How do you like your icing?
Mike Wilson | National Hockey League
Mar 23, 10:47 AM | Hype this story!
Throughout this season, there have been a number of injuries coming off of icing calls. Now, an argument is arising over whether or not the National Hockey League should adopt no-touch icing.
Minnesota Wild defenseman Kurtis Foster was the most recent case of icing call injuries. Foster was rushing into the offensive zone to negate an icing call when he was taken to the boards by San Jose Sharks rookie Torrey Mitchell.
The play resulted with Foster breaking his femur and then following up with over six hours of surgery to repair the fracture.
Foster’s injury is one of the worst to come in the past few months. Other notable injuries have been close to home in Pittsburgh. Max Talbot went down with a high ankle sprain earlier in the season and was out for a few months and Mark Eaton has also had multiple encounters with icing injuries resulting in many missed games over the years.
The central argument is that too many injuries this season have come when chasing down long dump-ins from the other side of the center red line.
One of the only alternatives to this issue would be no-touch, or automatic, icing. This wouldn’t require anyone to touch the puck to either negate or enforce the icing call after the dump-in. Instead, the linesman would blow the whistle as soon as it passes the red goal line.
Most European leagues have adopted this style of calling icing.
Some pros for automatic icing would be no injuries and players would think twice about how hard they dump the puck in and keep play alive longer.
Many NHL executives, however, argue that touch-up icing brings more excitement to the game and that the problem isn’t with the race for the puck, but instead with the illegal hitting into the boards.
Others may argue that the give in the boards, such as the boards that helped cause Foster’s injury at San Jose’s HP Pavilion, isn’t as helpful for icing collisions either, but that isn’t the NHL’s or the player’s problems.
Torrey Mitchell, the San Jose rookie who put the hit on Kurtis Foster, was not suspended after an NHL hearing, but yet Foster is most likely done for the season and playoffs.
Nonetheless, if more injuries occur due to icing races, the NHL has to put some sort regulation into practice; whether it comes through automatic icing or harsher punishment on players.
Regardless, icing races have caused too many serious injuries in the National Hockey League this season.
Comments
DaBich
Mar 23, 05:55 PM
Good point, Mike, but I’m not sure what the answer is. There’s pros and cons to the no-touch icing, but it would solve the injury problem.
Jazzhall
Mar 23, 07:18 PM
I think it is worthy of study, particularly during the off-season. I think if we witness a growing trend and more likely another catostrophic injury, the NHL might be compelled.
I’m curious what the overall opinion of players is on this.
Mike Wilson
Mar 23, 08:58 PM
I, too, would be interested to hear the players’ opinions as well. I’m sure the European players wouldn’t mind much due to the rules in European play.
The strange thing is that no players seem to have wanted to comment on it publically.
I personally am tired of seeing star players go down because of icing calls.
Hopefully, things will turn out for the best.
Patrcia
Mar 23, 09:04 PM
I would have to agree with the NHL executives,the problem doesn’t come from racing for the puck, but instead with the illegal hitting into the boards. This really would solve the injury problems but it’s a tough call.
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