Follow @james_tanner123 The NHL is a great league that is fun to watch, cover etc. It is the best sport and compared to the steroid smeared MLB or the just NFL in general, I think it's fair to say the NHL is most progressive of the four major sports leagues.
While the NHL has its problems, their partnership with You Can Play is well intentioned and a uniformly positive development. They have started to take concussions seriously and they are constantly changing their rules to improve the game as opposed to remaining slavishly devoted to tradition. So, they are at least somewhat progressive.
However, in recent seasons, it has seemed like the NHL is falling behind the curve in player safety. It's probably because with the advent of social media and the internet, far more people have a voice in the game then they used to, and so not only are fans vastly more interactive with the game than ever before, but those fans can talk to more than just their co-workers and closest friends about the games.
And when people tend to agree enough on a single topic and then become vocal about it, it forces you to look at things in a new way. So while head shots and stick-swinging were always a part of the game, today we notice them and, at least it seems to me, want to do something about it.
In the past, if a guy did something wrong, someone would fight him, they'd get penalties and if its really bad, a game or two suspension is handed out. That used to work fine. But for whatever reason, that's not how it works anymore.
Today, fans are adamant about wanting a safer game. We understand the dangers of fighting and dirty plays, and overwhelmingly, the people who pay for this game, who ultimately are responsible for making the league a billion dollar enterprise, for giving jobs to hundreds of media people, for making players millionaires etc, want the game to be safer.
I acknowledge that making fundamental changes to the way things are done takes time and effort and I appreciate that the NHL can't just unilaterally make changes to certain things - whether the length and severity of suspensions, or mandating new equipment - without the Players Association and probably a bunch of lawyers getting involved.
Regardless, they have to make changes because things are just getting stupid.
It looks really stupid when, in the video explaining the suspension of Duncan Keith, the NHL admits they think he intentionally hit a guy in the face with his stick, and yet they only deem that worth a six game suspension.
It seemed to me the NHL was letting him off at least a little because of the emotions involved (he was recently attacked by the player he hit in a debatably suspendable play as well) and saying that in the heat of the moment, things happen.
And I guess that makes a degree of sense, but I still think it's pretty dumb. If you can't control your emotions, seek professional help, don't play an inherently emotional game where people carry six foot sticks.
Then, you have Kris Letang last night - he slashed a guy in the face. But the NHL deemed him off balance and said it was an accident. So what? Control your stick and face the consequences if you don't. Having some guy watch the play on TV decide whether or not it was accidental is ridiculous - no one could ever know for sure.
All we do know is that hitting a guy in the face with your stick is not cool. Plus, the NHL already hands out penalties for accidental high-sticks, just not suspensions, I guess.
I don't even know what their excuse for only giving Bellamore one game was because I don't even watch their farcical videos anymore, but Orlov could have had his career ended and nothing about that play or the viciousness of the hit has to change. Just a little bad luck and it's a much worse outcome and for sure, a much harder suspension.
Orlov not being dead shouldn't be a factor in the decision to allow Bellamore to keep playing.
The fact is, harder punishment might not deter behavior as much as we hope, if the NHL is the emotional game it seems to be. Certainly Duncan Keith didn't calculate how many games he might get before he swung his stick at Coyle's head.
But despite the fact that there may be some other fundamental changes to the game that need to be made - including aspects of its culture - in order to make it safer, but certainly harsher suspensions aren't going to hurt. And they will definitely at least prevent some kinds of plays, because if you know you're going to get 40 games you'll probably work a little harder to keep your cool.
At the very least the NHL has to look like it doesn't condone slashing people in the face.
As of right now, it looks like the NHL does condone slashing people in the face, it remains to be seen if they also condone using homophobic slurs.
In a lot of ways, what Shaw said was worse than the other physical violence. The NHL, if wants to be a progressive league, if it wants to be a leader in the fight against bigotry, has to suspend Shaw harshly.
Nazem Kadri was fined earlier in the year for a throat-slashing gesture. This is easily 100 X worse.
The very fact that there isn't yet an openly gay player in the NHL, and that there aren't more people coming out in other sports, just shows how intolerant our society still is to homosexuals. Statistically, it is highly unlikely, bordering on impossible that there are no gay players in the NHL.
Why should they hide who they are? At least part of the reason is because, positive PR moves by the league aside, hockey is still a sport where - maybe not at the NHL level where you're always at least partially aware you're on TV - those kinds of slurs are still rampant.
And if the NHL sends a message that there is no tolerance - even if you didn't mean it and aren't a bad guy - no tolerance at all for those kinds of slurs.
There are like three words you absolutely can't say, and about 100 000 that you can, so there's no excuse for it. The NHL should have the same amount of tolerance for homophobia that it does for racism, as there is no discernible difference between how bad they are.
The NHL's fans made it very clear on Twitter last night that they do not find Shaw's actions acceptable . Now the NHL could make it very clear that they don't either and suspend Shaw for the rest of the Playoffs, at least.
Sure, it's not in line with any precedent, but the NHL could pretty much end the use of that word with one very harsh suspension.
Zero Tolerance on homophobia is not a lot to ask.