Hoggarth and Scampy discuss hockey

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"The game is constantly changing because the player is constantly changing," said Hoggarth. "When I came into the league, I was six feet tall, 220 pounds—I was a big guy. When I left, I was looking up at guys like (Eric) Lindros. The game changed, the physicality of the game changed.

"Everyone on the ice is capable of throwing bodychecks now."

One of the biggest issues currently facing referees is the enforcement of a new penalty for blindside hits to the head—a rule that players are still adjusting to. A handful of five-minute majors were given out under Rule 48 during the first month of the season.

While the debate continues about what constitutes a legal or illegal hit, Scapinello remains confident the league will eventually be able to weed out a lot of the dangerous plays they've targeted.

"It's going to be awhile, but you'll see the change," he said. "I used to be on the ice with the Broad Street Bullies when every time there was whistle you'd look over your shoulder and here came the bench. They put a stop to that. When's the last time you saw a bench-clearing brawl?"

For him, the onus is on the players to drive the change.

"In days gone by, you used to hit a guy just to separate the puck," said Scapinello, who spent 33 years as a NHL linesman before retiring in 2004. "Now they hit to hurt. ... Even the cleanest check in the world, they'll try and knock your head off. I don't know if it's lack of respect—I really can't put my finger on what it actually is.

"The whole mindset of players has to change."

The Hockey News: Headlines: Former NHL officials Ray Scapinello, Ron Hoggarth see changes in job

 

[BostonAJ]

"The whole mindset of players has to change."

He's probably right. Consider Thornton's hit on Perron. Not an evil or dirty play by hockey standards and a lot of fans don't like the suspension. But Thornton had to be fully aware that Perron was coming up at full speed with his head turned the other way. Big Joe could have just as easily made sure he laid out Perron at the shoulder. There was no effort on Thornton's part to avoid the head, even tho Thornton had the time to do so and the play would have had the same result.