The Inmates are now running the Asylum!

      The NHL's dicipline problems are now totally out of control. Dart board justice Colin Campbell and his clueless crony Mike Murphy can't seem to impose any kind of suspensions of substance. They leave dangerous hits, cheap shots and repeated intents to injure unpunished. The players are now starting to take matters into their own hands and vigilante justice is now running rampantly through the league where no player is safe.

     The NHL has most likely lost its biggest superstar, Sidney Crosby, for the rest of this season and still head shots continue to happen. Some completely unpunished, others severely, depending who you are and which team you play for.

     After his death, former tough guy Bob Probert's brain scan showed he had CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) which is caused by multiple concussions. Still, the NHL makes no changes to its body checking or fighting rules.

     Mario Lemieux ripped into the league about the leniency of suspensions for what he sees as intent to injure tactics. He warns the NHL that it needs to correct these problems or he might leave the game as an owner. Still, the NHL makes no changes.

     Boston Bruin's defenseman Zdeno Chara (6'-9",265lbs.), finished his illegal interference check of Montreal Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty into the slightly padded stanchion between the two team benches. Pacioretty's head is directed by Chara's arm right into the dangerous turnbuckle where Pacioretty is knocked unconscious and fractured his C4 vertebrae. Chara stated he did not intend to check the player into the stanchion and did not know where exactly he was on the ice. Chara claimed that Pacioretty jumped up while being pushed into the stanchion. The league's disciplinarian's assistant, Mike Murphy reviewed the video and talked to Chara by phone before deciding that he could not see anything wrong with the check other than interference and that the players head was not targeted. Chara had no prior history of suspensions, so the Bruins player was not even punished.

     Max Pacioretty spoke out that night from his hospital bed, with disbelief, that the NHL didn't see the hit on him as dangerous enough to warrant a suspension. Canadiens' GM, Pierre Gauthier, briefly stated: "The NHL made it's decision and it's not for us to express our opinion publicly,".

     The next day, a letter was released to the media from a major sponsor, Air Canada, to the NHL, threatening removal of sponsorship if no action was taken with regards to the issue of headshots and concussions. Bettman informed them that if they wanted to pull their sponsorship, then the NHL teams could use another airline carrier for travel.

     The owner of the Montreal Canadiens, Geoff Molson decided to address a letter to the team's fans on their website which clearly stating the Teams ownerships' views on what had happened to Max Pacioretty. The letter stated:

"Dear Fans,

I would like to thank you all for your comments and support as the Pacioretty family, and our entire organization, deal with this difficult situation. I share your frustration, disappointment and shock. I feel for Max, the team and you, our fans.

Max, on behalf of my family, fans and all who are associated with this great organization, rest assured that we are all behind you and hope for a full recovery.

The Montreal Canadiens is an institution that has played a leadership role in this League and in our community for over 100 years, and you can count on us to continue to do so in the future. The news of the NHL decision yesterday was a hard blow for both the players and fans of the Montreal Canadiens. It was one which shook the faith that we, as a community, have in this sport that we hold in such high regard.

The Montreal Canadiens organization does not agree with the decision taken yesterday by the National Hockey League. We can assure you that we have made our position clear to Commissioner Gary Bettman, and that he has agreed to make this issue a priority at the next General Manager’s meeting, which will be held in Florida on March 14-16. Pierre Gauthier, our General Manager, will be present at this meeting and has already expressed his wish to carry out, clearly, our message to his 29 counterparts and to the League.

Our organization believes that the players’ safety in hockey has become a major concern, and that this situation has reached a point of urgency. At risk are some of the greatest professional athletes in the world, our fan base and the health of our sport at all levels. Players’ safety in hockey must become the ultimate priority and the situation must be addressed immediately. As a proud father of three hockey players, I want to help create a healthy and safe experience for them, and I certainly never want any family to go through what the Pacioretty’s are experiencing at this moment.

We understand and appreciate hockey being a physical sport, but we do not accept any violent behavior that will put the players’ health and safety at risk. On this specific issue, I am asking for the support of the 29 other NHL owners, to address urgently this safety issue. And I am willing to play a leadership role in coordinating this group effort.

You are the best fans in the league, and I am proud to have you behind us. Both the team and Max need your support now more than ever. A solid playoff run is just around the corner and we are counting on you to carry us deep into the spring!

GO HABS GO!


Geoff Molson
Chairman of the Board of Directors and Team Owner"

      As the fans' uproar has grown over the last week, more sponsors have expressed their concerns with the NHL's failure to address the concussion issues. Some high profile players (J.Thornton, H. Sedin) have come out against the NHL's decision not to suspend Chara for the hit on Pacioretty. As always, there are others who believe that nothing is wrong with the way the game is presently being played and you just can't make hurried changes. This week in Florida, the GMs will meet to discuss many issues but the main topics are concussions and the headshot rules. We all wait to see what the NHL will do if anything, after the past few difficult weeks of publicity. This is going to be interesting to see how the NHL will respond to what has transpired this season in the league.

     I have 30+years as a player, coach and referee in hockey at all minor league levels. The Chara hit disturbed me in many ways. Hockey has been played for over 100 years and changes to the game have always come to make the game better and fairer. What most fans have seen over the last few years, is the NHL players are getting concussed more now. Crosby being out has only heightened the awareness of the problem. Probert's and Fleming's diagnoses of CTE again worsened this fear. It should not be simply dismissed. The game has become faster because the rules changed in the NHL after the lock out, to stop the interference. The rules of the game are all there to stop what is happening in the NHL but they have to be enforced. I have, since I was a kid, wondered why is it that the NHL does not seem to have the same penalties for the infractions as we do. The NHL is not the leader for safer or better hockey. Kids have always followed NHL Players' actions but do we really want our kids acting this way? The NHL has a catch 22, if there are to be changes. It must be the same from the ground up every where. Some provinces and countries have different philosophies, checking rules and teaching techniques. Players in the NHL come from around the globe now as well. The NHL has to re-teach the players how to check an opponent and that the purpose of body checking is not for intimidation but simply for regaining possession of the puck. The NHL hits today do neither. I hear too often that the player was just finishing his hit and didn't intend to injure his opponent. Well then why do it? Finishing the hit after the puck is gone seems ridiculous since the puck is no longer there to possess anyway, therefore the hit only serves to intimidate, injure or gain retribution. Chara's body check was deemed illegal on the ice by referees because the puck was no longer there. The body check was clearly serving one of the three reasons I stated before, but only Chara knows which. The reason the NHL could not give a suspension now was because it only would show their incompetences in not correcting the stanchion problems and that they failed to act on all the previous times this infraction occured. This is just another problem which was ignored again by the NHL while failing to make changes for the betterment of the game. People who really love the game of hockey must continue to demand changes, not in the rules so much as the attitudes towards how they are enforced by the officials and how the game is played.

     It is clear to me that right now the players are out of control with no line being draw as to what is acceptable and what is not. The players are deciding on their own by their actions being shown on the ice, that the NHL leadership is no longer in control of the game.

NHL and Players Association Given a Gross Misconduct Penalty on Rule 48 Head Shots!

Part 1

     The National Hockey League (NHL) and its Players' Association (NHLPA) are making decisions that are both detrimental and negligent to the game of hockey. The NHL is supposed to be the role model and leader for the lower levels of hockey while setting the example for all others to follow but the opposite has been happening for way too long. At every lower level of hockey, changes on protection of head shot rules, and disciplinary actions taken on all offenses committed have already been in place for sometime. I have to give the NHL and the P.A. a gross misconduct on head shots Rule 48 on behalf of all hockey!

The gross misconduct penalty rule as written in the rulebook of Hockey Canada. Reads like this:

GROSS MISCONDUCT

Rule 4.7 Gross Misconducts Gross misconduct penalties shall be assessed where a person conducts him or herself in a manner as to make a travesty of the game.

Here is what the NHL's rule now reads like this:

Rule 24 - (Not in use) NOTE: Gross misconduct penalties have been re- classified as game misconduct penalties (see 23.7). The term "gross misconduct penalty" is no longer in use.

     The gross misconduct rule was conveniently replaced by a game misconduct in 2007 by the NHL Board of Governors to make these penalties easier to review. You can see how the NHL and the P.A views the state of the game in their NHL. It appears that the players of the league are the saints of all hockey because they never commit an infraction that could be seen as a travesty of the game. They appear to be so gentlemanly in manners, sportsmanship, etiquette and have a general respect amongst all players, that the gross misconduct penalty is simply not required. Really?

     After the 2009-2010 NHL season, the Player's Association asked the NHL to add an infraction for blows to the head. They had seen some severe concussions during the past season to Marc Savard of the Boston Bruins and David Booth of the Florida Panthers, both on blindside checks making contact with the head of the players. The NHL and their P.A. rushed into effect Rule48 for the 2010-2011 NHL Season.

Here is how the Rule 48 reads:

Rule 48 - Illegal Check to the Head

48.1 Illegal Check to the Head – A lateral or blind side hit to an opponent where the head is targeted and/or the principal point of contact is not permitted.

48.2 Minor Penalty - There is no provision for a minor penalty for this rule.

48.3 Major Penalty - For a violation of this rule, a major penalty shall be assessed (see 48.4).

48.4 Game Misconduct – An automatic game misconduct penalty shall be assessed whenever a major penalty is assessed under this rule.

48.5 Match Penalty - The Referee, at his discretion, may assess a match penalty if, in his judgment, the player attempted to or deliberately injured his opponent with an illegal check to the head.

48.6 Fines and Suspensions – Any player who incurs a total of two (2) game misconducts under this rule, in either regular League or playoff games, shall be suspended automatically for the next game his team plays. For each subsequent game misconduct penalty the automatic suspension shall be increased by one game.

If deemed appropriate, supplementary discipline can be applied by the Commissioner at his discretion (refer to Rule 28).

     There are currently nine suspensions that have been handed out since the start of the 2010-11 season using Rule48. There are plenty more which have not been given a penalty call by the referees, who were standing right in front of the infraction, or reviewed by NHL hockey operations ( Colin Campbell and Mike Murphy) and deemed not warranting further disciplinary action. The NHL stated that the rule is reducing these hits and the players are adjusting to the new rules. According to the NHL, straight-on hits that made contact with the head are okay and are very much a part of the physical toughness of the game of hockey, because a player must skate with his head up at all times when in possession of the puck. Concussions in the NHL continue to happen on a regular basis with varying degrees of excuses, from the hard glass, head down, faster, taller, stronger players, players putting themselves in vulnerable positions and then claims that the check was accidental with no intent to injure.

     On January 1, 2011 during the NHL Winter Classic, Pittsburgh Penguins' star center Sidney Crosby was struck by David Steckel of the Washington Capitals in an apparent unintentional accidental blindside shoulder to the head. That same week, Crosby left a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning after another hit this time, into the glass. He was diagnosed with a mild concussion which would keep him out of the team's lineup for 10 to 14 days. Crosby was notably absent from the NHL All Star Weekend on Jan.28-30,2011 because he was still unable to workout due to lingering concussion symptoms. The NHL Board of Governors meeting that weekend dealt with the ongoing battle with concussions. Following that meeting, Toronto Maple Leafs President and General Manager, Brian Burke stated that the media's attention on concessions was only generated by Sidney Crosby's recent Diagnosis. Darren Dreger of TSN also reported that "Another NHL general manager says the impact of Crosby's concussion has heightened the demand by league owners to introduce a penalty for head checking, perhaps, as soon as next month's GM meetings in Florida. If that happens, one issue the league will have to wrestle with is fighting which, of course, leads to hits to the head". It appeared that the owners were only concerned about concussions after one of the NHL's biggest young superstars extended absence started to take it's toll financially on the team and the league. Crosby's problems are beginning to hurt the owners in their collective pocket books because the drop attendance in a number of venues where Crosby's Penguins would be visiting. Mark Savard of the Boston Bruins, suffered another concussion while being driven face first into the boards, then checked in another game, into the glass.

     February 3, 2011, Daniel Paille of the Bruins check Dallas Star player Raymond Sawan on a back pressure blindside elbow to the head in a fight- filled emotional and physical game. What caused the biggest sensation in the media was the comments to reporters, of his teammate Andrew Ference immediately following the game. Here are those comments: "I mean, it's a bad hit, right? That's what they're trying to get rid of and you can't be hypocritical about it when it happens to you, and say it's fine when your teammate does it," Ference said. "It's a hit they're trying to get rid of. I mean you hear it from every player after they do it, they feel bad, and same thing. I talked to Danny and he feels bad. It's tough, that back checking forward, to make those kind of hits, it's so hard to do it in a clean fashion, with the new rules. It is what it is. He hurt the guy, and I'm sure he'll have a conversation." Ference was ripped by many of the older players who were now reporting that he should have kept it in the dressing room only, not out to the media. You have to applaud Ference for not being a hypocrite about the hit when he was placed in a difficult position by the media. He has to be against these hits when seeing teammates Marc Savard and Patrice Bergeron suffering for very extended periods with concussions. Now, Savard having to announce that he must stop playing for at least this season and the very big possibility of having to retire from the NHL due to another concussion. The Penquins later announced that Crosby would not return until at least sometime in March. Crosby told reporters that he was still not ready to workout and was suffering still from concussion symptoms but felt that his condition was improving. He wants to be back this season and hopes not to be forced into shutting down his playing career until next season.

     On Twitter, Bob McKenzie tweeted "Bob Clarke has it right - purpose of hitting has changed from separating man from puck to being a missile. Puck is an afterthought now". If Bob Clarke, who led the Flyers through their Broad Street Bullies era, is the modern day spokesman for sanity in the league, how far have the NHL fallen? Lest we forget that the Broad Street Bullies were the most penalized team in NHL history. Bob sees the problem but the NHL still can't get right. The retired players of the game have been saying for years that present day players are bigger, faster, stronger, with better all-around fitness levels and greater athleticism but are overall lacking in respect for each other. The older players, like Clarke, played the game rough, physical, without helmets, but they didn't have to worry about head shots when being body checked. The retired players in their day, policed themselves. There were no need for bodyguards. When the NHL absorbed the four remaining teams of the World Hockey Association, big policemen type players protected the Superstars of the game. Wayne Gretzky had Dave Semenko, SteveYzerman had Bob Probert for protection on the ice and players feared going after them in any sort of way. The NHL decided to enact the instigator penalty, an extra two minute infraction to the player who started a fight. The rule was to reduce fighting and the number of fights per season have dropped but it has allowed certain types of players to be more dirty, bold and cowardly in their play knowing there will be no immediate retribution on the ice. Players are now waiting for other games against offending player's teams to exact the retribution thus the vigilante justice that now prevails in the NHL.

TO BE CONTINUED................