Sabres' Miller is tired of head shots
Ryan Miller, as a member of the NHL's competition committee, has the ear of some very important people in hockey's hierarchy. He also has an acute feel for his fellow players, knows which topics they want discussed.
He says the words aren't reaching the ears. The general managers' meetings this week offered further proof.
Miller, who will be in goal for the Buffalo Sabres tonight when they host the Calgary Flames, says players have been demanding action on hits to the head. He said it's been an important agenda item for years. He's seen too many unnecessary injuries and is tired of a culture that allows them to happen.
The general managers talked about head shots Wednesday during their gathering in Toronto. The verdict? They'll talk some more. They decided to form a small committee to investigate the issue and will deliver their findings in March.
Though there is a sense rule changes may come during that next meeting, Miller certainly isn't surprised the league isn't ready to do anything now.
"It's been the slowest reaction I've ever seen to anything," Miller said. "This was brought up years ago.
"We asked for something, and we asked for their respect in looking into it. We've had some conversations about it, but it's just such a slow reaction from the different parts of hockey. The GM meetings, players have asked for it to be taken seriously every year, and there's no appetite for it. It's never going to go through on a vote."
(For more comments from Miller on hits to the head, visit the Sabres Edge blog. )
The problem, in its most basic form, is this: Is it possible to get rid of injury-causing hits in a sport that uses hitting as one of its most vital components?
"Some of the hits people complain about, those are the hits that get people out of their seats, that are the exciting part of the game," Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. "I don't want those hits taken out. Sometimes those are accidental blows that catch players in a tough spot."
A recent hit that was technically legal, arguably unnecessary and absolutely devastating involved a Miller friend, David Booth. The Florida Panthers forward cut toward the center of the ice, dropped a pass and then absorbed a concussion-causing blast when Philadelphia's Mike Richards planted his left shoulder into Booth's head.
"If that was my son, I wouldn't want for that to be the way he was hit," Pittsburgh GM Ray Shero told reporters in Toronto. "What Mike Richards did was within the rules we have currently."
It's not only within the rules, it's within a culture that continues to worsen. Somewhere along the line, players began losing respect for each other — Miller said it was likely around the launch of the "Don Cherry's Rock'em Sock'em Hockey" videos the goalie and his cohorts watched.
"That created this environment where we're looking for something huge," Miller said. "There was a lot more respect at one time. I think there's some guys out there that just do not respect the game or respect other players.
"Go play hard, knock the guy off the puck. If you can put him on his butt, put him on his butt. I'm talking about when a guy is vulnerable, when a guy's head is there, there's no respect.
"That's a predatory hit [by Richards]. He's coming through the middle. He knows if this guy doesn't pay attention, I'm clocking him. It's a respect thing. The guy made a play, the puck's not there.
"Hitting was always to separate the man from the puck. Now it's turned into something different."
If the players won't govern themselves, Miller said, it's the league's job to do so.
"You're not suspending guys the right amount of time for these kind of dangerous plays," he said. "They haven't defined the dangerous plays. I take some responsibility because I was on the competition committee and maybe I didn't have enough good ideas on how to police that, but the rule book has already been written. That's the sad part. It's in the rules.
"It's completely cultural with the people governing it."
Commissioner Gary Bettman, who attended the GM meetings, insists those governors are studying the matter.
"Everybody in the room knows that this is an important subject," Bettman said in Toronto. "It's going to require further discussion because it's not a simple subject. [The March meeting] will be an opportunity to look at the subject even more in an in-depth way.
"But I do think there's a sense when there's a shot to the head for a player who is in a vulnerable position or is unsuspecting, that's something that can and should be addressed."
Miller, as he's been doing, will continue to wait for proof in the form of changes.
"GMs, the NHL are afraid of taking hitting out of hockey, but it's not ever going to take the hitting out of hockey," Miller said. "It's going to take the stupid hits out of hockey."
Log into MyBuffalo to post a comment
MyBuffalo is the new social network from Buffalo.com. Your MyBuffalo account lets you comment on and rate stories at buffalonews.com. You can also head over to mybuffalo.com to share your blog posts, stories, photos, and videos with the community. Join now or learn more.
Reader comments