With the majority of teams not yet hitting the 30 game mark, the 2011-2012 NHL season has already seen 21 different players suspended for a total of 72 man-games. Below is summary of the suspensions that have been dolled out by Brendan Shanahan so far.
Note: Excluded from the information below is the non-suspension on Ryan Malone for his hit on Chris Campoli and the hit by Milan Lucic on Ryan Miller.
So what does it take for Shanahan to strike with the indefinite suspension? Easy. Repeat offender, a five game suspension that isn't even one month old for an illegal check to the head, and a charging infraction that so blatantly shows a jump into an opposing player to level a check.
Sutton has officially been Shanabombed out of the water for his hit on Ponikarovksy.
With the marvels of technology, freeze frames, slow motion and just about every angle under the sun, it seems far too simple for Shanahan to be able to dissect the anatomy of a hit and come to a conclusion on it. I mean even an amateur like me can make a clean hit look "bad".
Remember Subban on Marchand last year when he absolutely rung his bell?
Look at the easy freeze frame clip...
Talk about Subban's feet being significantly above the ice...not to mention Marchand flying through the air due to the collision.
But as easy as it is for me to freeze a frame to make a picture look like something it is not (an illegal hit), it isn't that easy for Shanahan to look at all the angles of a hit at varying speeds and come up with a fair assessment on play in a hockey game. The new disciplinarian has been striving to freeze frames and provide, in his mind, logical and unbiased explanations and reasoning for suspension verdicts all season long. Except this guy has a very difficult job to do, because no matter what, somebody won't be pleased.
This is how he explained the 3 game suspension on Mark Fistric for his hit on Nino Niederreiter...
For obvious reasons, the Dallas fans are up in arms at the ruling handed down by Shanahan the way most Canadiens fans were livid when Pacioretty was assessed three games for his hit on Letang. Then there is the New York Islander perspective - most probably content with the three game suspension but not amused that their first round pick, Nino Niederreiter, is out with a concussion.
And then of course, there are the fans and media of every other team in the league who don't really care too much because the decision does not directly affect them, their team or what they may talk about at the water cooler.
So let me try and take the "I'm not affected stance" and comment on this hit and the suspension.
The Hit
Fistric's feet did leave the ice prior to making contact with Niederreiter
He propelled his body forward from a stationary position to hit Niederreiter rather than skating into him directly to make contact
Fistric stopped skating, crouched down into a defensive position and lined up Niederreiter along the boards. But instead of letting Niederreiter come to him as he skated towards him with the puck, he lunged at him, thus lifting his feet off the ice and making the hit illegal
The closest referee to the play, Brad Meier, who was just inside the Dallas blue line when the hit took place at center ice, completely blew the call. That was a clear mistake on his part
It appears that Niederreiter's concussion did not result from the initial hit as his head was not the first point of contact, but rather the concussion appears to result from his head snapping back and hitting the ice due to the Fistric's brute force
Had Fistric not left his feet before he made contact, the way Phaneuf did not leave his feet before line-driving Sauer into next Tuesday, he would not have been suspended. I acknowledge that Phaneuf's skates did leave the ice on that hit, but that was as a result of the force of the collision and not because his skates left the ice prior to contact. Take a look...
The Suspension
Just over one third into the 2011-2012 NHL season, Shanahan has dolled out his 19th suspension
This was the second suspension handed out for a charging infraction
The first charging infraction was on Jordin Tootoo who got two games for steamrolling Ryan Miller in his crease
Fistric, like Tootoo, has a supplemental discipline history as he was fined once before during his career for an action during an altercation
The reason Fistric got 3 games was due to the fact that Niederreiter was injured on the play, with a concussion no less. That is the difference between 2 and 3 games
Fistric's 3 game suspension is still under the average number of regular season games suspended for the 19 players who have faced supplemental discipline. That number is 3.15 games
Given the circumstances of the skates leaving the ice prior to contact, the resulting concussion on the play and a minor supplemental discipline history, Shanahan made the right call in my "unaffected" world
And is it just me, or is Shanahan looking more and more exhausted in these videos as of late?
Shanahan has suspended Jordin Tootoo for two games for the steamroll over Ryan Miller that took place on Saturday, December 3, 2011.
I believe that Shanahan was in a position where he could have given him zero games on the grounds that the five minute major and game misconduct was sufficient punishment, or he could have assessed the maximum five game suspension with the over-the-phone hearing.
In my mind, if Miller had not already been plastered by Lucic who got off scot-free, Tootoo would not have been suspended.
Factors that probably influenced Shanahan:
Reaction from the non-suspension ruling on Lucic
Lindy Ruff's comments on Miller part 1 and Miller part 2
The GM's vote that took place following the Lucic ruling where a majority felt that Lucic should have been suspended
The perceived notion that it is "open season" on goaltenders in the league
The recent spike in goaltender interference calls made on the ice in games that have occurred during the last week (Carey Price in Los Angeles twice, Marc-Andre Fleury against Boston, Luongo against Calgary)
Tootoo a repeat offender previously fined and suspended in the league
The fact that it was Ryan Miller and not any other goaltender
Seems to me this ruling could go one of two ways going forward...
Ruling enough for players to realize that the onus will more often than not fall on them if contact is made with a goalie in his crease. Result: A more concerted effort will be made to avoid interfering with the goaltender league wide.
The two game suspension could be perceived as being minor for a repeat offender. The average number of games handed out to a player suspended has been 3.25 prior to this suspension, two appears minimalistic in that regard. Result: Goalies will continue to be run over and Shanahan finds himself on a slippery slope of assessing what goalie interference merits supplemental discipline and what does not.
Let's hope it is the former in the spirit of protecting the quarterbacks of the NHL.
Well, that was quick and efficient. Took about an hour for the NHL board of governors to drastically change the landscape in the NHL since the 1993-1994 season. During that season, the NHL transitioned from the Norris, Smythe, Adam, and Patrick divisions within the Clarence Campbell and Prince of Wales conferences to the Atlantic, Northeast, Central and Pacific divisions within the Eastern and Western conferences. Wasn't that big of change compared to the one we will see in the 2012-2013 NHL season.
The new setup looks like this...
From a regular season perspective there are some nice changes that will come to fruition as a result of a four conference league...
Every arena in the NHL will see every team in the NHL every year - that's great for the fans
Important rivalries have been maintained with those rivals playing each other 5 or 6 times per year
The good Sheppard of the NHL in the Detroit Red Wings finally get their wish - being slotted in with teams in the same time zone
TV ratings should improve for teams like Detroit, Nashville, Columbus, Dallas and Minnesota as the late games will be minimized and more evenly distributed amongst the league
The geographical improvements are obvious - minus the odd ball Florida teams shelved with the Northeast, but that in itself has its own benefits for the Sunshine State and the snowbirds
The setup is flexible with two conferences of 8 teams and two conferences of 7 teams for potential relocation of a Phoenix team or general NHL expansion. Good initiative to be forward looking in making such a drastic change to the complexion of the NHL.
Of course there are also the negatives, which in my mind are very digestible given the the pros above...
More travel for all teams overall with the home-and-home set-up which means more costs to the organizations and more wear and tear on the players
The playoff picture is still hazily uncomfortable for most. Some are clamouring to just have the top 8 teams in each of two geographically aligned conferences making the playoffs - similar to the current structure with 8 teams from the East and 8 teams from the West. Others would like to know what the structure will be once teams reach the 3rd round of the post-season
Overall, the realignment decision is the right one to make with the "good of the people" mentality. The playoff picture will iron itself out as well. Ultimately, change is an uncomfortable thing especially when you believe that if it is not broken don't fix it. But change is a fact of life and it is all a matter of getting used to. A few years from now this won't all seem like a big deal, will just be the norm.
And would anyone really be barking with discontent if the Montreal Canadiens found themselves in a Stanley Cup Final against the Pittsburgh Penguins anyway?
