Happy Halloween.
Trick or Treat.
As Count Floyd on SCTV used to utter, ‘ isn’t that SCARY, kids “.
That was funny.
But on Halloween, here’s what scares me.
It seems no matter how much material is presented, no matter what educational tools are utilized and no matter how stiff the punishments are, hockey players continue to deliver careless, dirty, dangerous, and somewhat cowardly hits.
Understand, I probably have a local bias here having seen Keith Primeau at Hanover Raceway, having known Jeff Reid, or having watched the fouls that were committed against Geoffrey Schemitsch, Joey Hishon and Garrett Wilson when they were in Owen Sound.
Furthermore, I didn’t see the hit that felled Jarrod Maidens, but fair or foul, there’s no questioning the negative impact as a result.
The bothersome part is I can go to any Attack game, or I can flip on the Action Pak, and almost be guaranteed I’ll see a dirty hit, a cheap shot, a dangerous play.
Craig Hottot of Sarnia, very late on Ryan Horvat of the Guelph Storm. Scott Laughton of Oshawa on Ottawa’s Daniel Walsh.
These are the latest examples.
And make no mistake, as players I really like both Hottot and Laughton.
But I didn’t like the hits they delivered and on Halloween it’s scary to think there may be many others ahead.
I’m Fred Wallace