rules
Slashing is a term used in hockey to describe a penalty when the offensive player swings his hockey stick to the opposing player, regardless if it's intentional or not. The penalty might be determined by the degree of the player's intention and seriousness of injury caused to another player. While some only have minor penalties, but there are times when hockey officials had to impose a match penalty because of the injury sustained by the opposing team.
Exemptions for Slashing
Shin pads and non-aggressive stick contact are not just subject to penalty nor can they be considered as slashing. The most important thing the player should take note of is not to impose any forceful or powerful swings towards the opposing player regardless the contact has been made or not.How Does the Referee Signals a Slashing Penalty?
The referee should make a chopping action by placing his hand against his opposite forearm. By then, the referee will assess if the slashing should incur a minor or major penalty, which is seen in the seriousness of the infraction.Most Dangerous Slashing in Hockey
Since Hockey is a physical sport and how players should move quickly through the ice, injuries can be inevitable. However, some of them can cause horrific injuries and even, death. One of them is the clash between Bobby Clarke and Barry Cummins in December 1973, where Clarke unintentionally slashed Cummins in the eye. Cummins' eye bled, but instead of relaxing, he did the same thing to Clarke. Cummins was penalized with $300 and a three-game suspension as Clarke had 12 stitches from the incident.Another incident was between Ted Green and Wayne Maki, where Maki violently struck Green and Green fell into the ice. He had endured brain damage because his skull was fractured upon falling. As a result, Green had to miss the entire season, while Maki suffered a long suspension.