TORONTO (Mar. 5) -- Over the years, I have been repeatedly guilty of criticizing the NHL's disciplinary process as meted out by ex-player and coach Colin Campbell. Though my sentiments have not been directed towards Campbell, himself, I can understand why he gives me the cold-shoulder whenever we meet. He has a thankless job and he'll almost never be lauded for doing it properly. My contention has always been that NHL discipline should not be the domain of one person, and that there is the potential -- and I stress, POTENTIAL -- for a conflict of interest when that person had prior association with players still in the league. Do I actually believe that any of Campbell's decisions over the years have been affected by that conflict? No, I don't. But, that doesn't eliminate the possibility. To be honest, I like Campbell and feel he's done a commendable job under the circumstances. Those circumstances, however, have been overlooked to a large degree.
Here in Toronto, the subject of NHL discipline became front-burner news at the end of last week, when New Jersey Devils' enforcer Cam Janssen took a late run at Maple Leafs' defenceman Tomas Kaberle and knocked him unconscious. Janssen was simply doing the job for which the Devils pay him, but he made a mistake by whalloping Kaberle a full two seconds after the Toronto player dished off a pass. I don't think it's fair to disparage Janssen for the limited playing time he gets in New Jersey, or for premeditating an attack on a passive opponent. Again, he simply made a mistake and he paid for it when Campbell quickly and smartly handed him a three-game suspension. Immediately, there were cries from this part of the world that three games on the sideline will not serve as a deterrent to Janssen should he be faced with a similar decision on the ice. And, that hits to the head should be punished far more stringently than they currently are in the NHL. To both charges, I say amen.
The problem is Colin Campbell is not acting of his own volition. He is operating under a set of guidelines firmly established by the NHL's Governors (the team owners) -- few of whom are enthusiastic about 10, 15 and 20-game suspensions... the sort that would truly get a player's attention. We frequently tend to forget that Campbell works for Gary Bettman and that Bettman works for the owners. Neither man makes any critical decision independent of the NHL Board, yet both are constantly in the line of fire when it comes to media and fans -- a role Campbell and Bettman understand and undertake with a sizeable degree of class. It's the owners that are able to run and hide after establishing guidelines. Just as most of them did during the lockout. If Campbell is ever to start handing out truly signifcant penalties, he must first be accorded that responsibility by his bosses. As it stands, he doesn't have such authority. Therefore, three, four and five-game suspensions are the norm, no matter the severity of an incident.
Many of us have stated the opinion over the years that an NHL player will first have to be killed on the ice before the league's decision-makers wake up. And, it's difficult to believe otherwise, when seeing the type of hits to the head that are allowed to go virtually unpunished. At least, commensurately so. If, however, there is to be a fatality, that player's blood will not be on the hands of either Gary Bettman or Colin Campbell. It will be staining the hands of the nefarious and often gutless people (not all, but most) who own NHL teams, and refuse to properly delegate authority in the area of discipline. It seems only a matter of time before tragedy strikes.
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When discussing the blame game, it is similarly ridiculous to place all of the onus for the Ryan Smyth escapade at the feet of his agent, Don Meehan. I'm not aware of all the details that prompted Oilers' GM Kevin Lowe to trade Smyth to the New York Islanders last week, so it would be unfair for me to make a thorough judgement. But, you have to believe there was a host of underlying issues that went well beyond the suspected $100,000 difference between the two parties. Let's be real. If Smyth wanted to stay in Edmonton, neither he nor Meehan would allow such a comparative pittance to stand in the way.
Which brings me to the subject of agents. Yes, many of them can be extraordinarily pursuasive when it comes to their clients, and all agents are cognizant of their own potential in a deal. Just as any of us would be. But, in the end, the responsibility for any decision must rest with the player, for it's the player that employs the agent. Just as NHL disciplinary issues rest with the owners -- not their underlings -- a player has full authority to disapprove of any advice from an agent. Therefore, logic suggests it was Ryan Smyth -- not Don Meehan -- who made the final call on the Oilers-Islanders deal.
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