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Watch KHL’s Andrei Mironov launch opponent into boards with huge hipcheck (VIDEO)

The NHL needs more hipchecks. Every time I think about the fact that Dan Hamhuis has effectively eliminated it from his game after tearing muscles in his abdomen launching Milan Lucic, it bums me out. He was one of the best in the game at it. Not that there was a lot of competition. Hipchecks were already a rarity in hockey before the clipping penalty made something of a comeback over the past two seasons. Now it's practically a relic.

But we still see the hit on occasion, and thank goodness, because when it's done right, it's just beautiful. Like so:

Be still my heart.

This huge hit comes to us from the KHL, as Dynamo Moscow's Andrei Mironov puts the hip into CSKA Moscow's Roman Lyubimov, and rides him all the way from the top of the circle to the boards.

Although I guess Lyubimov actually rode Mironov, and good Lord, that looked like an NHL 13 glitch. I half-expected Lyubimov to take off into the crowd and then pop back out through a portal in the boards, Hercules Check-style.

Obviously, the hit is the best part of this clip, but I also appreciated the decision to include that little bit at the end where Lyubimov looks back at the site of the incident and winces, and not just because of his blinged-out mouthguard.