Most Canadians believe that violent hits to the head are not only avoidable in hockey, they are usually premeditated.
That's according to the results of a Canadian Press-Harris Decima survey conducted after a string of high-profile head shots made national headlines.
Only 26 per cent of those who responded to the survey conducted last week believe head shots are an unavoidable part of the game.
Even among the most avid hockey fans, 57 per cent said head shots are unnecessary and often malicious.
The sentiment is strongest in Quebec, where 80 per cent of respondents said they felt head shots are unnecessary.
The survey results come on the same day Patrice Cormier was suspended for the rest of the regular season and the playoffs by the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
Cormier's vicious elbow to the head during a game earlier this month left his opponent convulsing on the ice.
Cormier had captained Canada to a silver medal at the world junior hockey championship just prior to the controversial hit.
