Update: Gary Bettman proved in an interview with David Haugh, he doesn't recognize that Perception is Reality. "A lot of it is perception and misperception," Bettman said. "The game is physical, the game is emotional. These games are hard-fought." Bettman was in attendance for the game and apparently can't see a repeat offender taking out the Hawks leading scorer with a cheap illegal hit proves that what people perceive about Bettman, being an empty suit who's providing inconsistent leadership, are destroying the NHL.In last night's Chicago Blackhawks - Phoenix Coyotes Hockey game, Raffi Torres of Phoenix laid a deliberately malicious hit to the head of Marian Hossa, which resulted in Hossa being taken off the ice on a stretcher and to a nearby Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
Even in real time, the hit was obviously "dirty". Torres, launched himself at Hossa (his skates left the ice), well after Hossa had passed the puck, lead with his shoulder/arm, aimed at Hossa's chin/jawline and by-passed the Blackhawks player actually with the puck. The hit was so violent the nearby NHL linesman flinched away as it was delivered.
The story not only lead in Chicago, but dominated NHL.com, ESPN, Yahoo Sports, SB Nation and produced a huge reaction on Twitter and on-line editorials.
The NHL is in big trouble. The League has declared it wants to crack down on illegal hits and wants to aid in player safety. But, there is a perceived unfairness in the way the NHL and head disciplinarian of the Department of Player Safety Brendan Shanahan has reviewed and punished hits or other gross misconduct in games. Please read this article from Globe and Mail about the Fallout the Perception of different standards of punishment certain players receive is having upon fans.
Earlier in the day, Shanahan gave Chicago Blackhawk player Adam Shaw a 3-game suspension for a hit on Phoenix goaltender Mike Smith. However, in the leagues official ruling, Brendan Shanahan makes clear that Shaw has no history of illegal hits and the hit itself was not made with intent. The Phoenix Coyotes gamed the league by holding Smith out of practice and not indicating if he would start until the 3-game suspension ruling was delivered.
Raffi Torres' hit was clearly made with intent and resulted in a serious injury to Hossa, most likely one which will keep him out of the rest of the playoffs. Raffi Torres is also a repeat offender and a year ago took out a Chicago Blackhawks player in a Playoff series.
But, even Blackhawks players indicated they have no idea if Shanahan is going to issue a properly severe suspension for this hit and of course, Torres and his coach demurred calling it a "Hockey play".
Putting aside the conspiracy theories that the NHL wants the Phoenix Coyotes to advance in the playoffs to increase their sale price, the league is currently in receivership of the Franchise, the NHL has a serious problem. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman mismanagement of the league, especially the mid-1990's off-handed disrespect towards the rabid Canadian fan base by relocating multiple Canadian Teams and Northern US teams, to Carolina, Phoenix, Dallas, and Florida (x2), were there exists no natural fan base, the recent economic stagnation have crippled the NHL's marketability.
But, more importantly no one thinks the League is going to handle the Torres hit properly*. And once the idea sets in that a League or powerful individuals in the League are capricious or actively biased that League is in serious trouble of crumbling and going the way of the ABA or the USFL.
How long should Torres be suspended? Personally, I think if the league wants to really crack down on "head-hunting" and illegal hits it needs to suspend players for as many games as missed by the injured player and with the expected minimum of double digits on the first offense and increase fines from the current Collectively bargained amount of $2,500.
But, even so what we see in the Blackhawks-Coyotes series could be a harbinger of the downfall of a League which Greed and bad management and sometimes blatant disregard for the fan base hath brought about.
Fortunately, for myself, besides band-wagoning onto the Blackhawks 2010 Stanley Cup Winning Team my hockey fandom has never taken over my senses. So, when I simply refuse to watch hockey ever again I'll not feel deprived of anything worthwhile.
*- Travis Hughes of SB Nation is reporting:
Phoenix Coyotes forward Raffi Torres has been suspended indefinitely pending an NHL hearing on Friday for his vicious hit on Chicago Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa during Tuesday night's Western Conference Quarterfinal Game 3. Torres will travel to the NHL's office in Manhattan for the in-person hearing, which was originally scheduled for Wednesday but delayed at the request of the NHL Players Association.
5 comments:
No owner would go for it, but IMHO any head hunter should be suspended pending appeal. And all appeals would take place after the Stanley Cup final. But I'm just a fan sowhy would that worm Bettman pay any notice.
Why isn't this seen as assault by the prosecutors? You start locking these idiots up for causing what amounts to malicious bodily harm and the shit will cease.
Ron
Amazingly, the GM Dan Maloney is ignoring the situation behind the cliches of it's "a hard-played game" and 'two-hundredths of a second" bullshit.
Here's his quote,
"It's like, well hold it now. This is a hard-played game. To me, it was part of a hockey play, and I'm not defending. Obviously an offense occurred, but it was not a situation where he took his stick and hit someone in the head. We're talking about probably two-hundredths of a second it went from being a regular hit to being a little late hit."
Maloney also went on to bemoan "the way he's [Raffi Torres] portrayed here in Chicago."
The league should probably have suspended Sidney Crosby for a few games for instigating three fights in one game and for his own protection. Really, in the wake of the late puncher Derek Boogaard's brain injuries, the league's premier player who is one concussion away from retirement is instigating punch-ups?
Crosby suspended? Nope, too much star power. Too much revenue at stake and that dirty secret is what is fueling a lot of this. Players feel (rightly or wrongly) that there is an unequal system fo fines and justice being doled out by Bettman and Shanahan
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