If you're Canadian, you've probably already seen video of junior hockey play Patrice Cormier's cheap hit on an opponent. If not, here it is. (I warn you that it is not for the faint-hearted.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aplfhPu4iiU

Cormier is a rising star and will almost certainly enter the NHL as a New Jersey Devil.

So many of things about this hit sicken me. Firstly, he rushed off the bench with no other intention but to hit this player with his elbow up. That one player would have so little respect for another is disgusting. What's worse is that Cormier is very talented. There was a time when behavior like this was limited to "goons" incapable of much else.

Of course, it's Cormiers star power that lets him get away with this. He has been suspended for the remainder of the season and the playoffs. Big deal. It's not going to hurt his career. The General Manager of the Devils called Cormier and told him that he didn't have any trouble with the hit. Some hockey commentators went so far as to blame the other player for "not having his head up."

Cormier issued statements saying he never intended to injure Tab. Really? You rush at another player at speed and hit him in the head with an elbow, but you didn't mean to hurt him. Clearly, these players need a lot more education on the mechanism and consequence of brain injuries - and so does everybody else.

When I first heard about this incident on the news, the sports guy was so on and on about how this could end Cormier's career that, until I saw the video, I thought Cormier was the one who'd been hit. Since he's not a star, nobody gave a rat's butt about the other kid.

Am I alone in thinking that this little thug should be charged with assault? Instead, what he's hearing is his current coach complain that the suspension is too harsh and his future boss saying the hit was okay.

The only person facing any consequences here is the victim. His life has been changed forever.

As the NHL turns itself into some cross between roller derby and WWE to expand into markets without a hockey tradition, this sort of nonsense will only get worse -and young kids will copy what they see. While this rant made me feel better, I know I can't change this tragic dynamic. I have, however, decided that my child will not be playing organized hockey when she gets old enough. As a former player and coach that breaks my heart - but this is no longer the game I loved for so many years.

Cheers

Unbelievable. This kid should be charged with assault. Any word on the other player?

Hockey
I didn't look at the hit. I can just have a good idea what its like.

But I totally agree with you. Sending you some hugs.

Donna

That is truly unbelievable! If they can't charge him with assault, I would hope the other kid would look into some kind of a civil suit, a cheap shot like that should not be tolerated by anyone. If that happened anywhere else it would be a clear case of assault, shouldn't be different in a sports arena.

The hit was a violent assault. The player Tab, was looking the other way. For a coach to say he was partly at fault just shows that the coaches need to be charged with responsibility for these injuries too. If Canada will not do something about this kind of behavior, send a note to Congress.

Here is an example of football doing the same kind of behavior. Listen to the coach's encouragement as the boys run at each other.

http://ow.ly/12CS7

Fortunately, there has been so much media attention to concussions in sports over the past few months, that we are approaching the critical mass needed to get the public to stand up and say, "No more brain injuries under the guise of 'sports.' "

The old saying "I went to see the fights and a hockey game broke out." is not a laughing matter.

Ouch! That football hit is terrible. You'd think the adults and coaches would have enough common sense to know that's not a smart drill.

what next rollerball films like this and slap shot glorify violence in this sport, I once help out to build an annex for a young(((19))) kiwi guy who was left bed ridden for the rest of his life form a head high tackle playing rugby in the USA

its such a waist, its kinda give the public what they want, have we changed that much since the roman arena ??

Ugh...wish I had heeded the warning and not watched these clips. Too soon.

Coaches and parents are the responsible parties here. Children do not understand the reprecussions of their actions. As a former athlete myself, married to an athlete, mother of two athletes, I am mortified. Unfortunately injuries happen in sports even with the best equipment, training, etc. Why encourage these unecessary violent behaviors?

I agree with Vini...we have apparently not evolved past the roman arenas. We should be praising athletic prowess (speed, agility, etc.), not brute force.

Do we know the resulting condition of these young athletes involved?

I have to admit I didn't realize either when my son's were younger the damage that could happen on the sports fields. My son's did all the sports I believe. I have to admit, my son's had concussions I believe in soccer, baseball and easily could have in basketball and football. Its really not very
easy to admit that I may have caused some of their problems.

By letting them play sports.

Donna

Parents only LET their kids play sports. Their coaches encourage them to play hard and often even after a head impact.

It is not the sport that is the cause. It is the way it is coached and applauded.

Shaking off a hard hit is encouraged, at least until now.

Statistics show that soccer is as dangerous to the brain as football, maybe even worse. There is an observable 10% decrease in IQ among soccer players who routinely head the ball. The research also shows that an infrequent corner kick header or such is not as damaging as a heading drill in practice where the ball is headed lightly but repeatedly.