Sponsors, Team Owners Call Out NHL Over Headshots

The brutal hit on Canadiens’ forward Max Pacioretty Tuesday night has sparked unprecedented outcry from unlikely sources.

It has become a regular ritual for the NHL. A player gets seriously hurt by a hit to the head, fans and the media demand changes to the rules, and NHL officials say “it’s just part of the game.” But the sickening hit Zdeno Chara laid on Pacioretty has angered not only the public, but team owners and sponsors. Canadiens’ owner Geoffrey Molson issued a letter Thursday condemning the league’s decision not to suspend Chara, and Pittsburgh Penguins CEO David Moorehouse said headshots need to be eliminated from the game. Air Canada has threatened to pull its sponsorship from the league and two other sponsors, Tim Horton’s and BCE Inc., also called for changes to NHL rules.