I found the first part of this article to be really interesting:
http://www.nj.com/devils/index.ssf/2011/11/around_the_nhl_former_devils_r.html
The NHL says the are trying to crack down on hits to the head, but I feel like there's been a lot of inconsistency with their rulings. Hockey is a rough game, and hard hitting is one of the highlights, but if the NHL is really trying to protect its players, should it consider making all his to the head illegal?