The temporary rule will give league disciplinarian Colin Campbell the power to hand out supplementary discipline for head hits on unsuspecting players for the remainder of the regular season and playoffs.
The institution of a permanent rule that includes an on-ice penalty -- something NHL general managers recommended two weeks ago -- will be discussed over the summer by the competition committee.
The Colin Cambell Crisis Collection - A solid anthology of the dirty/questionable/controversial hits that brought this topic to the forefront of almost every hockey debate.
Pucktales: NHL finds solution to head shots - Our humorous take on the way the league prefers to deal with problems in comic form.
Wendel Clark’s comments about players’ delusions of invincibility.
NHLPA proposes ‘band-aid solution’ to head-shot rule.
NHL tells players to buzz off over rule change. Then the league gives them more time.
So those links should give you a solid look at how quickly this situation unraveled for the league. Will this give Colin Campbell the needed authority - and flexibility - to change the league’s policies of consistent chaos to predictable, reasonable suspensions? Only time will tell, but I guess we’ll have to accept that these things won’t evolve with huge leaps. Instead, it’s obvious we’re going to have to settle for baby steps.