tarheelhockey
Offside Review Specialist
This maybe constricted an artery? It would explain the delayed reaction. Also, why wouldn't padding help with this? I get that blunt force trauma is different than a slice but some padding absorbing and spreading the force would be useful.
There are also the unintended consequences of adding more padding — as we’ve seen with shin guards and visors, players throw themselves even more recklessly into danger when they feel protected from any dangerous outcome. It used to be that almost nobody in the league would stick their face in front of a slapshot like this. Even in this replay, his hands are at his waist trying to play goalie instead of up covering his exposed neck and face. It’s kind of crazy how little self-preservation these guys practice, and a lot of that it dependence on padding to take care of everything.