The Thuggery Continues (but this time, it's corporate)

I've resisted writing about the Zdeno Chara - Max Pacioretty incident for a multitude of reasons.

First of all, I wrote about the thuggery between these two teams a month ago and didn't feel the need to add to this latest bandwagon's weight.

After all, given the fights, penalties and savagery of the Bruins-Canadiens game of February 9, it could not have been a surprise to anyone that the re-match between the two teams was going to be incredibly physical. Having said that, I don't think anyone could have expected the severity of the physical damage caused to one of the players. It was an ugly incident and I simply cannot imagine anyone not being shocked and repulsed upon seeing the replay of the encounter.

But the thing is this: I don't think Chara intended to injure Pacioretty. He meant to hit him, he even meant to *nail him* but there doesn't seem to be enough history between the two players to suggest that he meant to do serious physical harm.

It was, to all extents, an accident.

But having said that...

If a player accidentally clears the puck over the glass out of his own end, he gets a penalty. If he accidentally high sticks an opponent, he gets a penalty. And if he knocks a player unconscious and gives him a serious concussion and fractures his opponent's vertebrae, he also gets a penalty.

But should the penalty be made more severe because of the resulting injuries? Even if those results are unintended? In short, should the penalty fit the crime?

According to the NHL the answer is a firm and definitive "No". The league spoke to Chara and he said that he did not mean to cause harm. The NHL looked at his record and determined that he does not have a history of being unnecessarily rough and is neither an enforcer or a thug.

Regardless of the injury, the NHL stood behind its standards and regulations and, in effect, protected Chara because players know the risks involved in the game. It was an accident and, while it's unfortunate, these things happen.

And with that decision the NHL wanted the whole thing to go away.

In hindsight one could argue that the refs made a bad call that night. But one certainly cannot argue that the NHL made a horrible call by declaring the case closed as quickly as it did.

For some reason the league refused to see or, worse yet, was unable to see that it had a political and public relations nightmare on its hands. And rather that dealing with it like managers or like professionals, the league went into Tough Guy mode.

Air Canada warned the league that they might pull sponsorship unless changes are made to prevent occurrences "involving career-threatening and life-threatening head shots".

They wrote, "From a corporate social responsibility standpoint, it is becoming increasingly difficult to associate our brand with sports events which could lead to serious and irresponsible accidents; action must be taken by the NHL before we are encountered with a fatality. Unless the NHL takes immediate action with serious suspension to the players in question to curtail these life-threatening injuries, Air Canada will withdraw its sponsorship of hockey."

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman responded by saying the league takes on-ice incidents very seriously, that he and many team representatives feel that the incident was handled properly and that the NHL will find other means of transport if necessary. Basically he says, don't try to bully us.

That Saturday on Hockey Night In Canada Don Cherry explained that the solution to the problem is to change the physical configuration of the stanchions. Which, in typical Don Cherry style, completely ignores the opinion that this was one incident in a major, collective problem. He shows how to extinguish one single burning tree and is smugly satisfied with the result while the forest continues to rage in flames behind him.

Cherry then went on to attack Canadiens owner Geoff Molson for the layout of the rink in Montreal (as if it was Molson not Chara who caused the injury to Pacioretty) and then said "You should be ashamed of yourself" to both Air Canada and Via Rail (and he also implied that the only reason that the two corporations are voicing their opinions is because their head offices are in Montreal). Like Bettman, Don Cherry basically says, don't try to bully us.

It is both amusing and sad to watch both Bettman and Cherry dismiss anyone who has a differing opinion by humiliating them and ridiculing them under an accusatory cloak of "You're trying to bully us. Shame on you."

But the icing on the cake and the moment when the collective emperors were revealed to have no clothes occurred last night in Montreal when Washington Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau rolled into town with his team and told the Montreal fans who were protesting the growing violence in the sport, "If you don't like it, don't come to the games."

Yes, he actually said that. "If you don't like it, don't come to the games."

In other words, why should we in the NHL listen to your concerns? -- If you were *real fans* you would understand that this is part of the game.

He then went on to say, "I don't want to get into a controversy, but what if that was Hal Gill that hit David Krejci? I don't think there would be a protest going on here today."

First of all: if you don't want to get into a controversy, it's always a good idea to keep your mouth shut and avoid saying things such as "I don't want to get into a controversy" because if you say anything after that statement... well, then it's already too late.

Secondly, of course it's unlikely there would be a protest in Montreal if a Boston player had been injured, but hopefully there would be the same sort of outrage back in Boston. It would be the same thing if one of the Capitals was injured in the game, then of course Bourdreau would be more concerned than the Montreal coach. To state otherwise is ludicrous.

But, more important, all of this dismisses the fact that a player was severely injured and people are worried that the worst is yet to come.

Max Pacioretty was taken from the ice on a stretcher in front of an arena filled with shocked fans. It is unlikely he will ever play professional hockey again. Many other players have also suffered head traumas this season. The perception is that this is a dangerous trend that must be stopped. And as the general managers are meeting in Florida to try to figure out the correct response, the fans are left waiting for their decisions, wanting to know what changes are going to be made to make the game safer, and wondering what has happened to the sport they love.

Corporate sponsors are concerned. Politicians are concerned. Fans are concerned. What does it take for the league to also get concerned or, at the very least, convey the notion that there is a problem and they are taking all of this seriously?

Gary Bettman, Don Cherry and Bruce Boudreau have now become the three poster boys for the league's refusal to take any thoughtful action as they thumb their nose at anyone who dares to speak against them. All they seem capable of doing is repeating the drunken parrot mantra of "Integrity of the game. Integrity of the game" over and over again.

Hopefully the league can rise above these attitudes and start to make some serious decisions. Because right now Rome is burning and these Three Stooges are telling the peasants to shut up and just eat cake.