WEST VALLEY CITY ? Team USA forward Chris Manns' bloodied stump leaves no doubt that sled hockey is as violent as the stand-up game that spawned it.
Late in a Monday's contest, Norway forward Tommy Rovelstad slammed the end of his metal sled straight into what remains of Manns' right leg, amputated about mid thigh.
"It split it wide open," said Manns, who left the ice and sat out against Sweden to give his stitched up leg time to heal.
Checking players into the boards is part of the game, and players expect to give and take hits. Hard hits. Low-to-the-ice sled hockey players might get jolted more than their able-bodied counterparts because the dasher boards don't give at the base like they do at the top.
Broken ribs in a game against Sweden sidelined Norway team captain Eskil Hagen for most of the tournament.
In addition to being the vehicle that allows people with lower extremity disabilities to play hockey, the sled is a battering ram. It's not unusual to see players go full bore and lean back to lift the unpadded end of the sled just as it crashes into an opponent.
"A lot of the Europeans use it as a weapon," Manns said.
Team Estonia appears particularly proficient at the tactic, which is legal unless the referee determines a a broadside or T-bone hit deserves a charging penalty.
Just ask the Canadians. Several lay on the ice after taking bone-jarring checks in a game against Estonia.
"It hurts. It hurts a lot," said Team Canada forward Todd Nicholson, whose sled was broken in four places on two hard hits.
Sled hockey officials need to address the issue like they did hitting from behind, he said.
In the early years, referees cracked down on that move, slapping players with 10-minute misconduct penalties. There have been few blinside hits in the 2002 Paralympics.
"Hitting with sleds should be given 10-minute penalties. Someone is going to get hurt and I hope it's not here. But it needs to be looked at," he said.
Estonia's top player Maksim Vedernikov conceded the Canada game was "maybe a little dirty." He drew a 10-minute hitting-from-behind penalty in Tuesday's game.
Team USA faces Estonia on Thursday in the final round-robin game for both teams.
E-mail: romboy@desnews.com