goes to our good friend and NHL disciplinarian, Colin Campbell. I'll start this off with a quote by the enlightened one himself.
The actions by the Islanders' Gillies and Martin were deliberate attempts to injure by delivering blows to the head of players who were unsuspecting and unable to defend themselves," league disciplinarian colin campbell said in a statement. "The message should be clear to all players: targeting the head of an opponent by whatever means will be dealt with by suspension.
Seriously? While on one hand I respect his rulings as they apply to rule 48, I still cannot fathom how deliberate attempts to injure both outside of fights, and hits below the head are allowed to go unchecked. I know I am beating a dead horse to some extent, but really this is pucking bullshit. Full marks for actually suspending players and following the rules, but is there no just cause in the rule book beyond rule 48 about attempts to injure?
What makes this all the more important is that with impending lock outs to both the NBA and NFL, the NHL is poised to take a huge chunk of the fall/winter sports market. It's instances like this that will have the casual fan to view the sport as a joke. Someone really needs to step in, since obviously Colie won't do it, and make an example of someone. Throw a lengthy suspension at someone for attempting to injure in ANY fashion, not just a blow to the head as defined by rule 48. If the NHL truly wants this kind of behavior out of the game, it needs to send a message. Right now it's just pussy footing through the tulips about it.
Also, if you didn't see the game last night or the recap anywhere, here it is. Enjoy the 9-3 beating the Islanders put on the Penguins, both literally and figuratively.
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