It's a dearth in physicality that troubles Brian Burke, not Nazem Kadri's hit on Daniel Sedin that's sparked conversation regarding blindside contact around the hockey world.
Calgary Flames president Brian Burke, who drafted both Kadri and Sedin in his time with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Vancouver Canucks, weighed in on the punishing hit that went unpunished by the NHL's Department of Player Safety.
"It was fine," Burke told TSN's Gino Reda. "We're already taking hitting and fighting out of the game at a scary pace.
"Players should be aware or the their surroundings. Blindside head shots (have to) go. Not all blindside hits."
Burke has traditionally been one of the stronger proponents of the physical aspects ostensibly bleeding from the game. Last season marked the fewest amount of fights in nearly a half century with 0.28 scraps per contest, as tabulated by HockeyFights.com, and that trend has continued this year with more and more teams employing skillful prospects in lieu of heavy-handed veterans.
Matthew Tkachuk, Burke's latest first-round draft selection, was assessed just the team's third major penalty this season in a fight Sunday night with Joseph Cramarossa of the Anaheim Ducks.
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