NASHVILLE, Tenn. – In dealing with the increasing number of hits to the head resulting in concussions, the NHL is trying to find the right balance between making the game safer and maintaining physical play.

The topic of head shots dominated talks at the NHL’s general managers meetings this past week.

Detroit Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom and forward Henrik Zetterberg are among the players who favor stiffer punishment for blindside hits to the head, especially to repeat offenders, but they oppose the elimination of all hits to the head.

“All the blindside hits to the head should be a (lengthy) suspension,’’ Zetterberg said. “If you do it more than once it should be even tougher punishment. Basically, we only affect 10 or 11 guys. It’s the same guys that do it all the time.’’

He added, “Now, they get suspended four or five games. It doesn’t matter. If you suspend them 15 games, it’ll hurt them a little more.’’

Lidstrom said Rule 48, implemented late last season to address blindside hits to the head, has helped, but added, “if they can tweak it a bit to make it better it would be good. It’s a fine line between making an open-ice hit and hitting someone blindside.’’

The league has implemented a five-point plan to prevent concussions. It includes the immediate implementation of a 15-minute cooling off period for a player suspected of having a concussion, whereby he is removed from the bench and assessed by a neutral doctor before he can be cleared to play.

General managers decided against recommending a ban on head shots. They instead proposed tighter enforcement of rules on charging and boarding.

“The blindside rule was a good start, but we continue to have players (suffer) concussions,’’ Red Wings GM Ken Holland said. “A lot of the concussions are by accident or legal plays.

“We want hockey operations, between now and the June meetings, to redefine charging and boarding. We want hockey operations to be more aggressive in their suspensions, the length of suspensions, hitting repeat offenders, especially when it comes to hits to the head.’’

According to the league, only 17 percent of concussions suffered this season were the result of illegal hits. The bulk, 44 percent, occurred from what it believes were legal hits, while 26 percent were caused by accidental collisions and eight percent from fights.

The NHL said only 17 percent of man-games lost this season are due to concussions, compared to 44 percent last season.

The Red Wings, more often than not, are the target of physical play, not the catalysts. But players understand the importance of maintaining that element in the game.

“It is a physical sport. You can’t take away (all contact) in the game,’’ Zetterberg said. “That’s why the fans like it. That’s why we like it. You can go out and hit people.

“As a player, you have the responsibility to keep your head up. If you have that rule (eliminating all hits to the head) there will be no open-ice hits. … But when you see the guys not ready from behind or the blindside, that’s when we have to respect the players a little better. It’s up to us.’’

Lidstrom doesn’t favor penalizing all hits to the head.

“If that happens, you could see a lot of guys skating with their heads down and not be worried about getting hit,’’ Lidstrom said. “That’s something we don’t want.’’

The instigator rule, among other things, has reduced fighting, preventing players from policing themselves on the ice.

“The players used to make each other accountable,’’ Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. “If you did that to someone (hit to the head), someone would stick you in the face. They took that away from you, and so it’s a different game now and the players got to be looked after.

“If you’re penalized for a hit to the head, then the league can decide whether you’re suspended. If the suspensions are severe, they’ll stop. No one wants to give away money.’’