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CHARA GETS NOTHING. Should Suspensions Be Tied To Resulting Injury? |
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UPDATE**** NO SUSPENSION FOR CHARA**** NHL STATEMENT BELOW
National Hockey League Senior Vice President of Hockey Operations Mike Murphy today issued the following statement on Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara’s hit in NHL game #996 last night against the Montreal Canadiens:
"I conducted a hearing with Boston Bruins' defenseman Zdeno Chara with respect to the major penalty for interference and game misconduct that he was assessed at 19:44 of the second period for a hit on Max Pacioretty of the Montreal Canadiens.
“After a thorough review of the video I can find no basis to impose supplemental discipline. This hit resulted from a play that evolved and then happened very quickly -- with both players skating in the same direction and with Chara attempting to angle his opponent into the boards. I could not find any evidence to suggest that, beyond this being a correct call for interference, that Chara targeted the head of his opponent, left his feet or delivered the check in any other manner that could be deemed to be dangerous.
“This was a hockey play that resulted in an injury because of the player colliding with the stanchion and then the ice surface. In reviewing this play, I also took into consideration that Chara has not been involved in a supplemental discipline incident during his 13-year NHL career."
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It's that time again.
Time to make your opinion known and perhaps become part of my future book which will house all the definitive answers to hockey's biggest questions. Every time I put one of these up, I am amazed by the well thought out arguments you folks provide. In the book I will be including the best arguments from each side along with thoughts from some of the best hockey writers/players/owners/personalities in the business.
Today's question is one that I myself constantly struggle with...
If a player injures another player with an illegal hit, should the length of the suspension in any way be tied to the severity of the injury?
How many times have we seen a vicious hit and sit in horror as we wait for the player to get up or even move his arms or legs? This sport is a violent sport. The players are getting stronger and faster each and every day. The equipment is getting lighter and more efficient each and every year. And with this sense of freedom, comes more and more speed and force and at times a sense of reckless abandon.
Some say when guys didn't wear helmets, sticks didn't come up like they now do. They say the players hit harder now because the hitter himself doesn't feel the hit as much.
While this is probably true, the blindside hits, and hits from behind, the common sense to not drill a guy into a break or partition in the glass....all of these cases have nothing to do with equipment or training regiment. They have everything to do with decency and respect. With sportsmanship and class.
On the question at hand...
The NHL takes its lumps for inconsistency in judgement, when the reality is the word judgement itself is all you need to look at. These are judgement calls. They are inconsistent by nature and hard to debate. The NHL does their best to make these calls more objective and less subjective, but that will ALWAYS be a losing proposition.
Should the suspension be based on past sin?
Should the suspension be based on specific rules in a video explaining out exact aspects to each kind of infraction. (Did he leave his feet? Was the hit from behind? Was it shoulder to shoulder? etc)
Should the suspension be based on intent? (intent can range from extremely subjective to outright obvious malice)
and finally...
Should the suspension be based on result? (injured player = greater suspension)
While the final question may be the most objective of all it also can be viewed as having less to do with the player to be suspended and more to do with the player being injured. (was he skating with his head down? Does he have a history of concussions? Did he turn away at the wrong moment?)
No matter how you slice it, an injured player being out for longer than the player who hurt him illegally feels inherently wrong....but if a player is out for the season, should a guy be suspended for the season as well?
Some say he should, and that such a penalty would make players much more careful. Some say it would open up a whole new can of worms as we would be left determining if the injury was completely the fault of the guilty player or if the hurt player had a pre-existing injury aggravated by the hit. Some would say certain players can get leveled and be OK.
What I want to know is what you have to say about this?
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