Don Cherry Blames Mike Green for David Koci Hit

Every Saturday night, CBC's Hockey Night in Canada features a commentary from longtime lightning rod Don Cherry. The legendary personality is old-school. His schtick is obvious, and sometimes it stands in the way of his overall message.

This week, Cherry talked a lot about headshots. He eventually transitioned into a talk about a hit that happened Monday night in Denver, where Colorado's David Koci took down Washington defenseman Mike Green.

To hear Cherry's remarks in full, you'll want to head to the 4:40 mark of this video, right after Cherry lights up Dr. Charles Tater for blaming Cherry for head injuries in hockey.

Should Green be more aware of who's on the ice? Absolutely. However, Green shouldn't be expected to brace himself for an illegal hit while his team is up 5-0. Green played the puck and was blasted from behind by a gutless Koci.

It's an illegal, dangerous, selfish and stupid hit. There's no place in the game for it. There's no defense for it. It wouldn't matter if Green saw Koci coming, asked for a hit, and then turned his back to the freight train. It's still an illegal hit.

The fact that Koci inexplicably wasn't suspended has nothing to do with Green. It's an indictment of the incompetence of the NHL. The league continues to hand out lip service about headshots, but they appear either unwilling, incapable, or simply unprepared to back up their words.