I’ve had a little time to digest the statement that Mario Lemieux made regarding the NHL’s response to the melee in Friday’s Penguins / Islanders game. He has undergone quite a bit of criticism about this statement, including a flip tweet from me on Saturday. I am looking at it differently now.
Just a bit differently, but differently… I won’t go as far as many writers, calling a Hockey Hall of Famer like Lemieux a hypocrite. I found his candor incredibly refreshing in this age of sanitized, canned responses... but I do have a question for the owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins;
If you have such a problem with the NHL not sending a “clear and strong message that those kind of actions are unacceptable and embarrassing to the sport” then why don’t
you send one?
As the owner of an NHL franchise you can refuse to employ players that utilize the types of dirty tactics you decry. When one of your players goes knee to knee on a superstar or drives another player into the boards from behind or ends another players season (and possibly career) with a dirty hit, don’t wait for the league to suspend him of fine him… You do it.
Mr. Lemieux goes on to say that “We, as a league, must do a better job of protecting the integrity of the game.” I could not agree more with this statement on its’ face, however, the implied “what can I do” attitude undermines the message. Mario Lemieux is not powerless,
he owns the freakin’ team! He can cultivate the culture he calls for in his own organization, but he does not appear to have done that. Simply check who is on the suspension list right now.
Honestly, this is where I get fed up with holier than thou attitudes, and they have been out in force on this situation. Put on your Black and Gold glasses and the idea is that anyone in Pen colors can do no wrong, the Islander filter has that is was an appropriate response to previous wrong doings.
Spin this however you want but neither side has the moral high ground. All I can say is ... A pox on both your houses.
Mario Lemieux has done some incredible things for the sport of hockey, on the ice and off. He has saved the Pittsburgh franchise multiple times both as a player and as an owner, he is to be commended for that. If he truly believes what he has written in his statement, and I have no reason to doubt that he does, then it’s time for him to step up once again and save the sport of hockey.
He can start in his own backyard.
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Random Notes
- Mike Fisher will get his first practice as a Predator today. Unfortunately, it’s at Bridgestone Arena and closed to the public.
- Matt Halischuk was reassigned to Milwaukee, amping up speculation that Marcel Goc is close to returning.
- Preds are back in action tomorrow night at the Bridge. 7pm start against the Sharks. Big Western Conference swing game.
- Some changes in the Western Conference after last night’s play… The Predators stand second in the division and due to Anaheim’s win were moved down to 5th in the conference, tied with Phoenix but winning the tie-breaker, leading San Jose by one point. Minnesota is in 8th two points back. Los Angels’ win in Philly moved them up to 9th, tied with Minny but losing the tie-breaker, Calgary drops to 10th a point out of the playoff mix. Chicago is 11th 3 points out, Columbus is now four points out, St. Louis eight and Colorado nine points behind the playoff pack
- Impact games tonight for Pred Nation… Two match ups that could be labeled “tipping point” games. Vancouver visits St. Louis, a regulation loss for the Blues could seal their “seller” status at the deadline, and Calgary visits Colorado, a loss for the Av’s could do the same.
- The countdown is on… six days to go before the Flames and Habs take it outside in the Heritage Classic
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COMING UP ON THE NEXT SLAPSHOT RADIO…
We’re chatting with Vancouver radio play-by-play man, Rick Ball to preview Thursday’s Preds/Canucks showdown and also talking to Senators blogger Travis Yost about the situation in Ottawa that led to the Mike Fisher trade. We’ll also have our second “Captain’s Corner” as Pete Weber will sit down with a member of the Predators on-ice leadership team.
All that and more on this week’s SlapShot Radio, live from the Flying Saucer behind Union Station. We get things started at 6pm, then, Greg Pogue takes over at 7 for the WNSR Player’s Show. It’s a two hour block of nothing but hockey talk… the only place you will find that in Nashville is on SportsRadio 560 WNSR.
We didn’t have a show last week due to scheduling and broadcast conflicts, but you can get a SlapShot Radio fix at
the SlapShot Radio podcast page.
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