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BLUE JACKETS NOTEBOOK

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Updated Nov 18, 2008 2:30 PM ET
     
 
The Blue Jackets returned to practice yesterday and found an NHL memo prominently displayed in their locker room. It deals with a crackdown on unnecessary blows to the head. Several players and coach Ken Hitchcock said they welcomed the league's tougher stand. "Anything that is intentional to the head is bad for the individual and bad for the game," forward Fredrik Modin said. NHL senior vice president and director of Hockey operations Colin Campbell had the memo posted in every locker room Friday. "We cannot and will not tolerate blows to the head that are deliberate, avoidable and illegal," the memo states. "Furthermore, both the history and status of the offender (first time versus repeat) and the nature of the injury caused (if any) will be taken into consideration as they have been in the past. The length of suspensions for illegal blows to the head will be increased if these incidents persist across the League." The NHL is especially trying to curb elbows to the head. Jackets forward Jiri Novotny was injured Oct. 11 after getting elbowed by Phoenix's Shane Doan. The crackdown is also endorsed by the NHL players' association. Players say they understand the difficulty in interpreting intent because of the varying heights of skaters and that sometimes a player gets caught with his head down. "That's going to happen sometimes in open ice, but a player should still be leading with his shoulder and not his elbow," defenseman Marc Methot said. Hitchcock said a lot of young players don't "sniff" the danger and leave themselves vulnerable to big hits. It's up to veterans, Hitchcock said, to police the game and resist the head shots. \ Shoot the puck Winger Jake Voracek ranks fourth among NHL rookies with 11 points, but has a single assist in the past five games. He also has just three shots in that span. Hitchcock wants Voracek to be stronger on the puck, drive to the net and shoot more often. "Jake is like any other young offensive player," Hitchcock said. "When you stop shooting the puck, you stop going to the net and when you don't put the puck on the net, you end up on the outside all the time." \ Pine time Edmonton Oilers coach Craig MacTavish on underachieving forward Dustin Penner: "When we signed Dustin (to a restricted free-agent offer sheet in 2007), we thought he would be a top-two line player," MacTavish told the Edmonton Journal. "We thought the contract ($21.25 million over five years) was a starting point for him and he's viewed it as a finish line. I can't watch it -- certainly not for 2 1/2 more years." \ Torres rests Winger Raffi Torres missed practice yesterday because of a lower body injury unrelated to his surgically repaired knee, Hitchcock said. Torres is expected to play against Edmonton. treed@dispatch.com
Tagged: Raffi Torres, Blue Jackets

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