This season, we've seen some brutal hits in the NHL, with Ryan Reaves shot on Darnell Nurse the perfect example of what type of hit the NHL is looking to outlaw for the purposes of player safety.
Unfortunately, there's still some brutal contact on the ice seemingly every night, but on Sunday, Stefan Noesen showed exactly the type of hit the NHL doesn't want to see, as he took out Buffalo Sabres star Tage Thompson with a devastating hit to the head.
Thompson may have had his head down, but that's simply no excuse for hitting someone in the head, with the rising star going down on the play in excruciating pain.
Somehow though, the Sabres did not react at all, with Noesen allowed to skate off after being given a match penalty with absolutely no repercussions, something that has been called out in a big way on social media.
Given the forceful and direct contact to the head, it's more likely than not that Noesen will face a hearing and a potential suspension for this play, with the NHL's Department of Player Safety looking to crack down on this type of hit as we've seen in 2024/25.
With plenty of body to hit, there's just no need for players to target the head, with Noesen clearly not making an attempt to hit Thompson's body, and until this type of hit is completely gone from the NHL, we'll continue to see players like this go down with injuries from contact to the head.