Martin Hanzal gets two games for effectively launching himself into the face of Edmonton’s best defender. The same Hanzal was allowed to stay in the game after the play and, in fact, scored a goal in the Coyotes’ win over the Oilers. After reviewing Leetch’s video describing the play and the resulting suspension I can’t help but wonder what on Earth the NHL is thinking by making injury relevant to the length of a suspension.

Leetch admits in the video that Martin Hanzal, a 6’6” 230lbs mountain of a man, not only charged Petry but jumped up into the 6’3” defender’s head and delivered a “Forearm” (he says forearm, but I see elbow) well after the puck has left his stick. This is an extremely dangerous play made by a physically imposing player on someone who had no reason to expect it was coming at all. Not only is this all the case, but Hanzal is a repeat offender by NHL standards.



Hanzal has a penchant for making boneheaded and violent miscalculations on the forecheck and yet despite this history and the facts of the case, the NHL only suspends him for 2 games. Frankly, 2 games is a ridiculous punishment for any supplemental discipline in the NHL. 2 games is not even 3% of the season. How is this a deterrent in any way, shape, or form? Is Martin Hanzal really going to miss the pocket change he loses? Somehow I doubt it very much.

And that brings us to the biggest problem with the suspension. The only thing separating Hanzal from getting 10 games as opposed to the 2 he received is the fact that Petry appears to be fine. The NHL takes injury into account when they determine their supplementary discipline. The actions are almost secondary to whether or not there was a grievously injured party. Funny thing about brain injuries is that they don’t always manifest right away. He might be fine now but there’s no guarantee he wakes up fine tomorrow. This hit may have set him up to be devastated by another he takes tomorrow.

The NHL acts as if the safety of players is of their utmost importance. They send in linesmen to stop fights if the combatants shed their helmets and every 2 months when someone really is extremely injured they make up new rules to “protect” their players, but the reality is that in their every day actions they have proven that it is all just for show. If the NHL really wanted dangerous headshots out of the game they wouldn’t be letting 230 pound repeat offenders get off lightly when they launch themselves into the faces of unsuspecting opponents with their elbows.

Mr. Leetch and the NHL got it wrong, again, and they will keep getting it wrong until they suspend the act, not the result.

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