There's always a fine line in sports in terms of what is and isn't okay when it comes to violence. What makes a hit legal vs. illegal? Especially in a sport that is violent by nature? These are the kinds of questions asked when you see what Shea Weber did to Henrik Zetterberg. When the Detriot Red Wings took on the Nashville Predators on Thursday in Game 1 of their playoff series, Weber grabbed Zetterberg's head and pounded it into the glass so hard, his helmet cracked into two pieces!
Jeez, I mean, we all know hockey can get violent, but to deliberately grab a man's head and proceed to try to smash it through a wall during the middle of a game? Seems like Weber crossed that line with this hit, and of course the cameras caught the entire incident. You gotta see it to believe it.
Check out the hit:
I mean, to me, clearly there was an intent to injure the other player, considering that Zetterberg's helmet literally cracked in two! There has to be some major force behind that hit. Thank goodness Zetterberg is okay and the helmet did its job.
Weber didn't even get suspended for this, he was just fined $2,500. And he makes a $7.5 million salary, so $2,500 to him is basically like $5 to me. I guess the NHL took into consideration the fact that Zetterberg was fine, but still! You just don't do that!
With so much coming out about the dangers of head injuries to professional athletes, you'd think that the league would want to take more of a stand instead of, hey, this time he's fine, so we'll let this one slide. No harm, no foul. These leagues need to do a better job at protecting the players, and the way the NHL reacted to this hit is quite a blow to their progress.
Do you think Weber should have been punished more? Should these types of hits be illegal?
Image via msolb832/YouTube
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Comments 6
I am not defending what Weber did (which was wrong) but this was in reaction to Zetterberg hitting him from behind (which can lead to serious injuries) late in the game once the game was almost practically over. The NHL takes that into account as well when determining fines/suspension actions.
Pathetic fine! He should have been tossed from the series. It reflects badly on the NHL. And Weber is the freaking captain! Keepin' it classy, Nashville.
Pez, the ref was right there, and Z's hit was clean. Time was on the clock, the player was turned so it wasn't boarding. It's hockey. I'll even give Weber that first retaliatory shot to the back of the head... but then grabbing his head AGAIN and ramming it into the boards AFTER the game was over. CLASSLESS.
And yet, people still want to go to hockey to see the fights. I talk to so many hockey "fans" who say the game is worthless without the fights. It's moronic. Hockey is a great game - fast paced and fun and exciting - and it is absolutely pathetic that they think they need to allow fights. And then we're surprised when stuff like this goes unpenalized (or lightly penalized)?
Ikr Pony? Any sport that doesn't have a genuine, hardcore fight is for wimps and not worth watching. Pshh... and we wonder what's wrong with the world.