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Times have changed. Back when I was playing and during the period of my officiating career before the real big-money era began in the NHL (for the players, not for us), fines were a much more effective deterrent than they are today.
It used to be that hockey people would have turned down the opportunity to see the Last Supper -- with the original cast -- if it meant opening their wallet. Well, there was the time that I was in Buffalo Sabres training camp on a tryout invite and was in the workout room when Scotty Bowman walked in and found superstar center Gilbert Perrault puffing on a cigarette.
"Lose the cigarette or it's a fine," Bowman said.
Gil pondered for a second.
"Ah, I'll make it back in my next contract," Perrault said, resuming his smoke break.
Even Scotty laughed.
I digress. Nowadays, players scoff at fines. I am sure the NHL's $10,000 fine will be a deterrent to serial slew footer Brad Marchand -- who will make $6.125 million per year for many seasons to come on his long-term extension from the Boston Bruins -- from doing it again.
The message it sends: The NHL's commitment to player safety is spotty and inconsistently enforced as ever. Once again, this is a ruling based on outcome -- Niklas Kronwall did not hit his head and was not injured on the drive-by slew foot -- rather than on the action, the intent and the history.
Marchand, suspended four previous times by the NHL including once for a more egregious version of the same offense, committed a dangerous and needless act with full knowledge and intent. There was nothing accidental here.
Marchand is still a coward, just as the snake who sheds his skin is still a snake. Make no mistake, slew-footing is despicable and cowardly action because the victim is helpless and unsuspecting. I don't care about how much speed he possesses or the goals he scores. He's a zero in terms of character and, as such, someone always at risk for hurting his team more than he helps it.
And that, as Forest Gump would say, is all I have to say about that.
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Paul Stewart holds the distinction of being the first U.S.-born citizen to make it to the NHL as both a player and referee. On March 15, 2003, he became the first American-born referee to officiate in 1,000 NHL games.
Today, he is the director of officiating for the ECAC.