Hodgemailed

My response to Dave Hodge's question on hits to the head: Should the NHL institute a penalty for headchecking?

YES!

There is nothing an unsuspecting player can do to avoid getting hit in the head. Looking at the most recent examples, Booth and Toews both didn't see the hits coming. The only way to settle this is to make the checker responsible for his actions. If Richards had wanted to hit Booth in the open ice, fine. But make him have to choose his speed and shoulder contact more carefully.

And on the same topic of avoiding career threatening injuries, remove hitting after a player gives up the puck. There is too much leeway for useless physical contact. It would have saved Booth and would eliminate players running other players because it would force them to choose their speed more carefully when lining up a body check. Hitting a player with the puck makes sense by trying to free the puck; hitting a player without the puck is simply a punishment for having had the puck.