In response to the recent tradgedy that struck the Florida Panthers' Richard Zednik this week, many people are calling for more safety precautions from the NHL.  Zednik's corotid artery was slashed open by a skate, leading to emergency surgery to repair the artery.  Luckily, the surgery was a success and Zednik is recovering nicely.

The point of this article is to tell all the people who are calling for the NHL to implement "neck guards" and improved "safety precautions" to reassess their stance.  You have to understand that this was a freak accident, with some of the players involved saying they had never seen it before.  I would liken it to a pitcher in baseball catching a come-backer in the face.  Does it happen?  Yes it does.  Does it happen often enough to make pitchers start wearing face masks and body armor?  No, it doesn't.

Here's a comparison of reactions between what happened to Richard Zednik on February 10th, 2008 and what happened to Boston Red Sox pitcher Bryce Florie, who was hit just below the right eye by a come-backer on September 8th, 2000:

Lou Merloni, 3B, Red Sox (2000) - "I've never seen that, something like that, up close..."

Olli Jokinen, C, Panthers (2008) - "I think we were all in shock.  I've never seen anything like that."

Scott Hatteberg, C, Red Sox (2001) - "It was really the scariest moment I've had in baseball."

Olli Jokinen, C, Panthers (2008) - "There are bigger things than (finishing the game). It was terrifying."

The reactions by the players on the team were similar, if not identical.  Are pitchers wearing guards to protect their face now?  No.  So why should hockey players be forced to wear neck guards?

Hockey is a dangerous sport.  The players are skating at up to 30 MPH.  Shots can travel at speeds in excess of 100 MPH.  Every player has a "weapon" in their hands.  And to top it all off, they ride around on sharpened metal blades.  However, every single professional hockey player steps on the ice, night after night, and knows the inherent danger that they are about to immerse themselves in.  The people who criticize the lack of safety in the NHL are not hockey fans.  They do not watch hockey on a regular basis and probably have never played the sport themselves.  They only pay attention to the NHL when SportsCenter shows a goalie fight, someone getting hit in the head with a stick, or a player getting his throat slashed by a skate.  Leave it up to the players to decide what is plausible and what is not.  Let them use their common sense.  These are professionals, not children.  So, let's treat them as such.

NHL hockey, richard zednik