PHOTO: Bildbyrån
Swedish hockey can change forever.
Now comes a controversial proposal that arouses strong reactions.
Where the men can take over from the ladies in terms of tackles.
Concussions are a big problem in Swedish hockey, with the top league SHL at the forefront. Right now, various options are being investigated to overcome the situation and reduce the number of concussions in hockey.
Proposal for SHL
The person who runs that work within the Swedish Ice Hockey Association is Morgan Johansson, Project Manager for Player Safety. He has concluded that the players run a 70 percent risk of injuring themselves in connection with an “open ice” tackle.
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That’s why Johansson, on behalf of the hockey confederation, is opening a controversial proposal that could change the SHL and Swedish hockey forever. He wants to do what the ladies have already done in the SDHL and ban the open ice tackles on the men’s side.
– I don’t know if we are ready for it, but I think it is a debate that should be discussed, he says in an interview with SVT Sport.
– If we have such a high risk of injury, it might not be preferable.
Met with fury
The proposal is expected to spark a serious debate throughout hockey Sweden, and people have already reacted with strong emotions. The SVT expert Jonas Andersson do not think that a ban on the tackles on open ice can reduce the risk of injuries and concussions.
– I think that if you were to remove the open ice tackle, then you would see more players who put themselves in bad situations, he says to the TV channel.
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Several other Swedes have expressed their great criticism and in several cases clear anger towards this proposal to change Swedish hockey. On SVT’s Facebook page, many express their dissatisfaction.
“Yes, my God, now they’ve fallen over really hard. Must, for God’s sake, learn from the start how to tackle and receive a tackle. Now that’s enough talk bags in the union!”, writes a user in the comment field.
“Quite right, why would you let the players take responsibility for protecting themselves? Much better to try to protect them with the regulations. Also keep in mind that the ice is hard, hitting your head on the ice when you fall is a big risk of injury, so ban ice and let them play on soft mats instead,” writes another ironically.
“It’s just as well to give up all hockey. It’s damn tougher in bandy. Soon you won’t be allowed to shoot above knee height,” writes a third.
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