Torres' Dirty Hit on Hossa

We here at Season in the Sun, believe that before we make any comments on what happened in the Chicago - Phoenix game last night, that you formulate your own opinion before we state ours.

As you can see from the video this was, in our opinion, a very dirty hit by Raffi Torres on Marian Hossa.  This is not the first time that Raffi Torres has targeted a star player on the Chicago Blackhawks.  Last year Raffi Torres laid out Brent Seabrook.  Torres has a history of dirty play, not just against the Blackhawks.  He has been suspended and fined, but it does not seem any of this is getting through to him. Ignorance is clearly bliss.

"First off, I hope he is alright. As far as the hit goes, I just felt like it was a hockey play, just trying to finish my hit out there," said Torres. "The last thing I'll say is a I hope he's alright."

Torres was not penalized on the play, because somehow all 4 officials on the ice, did not see it happen.  The only player to be penalized was Brandon Bollig of the Blackhawks for sticking up for his teammate.  After doing some reseach, we at Seasons in the Sun believe that the hit broke two NHL rules 42.1 and 48.1.  Clearly, Torres does not think he did anything wrong, even though he knocked out Hossa and watched Hossa leave on a stretcher.

NHL Rule 42.1

"42.1 - Charging - A minor or major penalty shall be imposed on a player who skates or jumps into, or charges an opponent in any manner. Charging shall mean the action of a player who, as a result of distance travelled, shall violently check an opponent in any manner.  A "charge" may be the result of a check into the boards, into the goal frame or in open ice."

Torres is in violation of this rule because his skates left the ice, and in the words of the rule, he jumped into the opponent to violently check Hossa.  The rule even covers the area of ice where the hit happened, open ice, so that there might not be any loop-holes in the rule.

NHL Rule 48.1

"48.1 - Illegal Hits to the Head - A hit resulting in contact with the opponent's head where the head is targeted and the principle point of contact is not permitted.  However, in determining whether such a hit should have been permitted, the circumstances of the hit, including whether the opponent put themselves in a vulnerable position immediately prior to or simultaneously with the hit or the head contact on an otherwise legal body check was avoidable, can be considered."

Torres, in our opinion, is in violation of this rule because he hit Hossa with his shoulder in the head, specifically the jaw.  As you can see from the video, the head area was the only place on the body that Torres hit Hossa making it, "the principle point of contact."  As you can also see from the video, Torres has all sorts of time to pull up, skate away, and avoid Hossa.  By the time that Hossa was hit by Torres, he did not even have the puck.

Blackhawks players, fans and the coaching staff are baffled by the fact that there was no penalty called on the play, and the fact that none of the officials saw what happened.

"We've got four guys out there.  When there's a guy getting carried off on a stretcher, you might think that there might be something wrong with what happened." - Toews, Blackhawk's Captain.

Toews would go on to say that he would not be surprised if Torres did it again because he was not penalized at all.  Seasons in the Sun would not be surprised either because this is not the first time Torres has done this to the Blackhawks.

This just goes back to the other point that we were trying to make about the NHL and the lack of discipline. The way that these playoffs have been going, you need to suspend guys to curb this fighting and dirty play.  It is completely out of control, and now you have someone that got seriously hurt.  The NHL needs to step in and say that this dirty play needs to stop.  They need to make a statement with Torres' suspension to say hey look guys, we are not messing around anymore.