Paul Stewart: James Neal: The Poster Child for What's Wrong With NHL Discipline System

Paul Stewart: James Neal: The Poster Child for What's Wrong With NHL Discipline System
- Paul Stewart

Amen. If Neal was a Colton Orr or Jay Rosehill level player, with his track record, he's getting at least a few games for his latest head shot.

Neal is a dirty player. He's had repeated issues and incidents.

Hey Paul, welcome to the NHL justice system. I can't believe that you're surprised here. The NHL just will not penalize a Penguin like other players.

You did not mention the incident in the Pittsburgh-Philadelphia playoff series two years ago where Neal went full head hunting on a Flyer, then while play continued during his delayed penalty, Neal skated the length of the ice to deliver another suspension-worthy blow to Giroux's head. The result: a one game suspension and a serious warning. With his record, the first act should have been a minimum of three games, and the second at least another three.

This is what allows them to play without fear of any suspensions, and to be the most arrogant franchise in the NHL (Torts' words, 100% true). This arrogance was also made apparent in another Flyer-Penguin game, when a Flyer goal was being reviewed by the Toronto War Room, and the Pittsburgh personnel deliberately did not send views of the play that clearly showed the puck enter the net. When confronted, Pittsburgh team officials allegedly fired the one employee deemed responsible. The integrity of the system and of the NHL did not matter a bit to them.

It's a disgrace.

Can't disagree Paul, very good read.

I agree Paul. I realized it when the Pens and Flyers played in the playoffs a few years back. He was suspended during that series. He also had three or four incidents in which he could have been called for embellishment in that series as well.

He is really talented but seems to be either lazy or really easy to anger to the point of lashing out in a negative way. I think it is somewhere in the middle. Diving to me is lazy and bush league. Just work through it! Hard work leads to a better pay off than shortcuts anyway. Too many players do it these days. I wish the league was tougher on guys like this.

You hit the nail on the head here. I've been saying it for years, as long as the NHL suspends players based on the result (injury) of a play and not the dangerous play itself players will continue to make dangerous plays and hope nobody gets too hurt.

And that's the guys who aren't trying to hurt other players. The dirty guys have a license to take cheap shots since it's not like they'll have to face the music and fight anymore. Whatever you think about fighting when the NHL decides to slowly take it out of the game they are taking over the responsibility for policing bad behavior (instead of the players policing it themselves). They have done a terrible job of it so far.

I believe Stewie should take over for Shanny and the player safety dept...the NHL would be better for it, and so would the players.

And as far as Avery goes he was told to cut the crap out when he first game into the league as a Red Wing but he didn't change. Scotty Bowman even made him dress in the showers once. Eventually they gave up and shipped him out.

Finally someone tells it like it is

Different rules for different players

Shanahan, Campbell et al are jokes of the league

Paul Stewart: James Neal: The Poster Child for What's Wrong With NHL Discipline System
- Paul Stewart

Thank you Sir, I couldn't have said it any better. Between the lovefest with the announce team anytime the Pens are on national TV and the way Neal is treated, its really hard not to think that the league favors some teams and players over others.

I guarantee you that if Steve Downie of the Flyers had thrown that exact same crosscheck, he would have got at least a 2 game suspension.

I also have a real problem with basing a suspension on how badly the other player is hurt. To me, the intent of the action is clearly much more important than the result. If you pull out a gun in a public place and fire 10 times, even if you don't hit anyone, its still a felony and you are looking at serious jail time. I certainly have no problem with a more severe suspension if the opposing player is injured (after all, no one gets life in prison for attempted murder), but if you clearly intend to injure an opponent, as Neal was certainly trying to do, you have to be suspended.

I really think that the NHL's system of punishment is seriously flawed. I would much rather see a former ref such as yourself or Kerry Fraser in charge of handing out discipline, than a former player or coach.

On a side topic, I love your blogs. Keep up the great work!!

The league will hang decent sized suspensions on the easy targets, or if a play gets attention from non-hockey media.

Shanny won't be hard on star players, because as a whole, owners he works for don't want their stars suspended.

Do you really think Bettman and co, who pulled off the biggest fix since Patrick Ewing, will in any way punish the same team he resurrected from the dead?

Wow! I enjoyed reading this and I wish officials that are currently employed by the NHL had the stones to say this. Officiating and discipline in the NHL is über inconsistent at best. I had known about Neal's suspensions and fines but had no idea about all the diving. Maybe these reasons are why he was left off the Olympic team?

BRAVO Stewie!!! I've been saying the same thing for three years now about Neal. That it's been said by an unbiased, competent, and respected formal official, merely validates the opinion! To make it worse, someone will finally run him into injury, and the league will endure another black eye as a sport! I love rough hockey, but play by the game by the well understood code! I say Stewie should have. Shanahans' position!!

Sometimes the name on the front of the jersey has something to do with the punishment or lack of more so than the name on the back.

Sometimes the name on the front of the jersey has something to do with the punishment or lack of more so than the name on the back.
- Daveflyers36

I know... The league was soooo easy on Matt Cooke.

Neal is a dirty hockey player who deserves to get the book thrown at him, but let's not pretend that this something it's not. Stars get treated differently than non-stars.

Really great article Paul, thanks for the read. A few things that really stuck out to me in the article.

First, the NHL discipline system's biggest problem has been it's inability to give out consistent and fair penalties to players throughout the league. I find it amazing that a player like Neal, who I feel got off light with the kneeing suspension, got the same amount of games as a repeat offender as Cody McLeod for his hit on Nik Kronwall earlier this season, despite the fact that at the time McLeod was not a repeat offender and Kronwall acknowledged he made the play more dangerous by turning away from the hit. I believe that McLeod should have been disciplined, but I feel like there is a difference between trying to make a hockey play, and head hunting like Neal has done multiple times. It is a joke that he only got fined for his blatant cross check to the head.

Second, you mention speaking to captains like Ray Borque to fix the problems on their bench, and I want to ask, do you feel there is a large difference in mentality between the players of today and yesteryear? I think there are still great captains out there, for the most part, but do you see Crosby being in the same league as Borque?

Agree. As a Penguins fan I am tired of players taking senseless, selfish penalties.
Neal and Malkin are at the forefront of this. The rest of the league knows it, and they take advantage of the lack of self discipline Neal and Malkin exhibit.
If Crosby and the coaching staff cant address this (or wont) then Mario or the NHL needs too.

That said, Neal often gets called for phantom penalties. He was called for a penalty after being tripped recently. I imagine the official wanted to call him for a dive, realized it was not a dive, and changed his call to a trip. The player that tripped Neal was given 2 minutes, and Neal was also given 2 minutes for tripping. Strange indeed.

The end result though is that Neal has earned a reputation for himself--both as a cheap shot artist and a diver--among officials. So He is going to get those calls even if he actually does not deserve one.

So when will the Penguins take the Matt Cooke approach and draw the line in the sand for James Neal ? How many games and playoff series do Neal and Malkin have to cost the Penguins before they take action? Or maybe even worse, will someone please take action before Neal injures someone seriously?

Agree. As a Penguins fan I am tired of players taking senseless, selfish penalties.
Neal and Malkin are at the forefront of this. The rest of the league knows it, and they take advantage of the lack of self discipline Neal and Malkin exhibit.
If Crosby and the coaching staff cant address this (or wont) then Mario or the NHL needs too.

That said, Neal often gets called for phantom penalties. He was called for a penalty after being tripped recently. I imagine the official wanted to call him for a dive, realized it was not a dive, and changed his call to a trip. The player that tripped Neal was given 2 minutes, and Neal was also given 2 minutes for tripping. Strange indeed.

The end result though is that Neal has earned a reputation for himself--both as a cheap shot artist and a diver--among officials. So He is going to get those calls even if he actually does not deserve one.

So when will the Penguins take the Matt Cooke approach and draw the line in the sand for James Neal ? How many games and playoff series do Neal and Malkin have to cost the Penguins before they take action? Or maybe even worse, will someone please take action before Neal injures someone seriously?
- Amanion

Not sure you can throw Malkin in the same conversation as Neil. Yes Malkin does take dumb penalties when frustrated but he doesn't delivery dirty hits and purposely try to hurt opposing players. Neil takes head shots and hits at knees and below with no regard to the safety of the other player.

Great read by Stewie, as usual. Love the comments, too.

Let me put this out there: I do not like James Neal. I never really have but chalked it up to rivalry syndrome. (Flyers fan) Running and gunning versus the Flyers in the playoffs? Ok, I kind of get it. It's the playoffs and everyone is pissy. But that lovely knee to the head on Marchand earlier this year flipped my switch. Couple the fact that he knees a player in the head with his RIDICULOUS response-- "Uhh, I uhh didn't see him and uhh didn't MEAN to hit him." Right, James Neal... NO ONE saw you look down at the guy and skate into his head. He's gotten off light on just about every questionable play involving him. That guy makes my blood boil because he's a self-serving jerk on the ice.

On a sort of related note, I had a chance to see the Penguins in Nashville a few weeks back and I was genuinely shocked to see how often Neal has his head down when he skated with the puck.

I can't even talk about the NHL disciplinary system because there's no sentence that can explain what a freaking joke it is. Neal getting $5k fine for cross check to face. Whoever it was that butt-ended Malkin gets $5k fine. Ray Emery vs Braden Holtby, nothing. None of those things make sense.

Not sure you can throw Malkin in the same conversation as Neil. Yes Malkin does take dumb penalties when frustrated but he doesn't delivery dirty hits and purposely try to hurt opposing players. Neil takes head shots and hits at knees and below with no regard to the safety of the other player.
- Daveflyers36

Agreed. Malkin can be a dumb hothead sometimes but he is no James Neal. Also, Malkin is WAY better than Neal in every hockey-related aspect.

Agreed. Malkin can be a dumb hothead sometimes but he is no James Neal. Also, Malkin is WAY better than Neal in every hockey-related aspect.
- rklpro

I hate the Pens but if I could have one player from that team, It would be Malkin.

I hate the Pens but if I could have one player from that team, It would be Malkin.
- Daveflyers36

What?? Not Marc Andre-Fleury???? I kid, I kid.

I agree there, too. Although--regardless of what you think of him-- it'd be awful hard to say no to Sidney Crosby. The things he does on the ice are just ridiculous.

What?? Not Marc Andre-Fleury???? I kid, I kid.

I agree there, too. Although--regardless of what you think of him-- it'd be awful hard to say no to Sidney Crosby. The things he does on the ice are just ridiculous.
- rklpro

I am not denying his all-world talent but Crosby is not a player that Flyers fans could embrace. Malkin has an edgy gritty attitude and is loaded with talent that Philly would embrace.