The thing with hitting is that it has a very real fatigue factor on the players who throw them most from game to game. You have all this momentum as a forechecker, as you pump your legs to get in on the play, and when you ?finish your check,? as I was always told to do, you generally come to a dead stop.
Now neither you, nor the player you?ve hit have any advantage ? you?re at the same place on the ice without any momentum, and you?ve got to get up to speed again and get back in the play. Stopping and starting is exhausting.
Young players today have learned to simply not throw that meaningless hit, particularly more than a second or two after the opposing player has moved the puck, and particularly on the forecheck. That way they can keep their speed up, and without wasting energy, get back in the play in good defensive position quicker and with more energy to spare.
