Crap, crap, crap

The only solution is if you take someone out, you are out until they come back.

Match penalties to protect the investments the owners and fans have made.

Posted by bobbo from Romeo, Michigan on 11/23/09 at 07:02 PM ET

Out until they come back doesn’t always work.  If that was the rule Bertuzzi wouldn’t have been playing since ‘03.  Of course, according to some, he hasn’t really been playing since ‘03 anyway…

Five games was the low I thought he would get.  Given his history I would have thought he would have gotten closer to 8-10 games, but oh well.  Maybe they took into account all the questionable hits Kronwall has thrown and used karma in their judgement.

Posted by AvsRock from My timeshare in insanity... on 11/23/09 at 07:16 PM ET

how many games did Richards get for his hit on Booth?  What about Glencross’s hit on Drury?  Something is not right with this

Posted by bsalamon on 11/23/09 at 07:23 PM ET

Anyone shocked? I’m not. The name/number and outcome come before the act in today’s NHL.

Posted by Sig from DC on 11/23/09 at 07:44 PM ET

I agree that it should match the injury, but also realize it’d be tough with the severe long term ones like Moore, and who’s to say a team keeps a 4th liner out longer if that means they dont have to play a 1st-2nd liner and future games should they be the ones who did the deed.

i wonder if its ever been suggested that a team skates with one less guy for the duration of the suspension.  then it would effect the Habs, they’re probably relieved hes gone now…

Posted by Greg on 11/23/09 at 07:53 PM ET

how many games did Richards get for his hit on Booth?

Most blatant non-suspension so far this year.

Posted by @bsalamon on 11/23/09 at 08:15 PM ET

Nice to see that the NHL thinks losing a player for 8 weeks is roughly equivalent to suspending a guy for ~35 minutes of ice time, given that Laraque plays all of 7 minutes a night.

At some point, given the NHL’s complete lack of spine when it comes to discipline, wouldn’t it just make sense to call up 3-6 completely disposable thugs to go out and intentionally injure a rival’s best players?

Oh, sure, each guy would get 10-20 games (and that’s a stretch)... but if you make sure to break kneecaps in April all Nancy Kerrigan style, voila!  One less team to worry about in the playoffs.

This is just another example of the NHL being run by idiots.  Under these morons watch, 15 year contracts and stomping on the hands of opponents actually MAKES SENSE.

Posted by HockeyinHD on 11/23/09 at 09:09 PM ET

I don’t really have an opinion one way or another on the length of this suspension, but the mystery of NHL disciplinary action remains.

Dangerous as this play was, I think the head shots need the more severe punishment. You go knee on knee with a guy, it’s just as dangerous for the guy sticking his leg out. You don’t know who is gonna come out injured. In addition, this kind of thing is typically more of a reactionary play, and not an intent issue. With the head shot, the guy delivering the check is at very little risk and he typically has plenty of time to line things up or back off.

Posted by Nate A from Detroit-ish on 11/23/09 at 09:42 PM ET

“Most blatant non-suspension so far this year.”

Actually, I believe, that was Ovechkin’s slew foot on peverley.

Posted by stoneman from vegas on 11/23/09 at 11:21 PM ET

ovetchkin’s slew foot AFTER the knee on knee to Gonchar in the playoffs last year, yet he’s not a repeat offender? That deserved a few games.

Crosby punching that thrasher in the beans last year deserved at least a 10 min game misconduct.

Colin Campbell looks at the name on the jacket before he looks at the offense, and it shows.

Posted by a fan in ohio from ohio on 11/23/09 at 11:54 PM ET

A deserved punishment that could have been a bit more severe than five games in my book. On the other hand it’s difficult to let the hammer drop hard on Laraque when a lot of players avoid punishment due to their name.

Then again, if you want fighting in the league or protect the completely ridiculous concept of self-policing among the players, this is the consequence. Slow and unskilled goons on the ice causing injury to good hockey players. (Not to mention players like Richards who hide behind them.) You reap what you sow.

In my mind there has to be a fundamental change to accomplish anything, eg. diminishing fighting, a ban on head shots, strict and transparent suspension policy not in the hands of one man, to name a few. That will limit unnecessary injuries and change the prevalent culture of disrespect gradually over time.

Posted by Moq from Denmark on 11/24/09 at 06:47 AM ET

I think it’s time the league eliminated 1 forward spot to dress for games.  Allow only 11 forwards to dress instead of 12, or 17 skaters instead of 18.

Let’s see wastes like Laraque find a place to play then.

Plus the minors would maybe then get a little boost in terms of talent and warm bodies, since apparently the current minor league system is having trouble being an effective pipeline to continue supplying talent to the clubs faster than the NHL clubs can injure them.

It’s win-win.

It’d never happen of course because there’s a PA, and if something would be good for the game overall the PA can’t have that…

Posted by Primis on 11/24/09 at 09:09 AM ET