Got a question on rule clarification, comments on rule enforcements or some memorable NHL stories? Kerry wants to answer your emails at cmonref@tsn.ca. Hey Kerry We all saw Toronto Maple Leaf Daniel Winnik lying on the ice after the hit from Jan Hejda in last nights game and hoped that he is alright, but a question also popped into my head as he left on the stretcher. While Im not sure many people thought the hit was dirty, I would imagine the temperature of a game can go up when one of the players takes a devastating hit and has to be helped off the ice by medical professionals, even if the player from the other team didnt break any rules. My question is, what role would a referee play in that situation to make sure a player does not seek retribution or turn a situation even more ugly after a hit, that while causing an injury, was clean and legal? Was there ever a game you were in where you saw a clean hit happen but thought you better say or do something before someone tries to seek revenge and really escalates a situation? Thanks, Tom Ray - London, Ontario Tom: I too wish Daniel Winnik a full and speedy recovery from the nasty fall he suffered in the Leafs-Avalanche game last night. The clean check delivered by Jan Hejda is one more example of the need for players to be more aware of their surroundings and expect to be hit. Hejda was in the act of initiating a check as Winnik chipped the puck past him and into the Avalanche end zone. The close quarters, straight up contact delivered by Hejda was within an acceptable time frame to avoid an interference infraction. Winniks awkward tumble on his head highlighted the philosophy shared by Oilers assistant coach, Craig Ramsay, which I wrote about in yesterdays column; players dont expect to be hit and as such are often caught off guard and unprepared to take a hit. Without question, Jack Johnson of the Columbus Blue Jackets deserved his recent three game suspension for a late, careless head hit on Juri Tlusty of the Carolina Hurricanes. Tlusty, however, appeared totally unaware of the potential that he could/would be hit after dishing the puck off to his right. Tlusty proceeded to watch his pass for an extended portion of time and was caught with a head-rocking illegal check that he had no idea was coming. Lets hope players alter this destructive trend by placing their head on a swivel to defend against impending body contact; legal or otherwise. Witnessing a player carried off the ice on a stretcher due to serious injury can be a frightening experience for everyone in attendance. Depending upon the circumstance and degree of injury, there is often an immediate hostile response from the injured players teammates as they seek retribution. The officials must immediately impose themselves in this combustible situation in an effort to bring the temperature down and before a spark ignites a raging fire. If that is not possible, a strict penalty standard must be enacted if retaliation and retribution continue throughout the game. Ideally, if the fire is put out immediately, anger and hostility can quickly shift to concern for the injured player. I will share a devastating hit and resulting injury I witnessed from close range that created an overwhelming look of shock on the faces of players from both teams. I was overcome with a sick feeling in my stomach. Midway through the first period of Game 7 of the 1999-00 Eastern Conference Final between the New Jersey Devils and the Philadelphia Flyers, Eric Lindros picked up a loose puck in the neutral zone and proceeded toward the Devils blue line with a lowered body posture and his head down; as was too often the case. Lindros avoided a stick-check from Scott Niedermayer by drawing the puck back before entering the zone and thereby created an offside at the blue line. Scott Stevens was already in motion cutting through the gap to deliver one of his patented devastating shoulder checks as he had done so often throughout his career and in the series. This time, Stevens had his sights clearly set on the Big E. Watch Stevens hit on Lindros The linesmans whistle blew for the offside a fraction of a second after Stevens buried his shoulder cap into Erics jaw with devastating force. Lindros neck whipped like a wet noodle, his body rotated in the air and crashed hard to the ice causing the back of Erics helmet to impact the ice with an audible thud. The Big E lay motionless on his side in the fetal position for what seemed like a breathless lifetime. Flyers medical personnel jumped over the boards as quickly as the cavalry garbed in white, orange and black on the ice mounted an attack against Stevens. We (the officials) were quick to intervene and usher Stevens to his players bench out of harms way. As Lindros was being attended to on the ice, I saw the look of shock and concern on the faces of the Flyer players and coaching staff. Seeing Eric in the fetal position is when I developed a sickness in my stomach. I recall having the conscious thought of an infant that was unable to care for itself and being fed baby food by its parent/caregiver. Would this tragic thought become the ultimate fate of this great hockey player? I prayed not. There was some relief when Eric was lifted up off the ice even although his legs moved like rubber as he was assisted to the dressing room. I fixed my gaze on the Devils bench area and what amazed me most was the look of fear on the face of Scott Stevens; an emotion that I had never witnessed before from Captain Crunch. This guy was fearless and he had levied more bone-crushing, devastating checks than any player before him. I had seen him kiss his bicep and warn players on the opposing bench that they were next after knocking one of their teammates senseless. This time there was something much different that I perceived from the Devils leader. Scotts face appeared drawn and white as a sheet. I detected a nervous twitch. I firmly believe that he felt he had gone too far this time with a player that had a long and well-documented history of concussions. To this day I believe the fear I detected from Scott Stevens was for the future well-being of his opponent. Had he gone too far? You be the judge on that. Andrew Cashner Jersey . Notes on P.K. Subban, Dale Weise, Erik Haula, Mikael Granlund, Ilya Bryzgalov and more. Eddie Murray Jersey .com) - Ames, IA (SportsNetwork. http://www.theoriolesteamshop.com/Orioles-Roberto-Alomar-Kids-Jersey/ . LOUIS -- David Ross never expected to be on a World Series podium. Jim Palmer Jersey . -- Adrian Peterson remained in a walking boot to treat a high ankle sprain on his left leg on Wednesday, and coach Leslie Frazier said he will not play on Sunday against Atlanta if he cant hit the practice field in the next two days. Mark Trumbo Jersey . The same cant be said of last Saturdays 2-2 draw at Olympic Stadium against a very weakened New York Red Bulls side and one which had three stalwarts in Henry, Cahill and Olave back home in Harrison, NJ. LAKE LOUISE, Alta. -- American Lindsey Vonn will make her long-awaited World Cup skiing debut Friday. The reigning Olympic womens downhill champion hasnt competed since tearing ligaments in her right knee and breaking a bone in her leg at the world championships in February. She skipped Thursdays training run but the American ski star said via Twitter she intended to make her return to racing here. "Ive decided to take today as a "rest day" but I will be racing tomorrow," Vonn said. "I cant wait for my first race." Downhill races are scheduled for Friday and Saturday followed by Sundays super-G. Germanys Maria Hoefl-Riesch was the fastest in training Thursday with a time of one minute 56.52 seconds. Norways Lotte Smiseth Sejersted was second, followed by Austrian Anna Fenninger. Larisa Yurkiw of Owen Sound, Ont., is the lone Canadian in the downhill and was 23rd. Vonn has won a record 14 World Cup races at Lake Louise, which has earned the nickname "Lake Lindsey" because of her dominance. She swept all three races the last two yeaars.dddddddddddd But the 29-year-old arrived at the Alberta resort with questions surrounding her knee. She partially tore one of the surgically-reconstructed ligaments while training in Copper Mountain, Colo., two weeks ago. Vonn didnt compete in the first downhill of the season last weekend in Beaver Creek, Colo. Vonn was 22nd in the first training run Wednesday. "You know if your body is ready or not and I know that mine is ready," she said in a statement posted on the U.S. Ski Federation website. "Normally this is the first downhill of the year, so for me this feels like a normal beginning of the season. It feels pretty awesome. "My goal (Wednesday) was to ski solid and to ski my race line and I did that. I knew that if I could accomplish all those things in one run, then I dont need a second run. Its the smart choice for me to not ski today in order to prepare for (Friday)." Vonn is a four-time overall World Cup champion. She needs three more World Cup wins to match the record of 62 held by Annemarie Moser-Proell. . 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