IIRC, they actually warned the players about blindside hits to the head. You basically have four types of hits in hockey:
1) Blatent intent to injure or recklessness (Cooke)
2) Accidental (illegal or not) (Carter on Salmela)
3) A penalized one
4) Legal
The NHL simply added a #2.5 that says if you hit someone in the head even if you didn't mean it, your ass is suspended. So, Carter's hit would have been suspendable even though it was all Salmela's fault (leaning in and forward). Correct me if I am wrong.
I would classify Sutton's hit as accidental, at worst. He was going for the hip check, Leopold moved and was leaning forward, and the tucked-in elbow made contact.
1) Blatent intent to injure or recklessness (Cooke)
2) Accidental (illegal or not) (Carter on Salmela)
3) A penalized one
4) Legal
The NHL simply added a #2.5 that says if you hit someone in the head even if you didn't mean it, your ass is suspended. So, Carter's hit would have been suspendable even though it was all Salmela's fault (leaning in and forward). Correct me if I am wrong.
I would classify Sutton's hit as accidental, at worst. He was going for the hip check, Leopold moved and was leaning forward, and the tucked-in elbow made contact.