The barrage of hits to the head in the NHL this season has prompted the league to enact a new rule disallowing hits of that nature. The controversy picked up steam following the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Matt Cooke blindsided the Boston Bruins’ Marc Savard on March 7th giving the 11-year-pro a Grade 2 concussion. The ruling will allow the league to deem head hits illegal and fine players accordingly. In conjunction with the NHL player’s union the NHL is exploring possible on-ice penalties for hits to the head. Both sides hope that the rule will discourage such hits from taking place in the NHL and lowering the amount of concussions on the ice. Anaheim Duck James Wisniewski was suspended for eight games after hitting a defenseless Brent Seabrook of the Chicago Blackhawks earlier this month. Head coach Joel Quenneville called the hit “the most dangerous hit in the history of the game” and argued for the league to take serious action against Wisniewski. The NHL says the new ruling will not take anything away from the physicality of the game, but only help protect players from possible career-ending injuries.