There is a hockey-related side story to the current conflict in northern Israel and southern Lebanon.

The violence and danger in the area has forced the Israeli Hockey Federation to temporarily suspend all planned camps, including the one run by former Stanley Cup winning NHL head coach Jean Perron (who coaches the Israeli national team).

The step is necessary because Israeli hockey is based in Metulla, the northernmost city in the country, which borders directly on Lebanon. Two of Israel's three rinks -- including the training compound and Olympic sized rink used by the Israeli national team and the six-team Israeli hockey league -- are in Metulla. The third is in another northern city called Maalot.

The saddest part in the whole situation is that the Israeli Hockey Federation's goal is to help make hockey an inclusive activity for anyone who wants to participate. It is a hockey organization -- not a political one.

I have written an article on the subject for NHL.com, which should run either today or tomorrow. The article was in the works for months and was intended to coincide with the start of Perron's camp, scheduled for this week.

The intention of the article was to strictly focus on the development of the Israeli hockey program; which has some interesting NHL and international hockey connections. The current political situation forced changes the article.

However, for those of you interested in reading it, I hope it is taken in the spirit in which it was intended: a hockey story.

***

Speaking of hockey stories with a potential political bent, there is a piece currently running on NHL.com that could raise some eyebrows and potentially draw heavy criticism.

As part of the series NHL.com and the Hockey Hall of Fame is doing on Carolina Hurricanes' players and officials personal celebrations with the Cup, there is a feature on Carolina GM Jim Rutherford.

A large segment of the article (and a photograph) depicts Rutherford celebrating with longtime friend Alan Eagleson, the disgraced former NHLPA president who was convicted of racketeering, mail fraud, embezzlement from the players' pension and injury funds.

Eagleson, who resigned his spot in the Hall of Fame under duress, remains a lightning rod for controversy a decade later.

As with most things in life, Eagleson's legacy has many shades of gray. Out of sheer greed, he betrayed good people who trusted him, living large and often behaving like a bully. There is good reason why many of his former friends and clients despise him. He even alienated Bobby Orr, who doesn't have an enemy in the world or a vindictive bone in his body.

On the flip side, there are reasons why other good, honorable people (such as Bob Gainey) have stuck by Eagleson. And the NHL owes its very participation in international hockey tournaments-- and the subsequent international flavor of the game-- to work started by Eagleson. He was the first to realize the potential of events such as the 1972 Summit Series and the Canada Cup.

The sad thing is that Eagleson's mere inclusion in the article about the Cup celebration could easily rip open some old wounds.

If Rutherford wants to maintain a friendship with Eagleson, that should be his choice. If he wanted to privately celebrate the Cup victory with Eagleson, I personally don't have a problem with it.

But I think he exercised poor judgment to let it play out in a public way and be photographed for the record. Regardless of whether he personally feels Eagleson has done his time and deserves forgiveness, I think he could have shown greater sensitivity to his other friends and colleagues who strongly disagree.

Ironically, while I don't think it was the intent of anyone involved with the article, the piece runs the risk of being construed as a political statement on behalf of Alan Eagleson's reconciliation with the game.

I don't see any "statements" in the piece myself. By nature, I am not a political person. But rest assured, some people in hockey and the media will read deeper into Eagleson's inclusion in the article.


http://www.nhl.com/cup/scj06/scj08.html

Join the Discussion: » Comments » Post New Comment

» Lightning Strike Takes Down Jets

» Practice Day, Ersson, Jay Greenberg, A Personal Note

» Flyers Gameday: Game 12 vs. BOS

» Wrap: Brink Lifts Flyers over Blues, 2-1

» Game 11 Preview: Flyers vs. STL