I thought I was doing a great service when I went out searching for that great Broooks Orpik hit that a follower to this blog had commented about.  I even went so far as to perform a complete analysis of the hit.  Then I posted it to share with all of you.  (See “SO YOU STILL DON’T BELIEVE ME ABOUT HOCKEY?” – 2/8/12)

Yeah, I was feeling pretty proud of myself.  That is until I had it pointed out to me that I posted and analyzed the wrong hit!  Oh it was Brooks Orpik allright.  It just wasn’t the right one.  You see, I went out and grabbed his monster hit on Jeff Fisher of the Carolina Hurricane by mistake.  Once I saw the video of the hit, I was mesmerized by it.  I watched it, re-watched it and watched it again.  Not realizing I had found a different hit, I grabbbed the link and began typing away on my keyboard.

The next day, I woke to the realization that I had grabbed the wrong hit.  (Okay, I didn’t realize it until someone pointed it out to me with a big smile on their face!)  I couldn’t believe that I had made such an elementary mistake, so I went online and began searching for Brooks Orpik hits.

All I can say is, this guy’s a stud!  I mean, he is a checking machine on the ice.  If you’re anywhere near the puck when this guy’s on the ice, you’de better know exactly where he is at all times or you may be picking up a few extra frequent flyer points.  And he’s not a viscious, dirty player, he just knows how to check.  When you click on the link below, you’ll see exactly what I mean.

The greatest thing about this hit is that both players involved are tough as nails.  Seriously, watch how far Boston’s Daniel Paille flys through the air.  Then watch how quickly he gets back up on his skates.  Then watch as he picks up his stick and goes and gets the puck, as if this was just another typical play in a typical game!

Well I’ve always believed that everything happens for a reason, so I wasn’t about to let this ‘mistake’ on my part go without making something meaningful come out of it.  It only took a few seconds to realize that my point about the hockey players being the toughest athletes in the world (pound for pound) was becoming more obvious with every big hit that I watched.

So, I have decided to begin a new feature….Hockey’s Hit of the Week.  Each week, I will post a link to another incredible hit in this great sport.  I will not be including the hits that are cheap shots or dirty shots, as those hits deserve no credit nor recognition.  It doesn’t take skill to be a dirty player.

It does take skill to be a hard hitter that plays clean and within the rules of decency.  So without further ado, I give you this week’s Hockey Hit of the Week.  Pittsburgh’s Brooks Orpik’s hit on Boston’s Daniel Paille!

http://www.youtube.com/v/MnO4glhlxgw

Enjoy!!