The simple fact is, blame for such frightening spectacles rests to a large extent with the NHL and other hockey leagues. Naturally this is going to be a high-risk game, even when played in squeaky clean fashion. There will be honest checks, and inadvertent collisions. When a power forward steams like a runaway train towards a hulking defenseman, someone could get hurt. The NHL tolerates fighting.
Fights are rare and when they do occur, they consist of harmless thrashing about.
Because it s been made clear that such behavior is totally unacceptable. They occur at every level and punishment follows. But the NHL could crack down in much harsher fashion, if they really wanted to eliminate the most flagrant fouls. Then stop whining when something awful happens, as on occasion it will. Accept it as a terrible consequence of a wonderful game.