Penguins players approve of a committee to study head hits
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The last time Arron Asham played against the New York Rangers was the last time he played. That was Feb. 1.
Asham is expected to return to the Penguins' lineup today when the Rangers come to Consol Energy Center, but he is not looking for payback for the hit that gave him a concussion.
He's not even sure whose elbow caught him along side his head, and he doesn't seem interested in investigating who it was.
"It wasn't dirty," Asham said Saturday after the Penguins practiced at Southpointe. "It was just a puck battle. It wasn't even by the boards. It was just battling for the puck on a forecheck and skating and that was it. It just happens. It's unfortunate that it does, but it's a physical game, and we all know coming in the risks."
You can mark Asham down among those who don't favor a blanket ban on shots to the head, something the Penguins' Ray Shero hoped would come out of last week's NHL general managers meetings in Florida as a means of reducing concussions.
The veteran forward known for his physical style doesn't believe that's feasible.
"When it's a direct hit to the head from a guy going out there to hurt someone with an elbow or a stick to the head, I think it should be dealt with firmly," Asham said. "If it's an open-ice hit and the guy has his head down and you make contact with his head, I think it shouldn't be penalized. A clean hit is a clean hit.
"We all have to go out there and protect ourselves and play the game smart. Some guys cut to the middle with their heads down and they get hit and it's a clean hit. I think it shouldn't be penalized. I think it's the guy with the puck's fault."
Although it's unclear where every general manager stood on the matter, it was apparent that Shero was in a decided minority in supporting a ban on all hits to the head. It seems, though, that more and more of those who watch hockey favor such a rule in the NHL.
First Published March 20, 2011 12:00 am
