport in your life without telling us you’ve never played a sport in your life
"he could've hit him lower" bro tell me you've never played any game/sport with the desire to win without actually telling me.
Trouba is low when he hits. He does not stand up. But when Meier has his head down like that, does not matter when his head gets the contact anyways.
Perfectly clean, this hit can’t be eliminated otherwise hitting will disappear.
As a caps fan and a Tom Wilson fan boy I've seen hundreds of questionable hits. This is as clean as can be. You cant predict a guy is going to dip his head down moments before you hit em.
It didn’t happen that fast
Lol he lined him and and trucked him from 20 feet away he absolutely could have tucked down to deliver mostly chest and very little head contact but instead stands straight up and plows his plastic shoulder pad right into buddies face
If that was Willy laying that hit he would be suspended 3 games and fans from other teams would cry it wasn’t long enough.
Tom Wilson is a talentless hack who laces up his skates every night to injure the skilled players on the ice. I wouldn't wish something like a broken neck on the guy but it would make Mickey a better game If he never played again.
Hit was clean but my problem is that Trouba is a known head hunter who knows exactly how to technically make this kind of hit “clean” it was pretty obvious the rangers were going to lose this game and Trouba was just looking for someone to vent his frustration on. Good on the devils for not getting pulled into a retaliatory penalty and instead getting back at them by taking them out of the playoffs.
No. He’s not a known head hunter he’s labeled as a head hunter from fans on the opposing teams who are butthurt their player got hit by a train
@@Djerov2 There are literally compilation videos of him taking peoples heads off and he’s been suspended multiple times for illegal hits but yeah sure it’s just angry fans. 👍🏻
@@ponyboy9765 Nope he’s never been suspended once in a rangers sweater and only was one time in a Jets jersey. so that’s one illegal hit out of 100 huge hits he’s given. So in conclusion you’re talking out of your ass and your opinion is now invalid.
I watched Scott Stevens for years do this. The hit was clean and should be left in the game. It’s part of the game. I was hoping the Devils would do this to Kreider but they didn’t get the request.
Killing kreider would be fantastic.
Yea was clean. The ironic thing is most people that call all of stevens highlight hits dirty as hell also call troubas clean. Gotta be consistent regardless of the sweater on. Gotta keep the head up, LGD
@@michaelmignone5869 no one calls anything trouba does clean lmao
If a Devil did this to Kreider, he'd be ejected from the game. Even if it were clean. I'm not saying Rangers got away with something, because this was just a good hockey hit. But the way the Devils have been penalized, a hit like this would not be tolerated.
Don't even mention that name. That clown had more cheap shots then anyone else in the league.
Trouba's hits are a work of beauty. Not sure anyone else in this league can throw one so well.
Sieder close second maybe
Yeah because he sucked the series and had zero goals and zero assists, so of course you focus on his hits. How is this man your captain?
@Matt S it's a lifeless team might as well give shesty the C atleast he actually has some heart to win.
All head contact will be illegal soon. Players already are allowed to just face the boards to avoid contact, this will be another change coming soon. There was a time where players would never do these things but you see it more and more. Finishing your check isn't even a thing anymore for the most part.
IMO, this is the risk of being crouched forward like this. It was a head on collision, it was lined up perfectly and if Meier was standing more up right there would be no question about it.
This one is so difficult for me.. I love big hits and don't want hockey to get pussified, but after suffering a major concussion a year ago, and having reoccurring symptoms ever since (literally any impact on the ice gives me dizzy spells for a couple weeks now) I've got a whole new outlook on head injuries.
Trouba may not have targeted the head, but he ABSOLUTELY impacted it first and I wouldn't be surprised if Meier has to deal with this for a long ass time now. So it's not black and white to me... Dirty? I guess not. Clean hit? Technically I spose. Dick move? Well...its Trouba so what else should we expect from him?
players that do big hits are pussies. they have homosexual tendecies and yearn for the contact with other men. they express their repressed homosexual tendencies trhough violent physical plays.
Dick move? wtf! For a damn to take the body? This isn't badminton. That's like saying its a dick move to tackle a quarterback in football. Sorry about your concussions but i believe you have some internal bias here. Dick moves are illegal hits, hit from behind, elbows to the head etc. Trouba not known for any of that
I love how it took personal experience for you to realise headshots and concussions fucking suck and don’t belong in favour of the safety of players
I could not agree more. We should not debate about Meier having his head too low. It was a hit against the head which should lead to a penalty by default. The problem is not how a player feels after such a hit tomorrow or in one week. Its about how he is able to memorize things and to recognize people in 20 years. Players safety should be prioritized.
What a dumb question kid, it's called getting "checked". It's playoffs hockey, watch out!
😂😂😂
Beautiful hit. Loved Timo giving Trouba props in the handshake line 😂
I love the roughness of hockey when I played, when I refed and when I watch but his like these are a pointless, with the intent to injure and possibly career ending. It is 100% ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS the responsibility of the hitter to perform legal and clean hits. This was clearly strait to the head and in my opinion Meier's body position didn't change much from before the hit to when the hit happened so it is also in my opinion not a legal hit. I'm shocked the NHL called this a legal hit because of unavoidable contact when Meier's head level didn't change at all from center ice to past the blue line and the only position change was squaring up after a cut.
I do not think it should be legal. I love big hits, but not to the head. If the player has his head down, drop lower and go through his upper body. Don't tell me it can't be done because it can. Any hit to the player's head should be illegal, end of story. Player safety comes first.
Clean hit, why are you even asking the question?
It was a legal hit but I don't think that means it wasn't dirty. While I agree with it being playoff hockey and that takes the physicality of a full contact sport to the next level, when you consider the state of the game I think it felt targeted. There were a few scuffles Meiers had been involved in that night, and Hischier had literally just had that collision where he took out Shesterkin.
I don't know. I definitely miss the days growing up and watching Derek Boogaard just absolutely wail on people, but there's a good reason hockey has moved away from enforcers and the super intense fights/knocks. I don't want to see Hockey lose it's core but I also know how brutal head and neck injuries can be. It can be hard to find the balance sometimes.
Well …… guess what : don’t put your head down through the neutral zone and this won’t happen ….. saying it seemed like targeting tells me you don’t watch enough hockey - Trouba has been playing like this his entire career ….. if you think Boogaard was back in the day you should utilize CZcams more : due diligence
Don't know how a direct hit to the head like that can be considered clean. Players should keep their heads up for their own safety, but the league should step in if people aren't going to be responsible about avoiding hits that are likely to lead to serious concussions. Trouba can clearly see where he's going to make contact when he initiates the hit and commits to it anyway. Not a play I would like to see from anyone I was cheering for.
It is clean because Trouba did nothing wrong and Meier put himself into position where any hit from legal angle becomes a headshot.
@@RoyalMela Then he just shouldn't make the hit. If he wants to block Meier physically in that position, which is the right thing to do defensively, he should shove him in the chest, not throw his full weight into Meier's head. Everybody is saying that Meier is okay, but given what we know about the long-term consequences of hits to the head, we can't actually say that's the case. And Trouba certainly didn't know what the short or long-term consequences would be when he threw the hit.
You are responsible for your own safety too. Head down, leaned over trying to split 4 defenders... kind of asking for it. Clean contact, no problem
I am not a fan of Trouba but I was okay with this hit.
Of course it should. What type of question is this?
One that people are asking all over hockey Twitter. I was shocked to see how many people think this type of hit should be gone.
This is was textbook in my opinion.. and the game needs this type of physicality
@@hockeypsychology agreed clean hit
What does the rule say about distance traveled before the hit? The old rule was >3 strides it was a charge. PS I like Jacob Trouba's game, very Kronwalian.
It looks like 1992 all over again! Was that Jacob Trouba or was that Scott Stevens? He put a lot of of NHL players out with hits like the one we just watched. Paul Kariya, Eric Lindros, Ron Francis, Vyacheslav Kozlov all got drilled not paying attention when crossing the blue line.
Scott Stevens had his big hit on Paul Kariya in the 2002 playoffs on 1992 the Penguins won the cup in 92 New Jersey would not win a cup till the late 90's and won 2 more in the early 2000's
Stevens gsve Ron Francis mad cow disease with that hit back in the day
Yes, they are both very dirty players, aren't they?
in the 90's, players expected to get hit like that, today they don't, Also players who hit like that recieved 2 handed slashes with no calls or were speared in the corners. Im all for spearing Trouba any chance he steps on the ice.
As a devils fans, i was very u happy with this hit however. It is clean aside from head contact and like stated in the rules it was unavoidable because of Meier. Clean and hits like this need to stay
theres only head contact because he is looking down a bit bent over at the puck . a good lesson he learnt the hard way
@@strife0212 hockey 101 is to keep your head up
Clean hit. If they make hits like this illegal we'll just see everyone skating like Timo did on this play.
I am not sure I have ever seen an open ice hit this clean before.
Player safety should be held in higher regards than how vulnerable they are. There are other defensive plays that can be made, and it should be the responsibility of the person doing the hit to not make it dangerous, no matter the rules. Trouba saw him low and still decided to go for the hit. Seems like he was just mad his season was ending. This type of hit is an embarrassment, cause if that was a player not as tough as timo, that could have been a really bad injury. Next time that happens to a young guy that’s not as tough, I hope if he happens to be in a vulnerable position that it doesn’t end his career. But I guess that’s the game some people want to see.
i agree with you. i do like to see some banging and good clean physical hockey, but i dont need to see players get whiplash or concussions to be entertained. but you're right. some fans unfortunately want violent hockey
Clean hit. This is why the referees took 10 seconds to figure it out 😂
Since when do the refs get shit right? Yea you have to keep your head up. But a hit on the head isn’t a clean hit.
@@vilhamdutch2962It's clean per the rules so you make no sense
If you don't like this hit then you're someone who doesn't want hitting in the NHL period and that's just sad
Trouba took that right out of the Scott Steven's playbook.
This is one of those hits where “keep your head up” is really justified in saying. Meier has his head down the whole way.
Trouba didn’t target the head, didn’t elevate himself, it wasn’t late, and as you said, tucked his elbow and drives with his shoulder. I can’t see any argument for how it would be anything other than a clean open ice hockey hit.
With that being said it’s kind of baffling how the Rags put up zero effort after game 2. After utterly dominating the first two games I thought a sweep would be in place, yet here we are. It’s shocking how little offense the Rangers put up, Kreider and Tarasenko were missing after game 2 and the rest of the players were ghosted the whole series.
Principle point of contact means something though. Can’t be having hits where the initial contact is to the head any more, period.
@@dps0610 in means nothing in this situation. The initial point of contact being the head is 100% on Meier for for going through the middle of the ice hunched over not expecting to get blown up. Basic, well known, unwritten rule of hockey that he broke…
@@zachhoffee4244 unwritten rules don’t mean shit 🤣, yea his head was down. No reason to allow somebody to initiate a hit through the head even if they did. Head shots have to go, or it will have irreparable damage on the league. No sports that allow head trauma to continue will get off easy like the NFL did.
So as long as a player keeps his head down he can’t be hit and can score . Every goal scorer will intentionally leave themselves vulnerable ending hits entirely and ruining hockey
@@dps0610 So is your solution that tall players can't hit short players? Or that keeping your head down should be like a "hack" that keeps you from being hit? If you are against the possibility of head trauma, then you can't have hitting . . . at all. So, what do you want hockey to be? You talk of irreparable damage to the league and yet seem okay with banning hitting/contact of any kind b/c there's a chance someone will get a concussion, in a game played at a faster pace than any other game, where decisions are made in the millisecond. So, again, what is your solution?
My guys Paul Kariya impression on point. Clean hit. It's part of the game. Can't be gliding across the blue line with your head down. Especially in the playoffs where big hits like this can spark momentum for that team
Time for the NHL to go to the IIHF rule on head shots.
If that was Bunting he'd be banned for life after throwing the same hit
Congrats, Rangers!
The whole point is if you try to go through players like that you will get hit. You have to be ready to shift out of it. That’s why you don’t see many players going through whole team
Me running the Datsyuk highlight reel
Guy is skating thru 4 guys with his head down. Was Trouba supposed to just let him go? His head was forward. ANY check from the front hits it. Trouba didn't raise his elbow and jump into someone along the boards. Properly called clean hit.
Plastic shoulder protection has to go away. It is not possible to drive upright. The whole body is leaned forward. Head up would have brought Meier nothing. The checker should be responsible for not hitting the head, and if he is too sluggish and untalented to do so, there should be no excuse to hit the head. Smaller players can be hit on the head because it is impossible not to hit the head. What logic.
Given the NHL rules, this hit is clean in my view. Next question: should we continue to allow hits like this in the game? Given the context I would also argue yes. Timo skates with his head down as he maneuvres through the centre of the ice through multiple defenders. Looking at the flip side, if we didn't allow hits like this and lived in a world where "no head contact is allowed under any circumstance" then forwards would likely deliberately have their heads down as a protective measure so they became un-hardhittable (if I can say it that way).
Now to make a further point. I certainly didn't enjoy Meier getting crunched as that could have been a career ender and I also believe even if it was a clean hit it is a bad look for the NHL (my personal view on this) but the onus was entirely on him to not skate with his head down through centre ice.
Exactly. Tom Brady is a bitch but he has said the NFL is making it too easy on the offense by not letting defense hit in certain ways because the offense isn’t protecting themself. That’s what is happening to hockey and it’s becoming the globe trotters instead of what the NHL has always been.. a tough league where injuries happen to those who don’t protect themself correctly
Same rules apply in IIHF games too, but there is always a penalty and suspension, even if the hit is textbook clean and puck carrier puts his head down and gets hit.
I hate that.
Clean hit…dont put yourself in a situation like that if you wanna avoid it…
What pisses me off is the inconsistencies. This is a clean hit but every other time I see hits like this they call it a penalty with a game ejection. The NHL needs to figure this shit out ans stick with it.
The thing is, Troubas intention is to just stop Meier with a hit, not to hit him in the head, the head contact was Meiers fault. But with the ejections and penalties.. You can see clear intent to hit the head or when the player don't have his head down (like Meier does that's why he got hit in the head in the first place) and you still hit him in the head, then it's penalty, but Troubas hit is as clean as it can be and the consequences are purely Meiers fault of having his head down
This hit is already illegal in college hockey, you cannot initiate contact with the head which he clearly did in this case. Obviously, you can't hit the head and expect to not have concussion problems. Remember lindros, and how short his career was cut with multiple head injuries? The NFL has already gotten rid of the head hunting, I think the NHL needs to do the same or they will have legal issues later from the players unions. We know way too much about concussions to allow this type of hit.
Well I feel the more the NHL tries to remove hits like this the less players expect to be hit like this. Meier didn't expect it because who hits like this anymore? If hitting was a common thing maybe the player would be a little more heads up in the play. I know not every player is thinking they will be hit, but you don't shift gears by taking your eyes off the road either.
Id like to know what was inside trouba's head as he came from the bench to take him out like that.. I wish players were mic'd but wish we could tap the mind lol
Oh man, this is gonna be good! It’s a fast contact sport. You have to protect yourself and keep your head up at all times. Changing the rules to soften the game so players can let their guard down will lead to more injuries just like women’s hockey. There’s more concussions in women’s hockey, then there is football.
Who hits like this anymore?? Hitting isn’t common!?? What??? You must be a little guy getting hit. Other than that, you must have just switched over to hockey from figure skating. This comment doesn’t even belong here
The problem with hitting is that the players actually don't know how to hit. They hit based on height and that if you hit high enough, you will knock the other player down. That is not the correct way to hit. You are supposed to bend your knees, crouch (if the other player is smaller than you). After you bend down, you lean in, then thrust up and out. Down, in, up, out.
Size is such a factor in the league that people try to hit from the top which is not as effective if you're short. The most efficient way is the way I suggested.
Hitting should be with your shoulders or hip, not with your hands or your stick, but I see hands being used all the time. Trouba's hit was tight and was with the shoulder, but if he wanted to do it that way, he would have needed to bend down a lot more.
as a sharks fan i cant help but notice that two former sharks have head contact issues this playoffs. pavs with his second massive headshot in like 4 years and timo here. if you count cogliano injuring his neck thats three. just an observation.
F*** YES!!!! This is the hockey I LOVE ❤
Cause you can't skate and just get to type on your phone, fucking mark
It's a good clean hit. No one wants to see hits to the head but it didn't look like Trouba's was aiming for his head and it's Meier's responsibiity to keep his head up.
Because the skates didn't leave the ice, and there was no apparent upward thrust it is by the rules a clean hit. Although it did not knock his head backwards, it still is the kind of hit that can result in a serious neck or head injury
You gotta keep your head up if you want to try and deke through 4 defenders at center ice. Clean hit.
It reminds us of the Scott Stevens hit on Eric Lindros. Keep your head up.
Hit him so hard he landed on the Rangers.
Yeah that's right, blame the players. Stick it those guys getting hit!
Seriously...
@@Katie-hb8iq but they literally tell you to not do what Meyer did. And they literally tell you to do what trouba did.
As far as I understand if the head is the initial contact than it's a headshot and a penalty. This is the first time I've heard anything about the players body position. I've seen hundreds of hits like this and not once have I heard that explanation. So to me it's a dirty hit. Even though I do think the majority of troubas hits are clean bit not this one
Leafs fan here since 1998... this is a good hit. Hockey is not a game for sissies. From behind? Illegal. But this, Trouba flied in from a mile away and Meier was too busy following the puck. Heads up always.
This is why I love hockey. Clean hit
I love hockey for the speed skill and intensity of the game itself. Clean hard hits are good too. Not this one
@@aparks6463 go watch basketball
@@pohateos9394 some people miss the game of HOCKEY. This non checking Euro-trash common day NHL is a joke this check is even a question!
Also cause you don't play and don't know shit about the rules, ignorance is bliss mark
It wasn't a dirty hit. That's just what happens when you enter the zone with the puck and your head down in the NHL. It's a contact sport.
One the first things taught to kids/minor hockey players is to keep you head up!!!! Keep you head its simple
I feel like it's cleaner than the hit Trouba laid on Crosby last year that ended his series but I'd disagree on the "not exploding upwards," part of the rule the way his body moved after contact showed that he was driving up with his legs
Not necessarily. The force of the hit itself can propel a player upwards. I think the best way to determine is whether the player starts extending upwards prior to contact. I don't see that in this case, but I haven't looked super closely either.
Devils fan from Nova Scotia Canada Okay I’m gonna say this for all of the people who haven’t played hockey so we don’t have these confusing times .the first thing you are told in the first checking camp or tryout when you reach PeeWee level( when I played) is to “ Keep your head up! If you skate through the Center of the ice with the puck and your head down you might get destroyed, then my coach made all of us trying out literally yell “ keep your head up ! Every single hockey player knows this rule and most of us have seen people get merked because they didn’t obey it , Meier didn’t obey it in the NHL, were the best hockey players in the world play..and got merked .
Getting caught with your head down sucks I gave out hits like that and also received hits like that it's part of the game it's this new Generation Z that is soft as baby shit and cries when a shred of Adversity hits them the Hit was clean end of story if you dont like big hits then YOU are NOT a hockey fan nore understands the game of hockey I'm just sick and tierd of people bitching over every single open ice hit let the players play
Like you said, it's a basic rule/guideline: keep your head up. Probably everyone who's played competitive youth hockey has been freight-trained like that--myself included. It happened to me once, and I never wanted it to happen again (and it didn't). I learned my hockey lesson.
so your fine with the lindros hit in open ice that according to most ended his career? just asking cuz I'm looking at the consistency in how people react.
@@michaelbecker2435 Indeed I am. It's a rough game.
@@jeffreylewis8019 fair. that's been my thing ones deemed dirty but the others clean because of the name. personally im pro big hits so I saw it as clean by circumstance
Hate to see someone hurt, but that's a clean hit. Meier just learned you don't skate through the middle of the ice with your head down.
Clean. The guy would’ve been killed skating head down like that 20 years ago. And it was still a hockey play then. So congratulations devils. Glad to see the recipient back up
In context of what we now know about CTE, any hit that involves the head, should be banned - especially for player safety.
In my opinion, it's a 50/50. Meier had his head down and didn't look out for a hit. Therefore it's kinda his fault. But, there should be responsibility on Trouba also. You cannot fully annihilate Meier while he's in that position. If Trouba hits him in the body then it's "fine". If it's head contact, it needs to be punished. It's all fun and games until someone becomes paralyzed or severely concussed.
Yes thank you for this. He just aims his shoulder straight into the guys face and everyone is like nah its fine? Definitely need to keep your head up but people shouldnt be able to just target someones head just cause theyre a bit bent over
@@ratboy717 Please describe in detail how you would like Trouba to hit Meier in this case. His elbow was glued to his side. Do you want him to stand as tall and straight as he can with his hands in his pockets? It's always the people who have never played hockey that have the problems with contact.
@@Gooday2day doing it literally any other way except pile driving him intentionally in the face would be a good start
@@ratboy717 Trouba was directly in front of Meier. He hit him straight through the center mass. I asked for you to be precise and you were as ambiguous as possible. Pile driver? It's been a long time since my WWF days but I still know what a pile driver is. Again someone is coming directly at you with his head down. How do you hit him cleanly? Sidestep out of his way and hit him in the shoulder. Imagine sidestepping out of position to make fans like you happy.
If the principle point of contact is the head, it should be a penalty, full stop. Meier wasn't bent over here, he was slightly leaning forward. How many stars need to be hurt before the game realizes that missing players like Sid/McDavid/Matthews, etc to hits like this so you can have a "big hit moment" are net negatives for the game. We want skill players healthy so they can make skill plays.
"Hi, my name is Timo Meier, I'll have the daily special, the Smoked Trouba Shoulder and Swiss sandwich on Sourdough, with a Diet-Coke, please."
What was a dirty illegal and unacceptable violation of code was the Hartman hit on Ehlers and he got a useless one game suspension
He has his head down. First thing they teach you is keep your head up.
His head was down for a mere second or 2 to look where the puck went loose to.
His head was up just seconds prior.
Quit this bullshit like he clearly wasnt targeting a defenseless player (regardless if Timo put himself in that position) and that Trouba doesn't have a history of dirty hits.
Fuckin' casuals man lol.
Look, clean or dirty is determined by what the rules dictate. Unfortunately, like most "rules", the one here is vague and left up to ref and league discretion. THAT is the problem. Rules, by definition, need to be black and white or it’s not a rule at all. I for one love open ice hits, but hits to the head, black and white, initial contact hits to the head should be disallowed. These guys go through enough out there without having to worry about that.
To me it looked like head contact at minimum, I also think if you wanted to you could make a case for intent to injure
I don’t understand this. Head contact is almost impossible to avoid from the front. The game was built on the premise that you can hurt anybody you want to within the legal boundaries of the game. Intent to injure is the most subjective vague idea there is. Intent to injure is how you end up with terrible reffing calls
@@pmurz4361 there was another angle that showed the head contact much better. Trouba could've avoided hitting Meier's head, but didn't.
Head down while crossing middle, hit was shoulder first clean all day and well played by both sides afterwards.
They say keep your head up for a reason. I know this video is old but me and my dad were debating this last night. Clean hit.
He had other options,so,imo, it's dirty. The thing with dirty hits is: if you try to get momentum or send a message with THAT, you just motivate the other team instead of yours.
This is more of a "keep your head up" hit than anything else. Perfectly fine to be in the game.
Except, literally everyone when trying to move down the ice at any level of speed gets into that same position leaning forward. Also, it's clear that Trouba rises up as he makes that hit, as he himself was also in that same position prior to initiating contact.
@@johnnysoccer1983 my guy stop trying to argue it was dirty. Even devils fans are saying it clean, there was no penalty. Timo had his head down and was look down at the puck, these hits happen constantly, it's just another case of neanderthals like you going "oh its trouba with a big hit, has to be dirty" lmao
@Dientera - The Raging Gentleman nobody is leading with their face when they have their head up and see a hit coming haha. Keep your head up or lose it.
@@devonfarrar6817 I'm going by the description the dude making this video said, and honestly, he's not accurate on multiple facts here. He even said if he rose up in the hit it probably should be a penalty, and that's exactly what he did. So, by the logic of the video, it shouldn't be a legal hit.... If you can't admit that much then you're really not smart enough to begin having a discussion on the topic.... And the whole "stop trying to argue" bit... I made 1 comment and you lost your mind over it dude. Chill out........
@@kingbud4966 So it's ok to hit someone in the head when they aren't looking? .... You people don't make sense when you try to have discussions, it's pretty sad....
High speed, head on, hits will most often include head contact and/or neck injury risk. Concussion, vipp lash, broken disk etc can be career ending. SHL has banned all contact to the head but still has hits and physical play with intensity and grit. You can skate around with your head down in SHL but you will get hit hard from the side.
One big problem with violent plays and hits in NHL and other team sports is the size difference. Unlike fighting sports (MMA, Boxing etc) you don't have weight classes in hockey. On the ice a small guy can be up against a (roided) giant and we put it on the small one not to get hit.
The Trouba hit was legit according to the current rule book but I think this has to change.
Players on the receiving end of those hits need to be accountable. Quit staring at your laces when you try to take the middle of the ice.
He should’ve followed through even harder. Let him off the hook 🪝
THIS TAKES ME BACK!!!!! Scott Stevens was clapping and applauding after seeing this done to his team. what a beautiful hit. clean, legal and glorious. keep your head up bud. we learnt that in novice hockey
ill agree clean according to nhl rules but where do you get glorious from?
@@johntempleton3560 that is was a Scott stevens hit against a devils player. Glorious. Just glorious.
dirty or clean it's a dangerous hit
Clean hit all day, brutal, but clean - players are taught from the day they start playing "when you have the puck keep your head up."
Clean hit, lucky he's still alive
Lol
This is why you need to keep your head up. Clean hit every day of the week no question about it.