Before I get into this, for the sake of complete and utter transparency I am in no way a Montreal Canadiens fan. Truth be told, I don’t think there is a single individual on this planet that dislikes this team more than I do. That being said... I am keeping that aside while I weigh in on the controversy surrounding the vicious hit by Zdeno Chara of the Boston Bruins on Max Pacioretty of the Habs. Further, it is my hope that Max Pacioretty has a very quick and full recovery that will see him not only continue a healthy life and even a return to hockey.
Now... first things first. There is no question in my mind that the hit was worthy of a fine and suspension of some sort. It certainly isn’t like the Bertuzzi attack which was nothing more than an assault on ice. To me, 50 G and a game or two would have been appropriate, if only for the fact that the RESULT of the hit was so horrendous. Image is everything and the NHL has a serious image problem with the amount of violent collisions/attacks that have occurred as of late. Doing something...ANYTHING about the play itself would have been far better than doing absolutely nothing. I realize that is a very slippery slope to be treading on... punishing based on the severity of the injury suffered by the victim. The difference is this was an extremely unusual case and can be taken as a stand alone incident.
Even though I believe a suspension/fine was needed in this particular case... there is absolutely NO place for an investigation into possible criminal charges to be laid against Chara. NONE. If this hit happened anywhere else on the ice, Pacioretty in all likelihood would not have been hurt (there is no way to be sure he wouldn’t have twisted an ankle or popped an ACL trying to avoid contact) and the result would have been the 2 minute minor for interference.
This was in no way an “assault”, as many people have labelled it. It was a tremendously unfortunate result of an event that happens routinely in a collision sport such as hockey, where 200 plus pound players fly around the ice at high speed. (Which incidentally is the exact justification used for not suspending or fining Chara by the NHL)
I do have a few questions that I would like to have answered though...
Where was all of this “moral outrage” that is being shown now, 5 years ago when Carolina Hurricane forward Erik Cole was callously checked from behind head first into the boards in Pittsburgh by defenseman Brooks Orpik? Cole’s neck was broken in the incident, as Pacioretty’s was this time. Outside of the folk who support the ‘Canes, nary a peep was made by the general public. No one screaming for Orpik’s head; no one calling Pittsburgh’s finest to have Orpik arrested at the end of the game. No sponsors threatening to pull their money from the league. No politicians talking about it in Question Period.
Nothing!
Where was all of this “moral outrage” that is being shown now, on February 13th when Trevor Gilles of the New York Islanders wiped out Penguins forward Eric Tangradi with an elbow and several punches? Or when he blindsided Cal Clutterbuck of the Minnesota Wild just last week? The league rightfully suspended him 9 games for the first incident and another 10 games for the second...but who was calling the police to have him investigated for not just being a violent criminal but for being a REPEAT offender?
Were none of the other players who suffered these types of violent hits (that were FAR MORE intentional and premeditated) worthy of stepping up for and raising voices of “moral outrage”?
I have another query that goes right along with this line of questioning that is probably a little more controversial.
If the roles were reversed... and it was Pacioretty who had put Chara into the hospital with a broken neck and concussion... would we hear the same outcry from folks and experts in Montreal calling for, and getting a criminal investigation against one of their own? Or would they all just call it “an unfortunate part of the game” and “a real shame” and leave it to the NHL to decide?
You may call that unfair, but based on the complete and utter apathy shown in each and every incident that occurred in the past...it seems pretty clear to me what the answer would be.
Something clearly has to be done. The movers and shakers in the league need to get together to look at every aspect of the game to see how they can prevent these type of incidents from happening in the future. The safety of the players and in my estimation the very future of the sport is at risk here. There is a time and a place for the police to become involved when something happens in the game that leaves the world of collision sport and enters the realm of outright assault (See Todd Bertuzzi)
This time isn’t one of them.
(Again... my heartfelt wishes to Mr. Pacioretty for a speedy and full recovery. If you can take solace in your future sir, do so in the knowledge that men before you have suffered equally horrendous injuries and have not only come back to play again, but did so and became a Stanley Cup Champion as Erik Cole did.)
I agree with you sir, it's clearly something, due to the "view" of hockey and the Habs in Quebec, that has gotten blown up unnecessarily. And not, so sounds like an ignorant "anglo" but if it had been a French Canadian player hit look out, but you're not wrong in your assessment.
ReplyDeleteI think the thing I've found most interesting is there hasn't been the media backlash against this, especially in the States, that one might expect, because most people understand it's an unfortunate play within regular play.
The reality is hockey is the fastest sports played in such a physical manner, you get 200lb men careening at each at high speed, injuries will happen. I think that is too often forgotten.