On December 12, 1933 the Boston Bruins were playing the Toronto Maple Leafs. During the second period of the game Eddie Shore, who played for Boston at the time, was knocked onto the ice when he was leading a rush into the Leaf's zone. When a penalty wasn't called Shore got very upset and took it out on the nearest Leaf player. The unsuspecting defense man, Ace Bailey, was violently flipped backwards. Bailey's skull was cracked and he was knocked unconscious. His injuries were serious because in 1933 a helmet was not required, therefore, players didn't bother to wear them. When Bailey finally recovered he was never able to play hockey again. He was only able to work as an assistant penalty timekeeper at Maple Leaf Gardens. Shore only got a sixteen-game suspension for this vicious act.
             Is the NHL too violent for its own good? Today hockey still sees vicious acts. Equipment has improved greatly since the Ace Bailey incident but people are still permanently injured. With all the equipment players now wear you would think that the game was all about safety but really it is not. Players act as though they are invincible. "Marty McSorley's brutal blow was business as usual for hockey," (Kennedy, page 25). It is now required for all players to wear helmets but that still doesn't prevent brain damage. One of the most common injuries in hockey is a concussion. Concussions occur when the brain bumps against the skull. The severity of the concussion depends on how hard the brain hits the skull. Helmets do prevent some possible concussions but because players think that their head is well protected they think they can hit harder. "The harder they hit, the harder they fall," as Katie Malone stated. The harder they fall the more serious their injuries. The longest suspension in NHL history is twenty-three games. Marty McSorley received this suspension after hitting Canucks for...