Written by Brian van Vliet - April 1, 2008
Just when you think that the NHL is getting on track with their disciplinary standards, the roof caves in. A while back, Chris Simon the notorious cheap shot artist of the NY Islanders (now with Minnesota) stomped on Penguins player Jarkko Ruutu. Simon had been suspended for 25 games in March 2007 for sticking Rangers forward Ryan Hollweg in the face. That was suspension number 6 for Simon. So rightfully so, discipline boss Colin Campbell gave Simon 30 games for his infraction on Ruutu and the Islanders had Simon undergo some “mental therapy”.
Now let’s jump forward to March 12, 2008. Anaheim’s All Star defenceman Chris Pronger stomps on the calf of Vancouver Canucks Ryan Kessler. After a bunch of bantering back and forth about video evidence, the league decides to hand down a suspension to Pronger. Pronger had been suspended 7 times by the NHL before this incident. So putting it all together, you would expect Colin Campbell to hand out a 30 game suspension just as he did to Simon. After all, Pronger is an 8 time offender and one would think he would also need to undergo some psychiatric therapy. So what does Campbell give him?
You guessed it - a whopping 8 games!!! A 22 game discrepancy simply because Pronger is an “All Star.”
This is the exact reason the NHL will continue to be viewed as a joke by most people south of the border. In the NFL or NBA, it doesn’t matter if your name is Vick or Smith. You do the crime, you do the time. There’s no catering to the All Stars like we do here.
This same bleeding heart attitude is filtering right down through the ranks of hockey. Just look at the most recent incident with former NHL Hall of Fame goaltender Patrick Roy and his son Jonathan. You would have to live in a dome on Mars not to have heard that in a recent game, the senior Roy (coach of the Quebec Remparts) sent his son after Chicoutimi goalie Bobby Nadeau while trailing in a game 7-1. Brawls had already started when Roy skated from one end of the ice to the other and attacked Nadeau. Nadeau did not even put up a fight yet Roy continued to pummel the defenceless kid. To show his complete lack of class, the junior Roy then proceeded to give the one finger salute to the crowd. Video evidence clearly indicated that father Patrick had signaled his son to go attack Nadeau. I’ll save my personal feelings on Nadeau turtling for another date.
QMJHL commissioner Gilles Courteau called the events that took place “deplorable and unacceptable”. He then went on to hand Jonathan a 7 game suspension and father Patrick 5 games. What???
Anyone not named Roy would have been given 30-40 games each. This armchair sportsfan is sick and tired of preferential treatment being given to guys for what they accomplished in the past. Patrick Roy’s antics as a coach have been an embarrassment for the sport of hockey.
The lack of penalty imposed by the QMJHL sparked Quebec Premier Jean Charest to say that his government may legislate a ban on fighting in junior hockey. The last thing the sport needs is another knee jerk reaction from a politician who is making statements for political purposes and not for the benefit of the game. Charest should spend a little more time getting that mess of a province he runs in order and a little less time in the hockey rinks.
On the same token, if the hockey world wants to govern their own sport without the interference of police and government, they must do a much better job of control. That starts with consistent, swift justice without favoritism to the “anointed” few. Are you listening Colin Campbell?
Agree or disagree, I’m off the goalpost.
