No hockey players are exempt from serious head injury.

Montreal Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty suffered a concussion and broken vertebra after an ugly hit from Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara last night.

Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby went down after shots to the head in back-to-back games and has been out since Jan. 5.

Yukoner Ted Stephens, who plays for the Moncton Wildcats of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), on Saturday became just another hockey player to suffer a potentially season-ending hit.

"From a father's perspective, you hate to see your kid get hurt like that,” said Ted's father Jim, who also coaches the Whitehorse Midget Mustangs. "From a coach's perspective, they've got to take this out of the game. You can't hit a guy when he's in a prone position.

"No matter what people say – ‘it's all part of the game' – it's too dangerous when you're talking about someone's well-being. There's no need for that, in my opinion,” he added.

The younger Stephens, 20, suffered a concussion in the third period of the Wildcats' QMJHL game against the Acadie-Bathurst Titan on Saturday night.

The Wildcats were up 3-2 after erasing a 2-0 deficit when Titan defenseman Christophe Losier rode Ted into the boards.

Referees Andre Dupuis and Mario Maillet gave no penalty on the play. Thirty total penalties were called over three periods.

"I don't think hockey's intent is to deliberately injure players,” Jim said. "Now whether or not it was deliberate, it was a dangerous hit. Players have to be more aware and more accountable when players are in dangerous situations because the game is so fast now.

"They seem to be pretty good at calling every time you get a high stick in the face, but for some reason, on these head shots we haven't progressed to the point where it's penalized more.”

Ted had a goal in the Cats' 5-2 win over the Titan.

The Cats' centre has eight goals and 15 assists for 23 points in 24 games, good for ninth in team scoring this season.

Teammate Alex Saulnier leads team scoring with 24 goals and 59 assists for 83 points in 63 games.

Repeat: 63 games.

Ted missed more than three months following a concussion on Sept. 22 against the Rimouski Oceanic.

In that hit, Jim said, Ted took a hit from behind and an elbow to the jaw all at once.

There was no call on that play either. The QMJHL, after reviewing the video, took no disciplinary action.

"Ted had taken some good hits since he came back, but this one, whether you had a concussion or not, this hit, full-force to the head into the dasher board, you're going to have a concussion,” Jim said.

"If it's a hit from behind – call it. There seems to be way too much leeway on the hits from behind, and it's real dangerous.”

"The counter-argument is you shouldn't turn your back to the play,” he added.

"Well, that's going to happen during a game, but you shouldn't hit a guy when he can't see you coming too.”

The most recent hit on Ted is currently being reviewed by league disciplinarians.

"It's a tough one, and hopefully things will change, but it kind of hits home when it's your kid or your player,” Jim said, adding: "With a guy like Sidney Crosby, for example, would you rather see Sidney Crosby playing hockey or see players body checking other players and putting them out of commission?”