Send a Message
On two previous occasions, the McSorely and Bertuzzi incidents, the NHL had an opportunity to send it's players a message about goonery in the NHL. The NHL was firm and harsh in the punishment that they handed out. Unfortunately for the NHL and the players on the receiving side of goonery, the timing and circumstances surrounding these two players and the NHL were not in the NHL's favour. The messages that the NHL were triyng to send were not acknowledged by the players.
With McSorley the NHL was dealing with a player who was on his way out and had no real future. The NHL suspended McSorely for the rest of the season and the playoffs, this suspension amounted to 23 games and McSorley never returned to the NHL.
"We must continue to be vigilant when there are acts that cross the line," commissioner Gary Bettman said. "In response to a clearly inappropriate act, the league acted firmly and decisively."
"We always try to make a statement in whatever we do because we don't want it to happen again," said executive vice president Colin Campbell, who handed out McSorley's punishment. "We're trying to right a wrong."
McSorley's shocking attack was an embarrassment to the NHL
The NHL was facing a impeding lockout when Bertuzzi jumped Moore from the behind, punched him in the head and eventually drove his head into the ice. Bertuzzi would end up being suspended for 13 regular season games, 7 playoff games and the lock-out season where he could not play in North America and/or Europe. I would have preferred to see this suspension run a dozen or so games into the 2005/06 season, but the NHL felt that the year away from the game was sufficient enough. In addition, The Vancouver Canucks were fined $250,000.
"It wasn't this time about whether it should be two games, four games, five games. We felt the player had given up his right to perform the rest of the season," said NHL Executive Vice President and Director of Hockey Operations, Colin Campbell.
The most recent act of goonery, Simon's blatant slash to Hollweg head and face. In this particular case we have another player whose career may have been completed after this season and if not it certainly would be within another season. The old saying "three strikes and your out" should apply here and I think Simon should be suspended for the equivalent of 1/2 of a season, 41 games. and the 2006/07 post season. As it stands right now, Simon has been suspended indefinitely.
Enough is enough, send a message and make sure that it is acknowledged this time.
Update: The NHL has suspended Chris Simon for 25 games, regular season and playoffs.
With McSorley the NHL was dealing with a player who was on his way out and had no real future. The NHL suspended McSorely for the rest of the season and the playoffs, this suspension amounted to 23 games and McSorley never returned to the NHL."We must continue to be vigilant when there are acts that cross the line," commissioner Gary Bettman said. "In response to a clearly inappropriate act, the league acted firmly and decisively."
"We always try to make a statement in whatever we do because we don't want it to happen again," said executive vice president Colin Campbell, who handed out McSorley's punishment. "We're trying to right a wrong."
McSorley's shocking attack was an embarrassment to the NHL
The NHL was facing a impeding lockout when Bertuzzi jumped Moore from the behind, punched him in the head and eventually drove his head into the ice. Bertuzzi would end up being suspended for 13 regular season games, 7 playoff games and the lock-out season where he could not play in North America and/or Europe. I would have preferred to see this suspension run a dozen or so games into the 2005/06 season, but the NHL felt that the year away from the game was sufficient enough. In addition, The Vancouver Canucks were fined $250,000."It wasn't this time about whether it should be two games, four games, five games. We felt the player had given up his right to perform the rest of the season," said NHL Executive Vice President and Director of Hockey Operations, Colin Campbell.
The most recent act of goonery, Simon's blatant slash to Hollweg head and face. In this particular case we have another player whose career may have been completed after this season and if not it certainly would be within another season. The old saying "three strikes and your out" should apply here and I think Simon should be suspended for the equivalent of 1/2 of a season, 41 games. and the 2006/07 post season. As it stands right now, Simon has been suspended indefinitely.Enough is enough, send a message and make sure that it is acknowledged this time.
Very disappointing, suspend the act and not the result of the act. The fact that Hollweg was not injured should have no barring on this decision.
