Having grown up in the 1970s as a fan of the Philadelphia Flyers, I have seen my share of bench-clearing brawls over the years. I totally understand why the NHL eventually put in a rule that any player who leaves the bench to join an altercation -- for whatever reason -- will get hit with an automatic 10-game suspension.
The adoption of the 10-game rule pretty much put an end to the types of out-of-control brawls that were common in the '70s into the '80s. That's a good thing for the game. However, I have wondered from time to time whether it would be better to review such incidents on a case-by-case basis.
The 10-game suspension handed down to Toronto's David Clarkson for leaving the bench to defend teammate Phil Kessel from 6-foot-8 Buffalo enforcer John Scott is one such case.
Scott, reportedly at the behest of Sabres coach Ron Rolston, egregiously violated the hockey "code" by going after normally non-combative skill player Kessel in revenge for Toronto's Jamie Devane bloodying Buffalo’s Corey Tropp in a previous fight. A line brawl quickly ensued and Clarkson left the bench to join the fray.
Out of the whole situation, I thought the worst actions were exhibited by Scott and Kessel. Scott may have just been "doing his job" but went after a player he had no business targeting, regardless of whom Randy Carlyle put on the ice. Kessel, meanwhile, started swinging his stick and slashing at Scott as he skated away from the fight challenge and then, later, attempted to spear the Sabre. Comparatively to the other two, at least, Clarkson was the least responsible for why the situation got so out of hand.
Yet when all is said and done from this, it will be Clarkson who sits out far longer than Kessel despite the latter's more dangerous and reckless actions. Rules are rules, but the disciplined meted out to Clarkson and Kessel is guaranteed to be widely unequal.
Another question, I know the rule is the rule in terms of Regular Season/Playoff games, but it doesn't make sense. Shouldn't his suspension begin immediately, as it would if the leaving-the-bench offense had occurred in a regular season game?
Listen to the HockeyBuzzcast with me and Mike Augello at 3pm:
Join the Discussion:
»