Issue still hard-hitting

The Islanders' Doug Weight, long a skilled, respected, and gentlemanly player in the National Hockey League, knocked out Brandon Sutter with a shoulder check to the rookie's head last weekend and sent the Hurricanes forward to a Long Island hospital for an overnight stay. Per doctor's orders, Sutter, who appears to be OK, took a train back to Raleigh, N.C., avoiding the air-pressure changes of flying.

Nothing new here, right? We see it, hear it, and read about it regularly in the NHL. Just over a year ago, we watched Flyers defenseman Randy Jones hammer Patrice Bergeron, ending the season for the talented Bruins center, and nearly ending his life. Hockey is a big-boy sport, and it often leads to big hits, big hurts, and big sadness, which frankly is what many of the spectators - the honest members of the crowd - find so attractive about it.

The hit on Sutter has folks talking, though, in large part because Carolina general manager Jim Rutherford openly taunted the NHL in the hours immediately after it. In comments to Bob McKenzie of TSN, a frustrated Rutherford chided the league for paying lip service to the idea of protecting the noggins of the working help.

"I realize there are only two ways you can go on this," said Rutherford. "Either you have a penalty for head-checking, like they do in the Ontario Hockey League, or you don't - and we don't in the NHL, and I understand that, and that's fine, I guess. But don't tell anyone you care about protecting the players' heads, because it's not happening."

In conversations last week with Edmonton's Craig MacTavish, the last NHLer to play without a helmet, and the Bruins' Claude Julien, both coaches made it clear they felt the league has enough legislation in place. They also made it clear that they didn't like what happened to Sutter, but they also exonerated Weight.

"I saw the hit," said MacTavish. "I didn't think it was a dirty hit. Professional hockey is a dangerous sport, and I think the league does all they can."

"Without taking sides here," Julien said, "I thought Sutter was reaching for the puck and was in a vulnerable position.

"If you're going to punish guys every time a guy puts himself in a vulnerable position, and the other guy tries to put in a clean hit, then you might as well eliminate body checking."

Tough issue to sort out. Everyone on all sides of the game wants the play to be aggressive. This isn't supposed to be, nor is it marketed as, backyard shinny. But people are getting hurt, far too often, and far too seriously.

If change is coming, it cannot come through the rule book, but from player personnel.

"The players have to wake up and put themselves in the other guy's skates, or shoes," said Bergeron.

The players' union finally is paying attention. According to NHLPA boss Paul Kelly, now just over a year on the job, it's a core issue during the organization's annual 30-team tour.

"We are taking hits to the head, hits from behind, and hits on defenseless players in a very serious way," Kelly wrote in an e-mail. "We show the guys video of several instances [from this season] in which players pulled up and showed respect rather that put the opposition player into the third row."

Video images are powerful tools. In fact, the feeling here is that in-arena video has fed the hit-to-the-head frenzy, with rinks delighting fans with replays of big hits, often displayed in montages - hit after hit after hit - set to music or other sound effects (the sound of a 16-wheeler, horn blowing). The fans love the stuff. Ditto the media (the honest in that crowd, too). The players watch intently from the benches.

It's all too overt to be considered subliminal suggestion. It's out-and-out red meat video, and as entertaining as it may be, the league might want to reconsider appealing to the caveman in all of us. As the hitting fervor gets ratcheted up, more of the workers get cudgeled to their knees, or worse.

"Thus far," said Kelly, "we are getting a very positive response from our members. They seem to clearly understand that in other circumstances they could be on the receiving end of such a questionable and dangerous hit."

Keenan isn't keeping the flame quite as hot
Mike Keenan, his stay behind the Boston bench brief (74 games in 2000-01), earned his "Iron Mike" reputation via his stern, demanding, oft-unpredictable approach with players, in particular while in Philadelphia and Chicago in his earlier days.

Holding court with a small collection of Boston media last week outside the Flames' dressing room, the 59-year-old bench boss sounded more like Mellow Mike when asked if he can scare players in today's hockey.

"I don't know if the word is 'scared,' " said Keenan. "I think you have to develop a sense of urgency in your players, and they have to see that you're passionate about winning. But scared?

"I don't think I ever scared [Chris ] Chelios at all . . . or other players like [Mark] Howe, Dave [Poulin], or [Michel ] Goulet. Sure, at times maybe I kept things a little bit imbalanced, but I think they came to embrace it and enjoy it."

How about Mark Messier in New York, the year (1993-94) Keenan coached the Rangers to the Stanley Cup?

"I didn't scare him," said Keenan. "He embraced the competition."

All true today in Calgary, said Keenan, where he has a built-in leader in Jarome Iginla to wrap both arms around any and every challenge.

"I don't have to say anything to him," said Keenan. "He just senses the times when he has to say, 'OK, we've got to step it up here, boys.' After that, guys like [Robyn ] Regehr and [Dion] Phaneuf, they all step in line. You get that kind of cohesiveness, and then your goaltender does the job, then you have a competitive team."

At the mention of Iginla's name, a member of Boston's electronic media noted that the winger was his favorite non-Bruin in the NHL.

"Really? I thought Joe [ Thornton] would be," said Keenan, the coach who summoned the best out of Jumbo Joe in Boston, "because he's a pretty good player, too."

The number
$21.6 million
Value of the four-year extension Daniel Alfredsson received Thursday from the Senators. The winger, who will turn 36 next month, will receive $9.1 million next year (including a $2.1 million signing bonus), followed by annual salaries of $7 million, $4.5 million, and $1 million.

Etc.
Good one dies young: Ex-Bruins assistant coach Gordie Clark, now the Rangers' director of player personnel, was among the club officials who went to Russia to attend the funeral of star prospect Alexei Cherepanov. "A few of us went over to the family's apartment after the services," said Clark. "And right next to the TV, he had a Ranger sweater hanging up on the wall. Of all the stuff like that he had - his club teams in Russia, international tournaments he played in - it was the Ranger sweater he had hanging up there. This is a kid who knew what he wanted, had all the skills, and was intent on playing in North America next. Great kid. And no question, he would have played for us next season." Cherepanov, 19, the No. 17 pick in the 2007 draft, fell into cardiac arrest while playing for Avangard Omsk during a game vs. Chekov Vityaz, did not regain consciousness, and was pronounced dead soon after arriving at a nearby Moscow hospital.

How will Hugh do? Ex-Dartmouth standout Hugh Jessiman, selected No. 12 overall by the Rangers in the 2003 draft, might finally get a shot at an NHL roster now that he has been traded to Nashville (for future considerations). Jessiman is 6 feet 6 inches, 230 pounds, but he never showed the requisite aggressiveness in New York training camps.

Loose pucks: Brendan Shanahan, convinced the Rangers won't ask him back this season, told agent Rick Curran to investigate other opportunities. The Blues have interest. No surprise there, given that ex-Rangers broadcaster John Davidson now oversees the operation. Shanahan will turn 40 in January, and he could be toast, but he scored 23 last year, might be able to juice up a faltering power play, and has great presence in a dressing room. For short(er) money ($800,000), he might be worth a flyer (small "f," Philly fans) . . . Jeff Gorton, the interim GM on Causeway Street after Mike O'Connell was canned, recently was promoted from scout to assistant director of player personnel for the Rangers. He now reports to another ex-Bruin in Clark. Prepare for a long search if you're trying to find two better guys . . . And a hat tip to Globe copy editor George Martins, a sharp-eyed shepherd of puck prose, who points out that Tim Thomas is a separated-at-birth twin of Joe the Plumber. Please, right wing conspiracy theorists, no e-mails suggesting there is an agenda in making the goalie-plumber comparison. I bet Joe is a great guy. And if I felt Jon Casey and the Amazing Technicolor Five-Hole could fix our sorry States, I'd even vote for him.

Kevin Paul Dupont can be reached at dupont@globe.com; material from interviews, wire services, other beat writers, and league and team sources was used in this report.