MONTREAL -- Florida left wing David Booth left the Panthers' game Thursday night against Montreal early in the second period after he was flattened by Jaroslav Spacek's open-ice shoulder check to the head.

Booth, who missed 45 games earlier this season after he sustained a concussion on a blindside hit by Philadelphia's Mike Richards on Oct. 24, lay face down on the ice after the hit and trainer Dave Zenobi was immediately summoned to attend to him. A bloodstain remained on the ice after Booth was helped off the ice to the dressing room.

A Panthers spokesman said Booth was taken to a hospital for precautionary reasons after being examined by Canadiens physician Dr. David Mulder, who said Booth was alert and coherent.

Spacek delivered the check head-on and no penalty was called on the play.

Earlier Thursday, the executive board of the players' union voted to accept a new temporary rule that will ban hits to the head against unsuspecting players. The decision took effect immediately, starting with the 11 games Thursday night.

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

looked like jaro just caught him high, I don't have a replay yet, and I was only half watching.

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

pardon my french

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

To me, that looks like a clean shoulder-to-chest hit on a forward-facing opponent, with Spacek moving up to catch him in the jaw at the last moment.

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mechaphil

Never mind, he drilled him shoulder-to-head.

As much as I hate to say this given my stance on head hits, but...keep your head up, kid.

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mechaphil

Spacek's shoulder coming up was a natural result of the contact. That's a good, hard hit with no malicious intent, from straight on. I'm willing to bet that Booth wouldn't have been so woozy if he wasn't still so fresh off a major cuncussion. I don't think that's the type of hit that the NHL, or NHLPA wants to get rid of. It was an honest Scott Stevens kind of hit, and I hope Spacek isn't suspended or I'll be further bewildered by the disciplinary system.

I agree. Like I said, Booth needed to keep his head up on that one. That's a forward-facing, hard, good hit.

Booth has the worst goddamned luck.

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mechaphil

I'm not going to be able to live in an NHL which speculates on every hit.


This is making me dizzy and scared.

Sorry for Booth, but like Phil said, gotta keep your head up. That hit could not have been any cleaner, clearly wasn't malicious and truthfully he stood him up more than he took a run at him. 100% clean, poor Booth tho

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"I can't really hear what Jeremy says, because I got my two Stanley Cup Rings plugging my ears...." -Patrick Roy in reference to Jeremy Roenick's trash talking

The Richards hit on Booth-



This dude is gonna get himself killed.

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Impossible Is Nothing.

Booth's gotta keep his head up. What's Jaro supposed to do?

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Wheelhouse

Shrink to Gerbe height and go between the legs?

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"Call a cop he robbed Delmore blind!!!"
Rick Jeanerette after Marty Biron's diving save back in 2000.

"I'm going to go to the spa and have a hot tub and massage and relax," Miller said. "That's it, and it's back to work tomorrow." Ryan Miller after clinching the North East division.

Hitting peeps in the head isn't Spacho's M.O....

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I kinda miss that Czech caveman

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mechaphil

Good hit by Spacho man there...Gotta watch where you're going Boothy!

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"...they came down into the stands and asked if I knew how to do play by play. I said...No. But. I'll take a shot at it if you want".- Rick Jeanneret

Thats a clean hit shoulder to what should have been chest, but Booth leads with his forehead, and gets caught right in the face with the shoulder. Tough luck kid, but it's part of the game.

If a penalty was called on that I'd take issue. Spacho wasn't head hunting, and he sure as hell wasn't intending on injuring him. Nothing wrong with the play at all, just good physical hockey by two teams battling for playoff spots.

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"She's like plan C after an 18 pack"

Squanto 7/27/2010

This was a legal straight on hit shoulder to head. It was the same as Campbell on Umberger, or Stevens on Lindross. Make the hit with your elbow or leave your feet to launch at the head and it's illegal. Blind side hits are also illegal. What about pounding someone's head into the boards, or knockout punches in a fight? Neil likes to use the boards for his head massages.

Well, we will see exactly what the NHL will do. This is definitely not a blind-sided hit so the new rule should not apply

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Totally clean hit.

Yikes, where were these killdozers when he played for us?

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"Call a cop he robbed Delmore blind!!!"
Rick Jeanerette after Marty Biron's diving save back in 2000.

"I'm going to go to the spa and have a hot tub and massage and relax," Miller said. "That's it, and it's back to work tomorrow." Ryan Miller after clinching the North East division.