News broke on Saturday that the Chicago Blackhawks' agitator, Daniel Carcillo, would be suspended for two games after delivering a hit from behind to Joni Pitkanen of the Carolina Hurricanes. The announcement came, of course, after Carcillo had a hearing with Brenden Shanahan and the rest of the NHL Department of Player Safety. This marked another suspension handed out under Shanahan's regime as the NHL's Senior VP of Player Safety, and the mark he's made on the league since replacing Colin Campbell has been a very positive one.
Shanahan established a precedent for illegal hits in the preseason by eliminating most gray areas in hit-to-the-head and boarding penalties as well as being swift and unafraid to levy suspensions on those committing infractions to the new rules. What was also interesting about Shanny's new style of heading up discipline was the videos posted online via NHL.com, YouTube, and Shanahan's Twitter that would display illegal hits meriting disciplinary action of any kind and narrorating WHY said play deserved a suspension/fine. This technique, that I wouldn't say is a stretch to refer to as "revolutionary", has proven time and time again to not only be effective in setting a precedent for illegal plays, but also calming disgruntled fans, further educating all around the game on what will now be prohibited in today's NHL.For example, when Pittsburgh's All-Star defenseman Kris Letang was suspended for a hit on Winnipeg's Alex Burmistrov, I was fuming. I, along with many among the Pittsburgh media, felt that Letang's hit did merit a 2-minute boarding penalty, but fit in Shanahan's loophole of "the opposing player turning his back immediately prior to or simultaneous to the hit". However, after seeing Shanahan's explanation video, which explained in great detail all of the factors that went into his decision to give the defender a 2-game suspension, all of my frustrations were calmed. Shanahan gave me every reason to be at peace with his choice for suspension.
Adding even more to the positive precedents being made that I keep referring to, the Department of Player Safety has posted numerous explanation videos of good, clean hits that are still acceptable in today's game. With these videos, players not only have examples of illegal activity, but huge hits within the rules that everyone can still get on their feet for. Some people are complaining that Shanahan and the rest of the Department of Player Safety's recent reign in 2011 is "eliminating hitting from the game", "It's sissy-fying hockey", and "Shanahan is just Gary Bettman and Colin Campbell's new 'Yes Man'", but this is far from the case, as displayed by Shanny's acceptable hit videos and in every single game you watch.
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| Shanny back in his playing days. Good times, good times. |
Brended Shanahan may have came in like a bat out of hell with changes to rules. He may have been quicker to strike down offenders with suspensions and fines than any other disciplinarian in league history. But he's making the game safer for the players who are already willing to sacrifice their bodies night in and night out for their team's success. Safer for the players we love to watch, cheer for, and even hate. Brenden Shanahan is off to a great start in his role as the NHL's disciplinarian, the Senior VP of Player Safety.
In Other News
- NYR's Sean Avery is reportedly going to go on re-entry waivers tomorrow, Monday, October 31. This means he will either A: Be back on the Rangers' roster, or B: Get claimed by another team for half-price. Any takers?
- CBJ is slowly turning their game around, as they defeated ANA 3-1 tonight for their 2nd win on the year. They may be earning garbage goals, but the bottom line is they've been earning those goals. They've looked much less lethargic and interested in putting effort into winning hockey games since James Wisniewski came back into the line-up.
- Jaromir Jagr of PHI reached another milestone in his illustrious career, scoring his 650th career goal yesterday night.
