Time For NHL To Clean House

In the aftermath of the Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara's irresponsible hit on Habs forward Max Pacioretty, it's been le topic du jour in major hockey markets on the continent - and for good reason. In addition, a police investigation has been open (as if the cops don't have enough to do) and major sponsor Air Canada has threatened to pull out if the NHL doesn't get its act together. I'm surprised insurance companies haven't reacted yet. Isssokay, eh? Commissioner Gary Bettman brushed it off saying he'll just find another carrier - which I think he can.

But all this is besides the point.



For me, leaving aside whatever legalities may be considered, the hit is not a Chara v. Pacioretty thing (history between the two notwithstanding) nor is it a Habs-Bruins thing (one of the league's most important and heated rivalry) nor is it a malicious play compared to what we've seen in the past (and Lord know how many idiots the league has toleratedover the years) but a product of a parochial old boys network (aka the NHL) filled with absurd conflicts of interest incapable of showing any leadership (and class) regarding what a growing number of people and fans consider to be a very serious health issue.

The only consistency in the NHL's policy on head shots is its incoherence. I didn't realize rubbing someone out of a play while breaking their neck is a "hockey play." We came as close as we can come (outside of Clint Malarchuk) of a player losing his life on live TV and yet this is what we get from Commissoner Gary Bettman:

"Speaking after a U.S. congressional panel discussion Thursday on encouraging American kids to get into hockey, Bettman pointed to a trend this season.



"What's interesting ... is that the rise in concussions in the preliminary data from this season seem to be coming from accident events, collisions, players falling and banging into other things, not from head hits,'' he told reporters."

Yup. This hit on David Booth and this one on Marc Savard (to name but a precious couple) support his claim. Three guys on this post alone knocked unconcious and Bettman pulls this? Worse, his cronies in Hockey Operations are "extraordinarily comfortable" with their decision to not suspend Chara?

Cynicism so great it would make Aesop and Juvenal proud. Or depressed.

I would have accepted a statistical answer arguing the frequency of such hits is low relative to the amount of hits and players in the league. However, I don't know how strong a case it would be. The league is without its preeminent asset in Sidney Crosby possibly for the remainder of the season and it still failed to address the problem in any meaningful way. The fact that concussions are clearly on the rise is enough to take action.

As for his position on Air Canada, I can understand someone not being pleased with a sponsor meddling in their affairs, however, his answer was unfortunate. The NHL should see the big picture here: Safety of its assets and enhancement of its brand.
There won't be any meaningful changes under this bunch. It's a little like having Larry Summers fix the U.S. economy or Timothy Geithner run the IRS. Wait a second. That happened.

The world is upside down like a pineapple cake.

It's not even about the hit itself but an opportunity presented itself (again) for the league to step in and use it as a example to begin the process of stamping out headshots. Maybe it's a "hockey play" but you know what? Think outside the box a little. Think about all the parents watching this and what they may be thinking. If the NHL feels it can take the risk of parents pulling their kids out of hockey than so be it.

If it does, it'll be just another example of the NHL is weak at protecting its brand; especially compared to a massive operation like the NFL.

Speaking of other sports, it's amazing how the concept of "don't hit a defenseless" player is strictly followed. In football, you can't take a free hit at the QB or punter/kicker or lay out a reciever in a compromising position. In basketball, you can't clothesline a player in mid-air. Cripes, in baseball, there's no tolerance for pitchers purposefully hitting a batter (some fell thus taking away the art of the inside pitch) for fear of hitting players in the head. Yet, in the NHL flattening often defenseless people on the ice is still acceptable?

I recognize it's not an easy predicament, but it's time for the NHL to smarten up.The league can for example, in an effort to show some level of responsibility, bring in an architect to reassess that area of the ice where obviously players can get hurt. Maybe it can designate the area a hit-free zone by merely putting lines on the ice like they do in the goalie's crease. These are just a couple of things that pop into my head.

If Bettman and his cronies can't figure this out then maybe they should do right by the sports and all step aside and resign.

***

As to Chara's character. True, he's not known to be a dirty player despite his enormous size - I believe 6'8'' 260lbs. However, this is a bit of a strawman just like blaming the victim is in some circumstances. It's irrelevant he's a nice guy. All it takes is one act to ruin a life. Don't believe me? Go and commit a crime and come back to me and see how the law sees it. Anyone who watches Law & Order knows this. It should be no different in sports; especially high profile sports.