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Heads up: violence and the vulnerability principle in hockey revisited

Violent play in the National Hockey League (NHL), and in other hockey leagues, has been debated for decades; however, recent discussion has focused on particular actions related to body checking. Due to a concern for player safety, calls for a ban against blindside body checking and shoulder-to-head hits have been voiced. The main argument we critique is based on the vulnerability principle. In this paper, we assess the arguments for and against a ban on these actions. Those against the ban who prefer the status quo refer to ‘slippery slope’, ‘blame the victim’ and rules-based utilitarian arguments. Those in favour of a ban stress player safety, the role of referees, lack of enforcement of current rules, league accountability and declining respect among players. In offering an ethical analysis of blindside checking and shoulder-to-head hits in hockey, this paper offers a convincing basis to condemn morally questionable violent play in the NHL.