NHL Should Protect the Victims of Dirty Play

New York Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh will sit out again Tuesday night, after having sustained an elbow to the head from Toronto Maple Leafs winger Leo Komarov last Thursday. It was only McDonagh's second game back from being sidelined with a concussion; thankfully, he hasn't sustained another one this time around. Both players now insist there wasn't intent to cause injury, but it raises the question of whether all sides' histories should be considered when the NHL doles out punishment.

A player becomes a target when he's already suffered an injury, especially one to the head. As we now know from neuropathologists who have studied football, chronic brain damage can occur even without a diagnosed concussion; sustained subconcussive hits to the head are often the cause. Hockey has escaped the sort of scrutiny directed at the NFL, due to the sport's relatively smaller profile and cultural significance. But the parallels are impossible to ignore, from both leagues' tendency to avoid the issue, to the insufficient safety measures meant to placate growing criticisms from players and fans, to the insistence by players themselves that such hits are simply "part of the game."