Prust Proves a Point: Fines Are No Deterrent

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Something that has changed dramatically over the years in the NHL and other pro leagues is players' and coaches' attitudes toward fines. During my playing career and the early part of my officiating career, the threat of fines was a real deterrent to people in the game.

Most of us weren't making much money and even those who were making a pretty good living parted with their money very reluctantly. The hockey players and coaches from my era were so cheap that they wouldn't pay to see the Last Supper with the original cast.

Nowadays, these guys laugh at fines. Case in point: Vancouver Canucks forward Brandon Prust publically laughed off a $5,000 fine for spearing Boston's Brad Marchand with the following dismissal: "Best money I ever spent."

Now, we all know that Marchard in his own right is no angel. He and Prust deserve one another. It's hard to feel much emphathy for either player.

Marchand is a cheap-shotter, an embellisher and someone who grates on opponents -- and probably on some teammates, if they were to be 100 percent honest about it -- with his antics on the ice. Prust, the same sensitive soul who whined last year about referee Brad Watson (one of the most mild-mannered people in the game) hollering and swearing at him on the ice, is no stranger to dirty stickwork. He has speared other players in the past, including Ottawa goalie Craig Anderson and Tampa goalie Ben Bishop. Stickwork artists are among lowest of the low in my book.

However, Prust at least was honest about his feelings in this situation. He made clear that he wasn't the least bit remorseful, it wasn't the slightest bit accidental nor would the $5,000 deduction from his $2.5 million salary -- yes, the career fourth-liner who is an average NHL checking forward, so-so fighter at best and certainly no skills player makes $2.5 million a year -- even make him pause for a fraction of a second to do it again.

Human nature has not changed THAT much. However, in my 40-plus years in the game, the salaries much certainly have. Players and coaches in the NHL and other top pro leagues make salaries that have moved the decimal point into the millions and hundreds of thousands of dollars.

I don't begrudge these guys the money, although the willingness of teams to overpay is astounding. My point is that the system of fines --- and maximum fines -- has not evolved with the times to make it any sort of legitimate deterrent. Yes, I know the NHLPA has a part in this but I find it interesting that the NHL lets the Players' Association pretty much have its way with keeping fines minimal relative to today's salaries.

Think about this: Gary Bettman and Bill Daly take a hard line stance on a variety of issues in its collective bargaining tangles with the NHLPA, and have a track record of more or less getting their way when all is said and done. Meanwhile, the League (and the PA) says all the right things about a commitment to player safety and crackdowns on dangerous hits, embellishment and diving.

When all is said and done, though, the system of fines remain a joke. That's because it's a lot easier to keep the status quo with a lot of window dressing for public relations purposes.

If you want to do discipline and put some teeth in the league, whichever league it is, you can make the game safe by suspending coaches for putting guys out there who are reckless and play without to injure others.

When they added automatic 10-game suspensions to coaches for players leaving the benches during altercations, the bench clearing fights stopped. The same thing would happen if they fined people money that actually hurts.

I know this for a fact. Some years ago, shortly before the explosion of salaries, the NHL forbade teams from paying fight-related fines on behalf of players -- which used to be standard practice. In fact, players were deeply offended (and their teammates and even opponents alike sympathized) if the team owner did NOT pay the fine for the player. What happened was a huge cutdown on gratuitous instigation. That was actually a more effective preventive step than the instigation minor and misconduct penalty itself.

Then again, what do I know?

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The longtime referee heads Officiating by Stewart, a consulting, training and evaluation service for officials. Stewart also maintains a busy schedule as a public speaker, fund raiser and master-of-ceremonies for a host of private, corporate and public events. As a non-hockey venture, he is the owner of Lest We Forget.