Doan Not Suspended, Gretzky Not Fined
So it turns out Shane Doan won’t be suspended or fined, and Wayne Gretzky won’t be fined either. The automatic suspension isn’t so automatic. Each case will be reviewed to see if the rule applies, which, of course, means they should remove the word automatic when referring to the rule. While the reasoning is legit, NHL Vice President of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell’s comments leave something to be desired in terms of how fairly this rule will be applied:
“It’s something I crafted and fought for to get with the competition committee and the general managers,” Campbell said Wednesday. “The key to the whole rule was that it would be automatic, no appeal by the team, but I would review every instigator in the last five minutes to see if it would pass the litmus test.
“And that would be, is this guy a two-shift guy who was out to send a message? Was it a tough guy doing his thing and leaving his calling card? Obviously, when you’re talking about Doan, he played the most minutes in the game, you’re not sending him out to send a message. So I’m going to assess each and everyone when it happens.”
So the rule only applies to tough guys? Everyone else is allowed to play the last few minutes of a game except players who might be seen as “tough”?
I understand the reasoning behind the rule - the NHL wants to prevent goons from going out and starting fights in the last few minutes of a game already decided. However, games that turn into blowouts often see star players given a rest and 3rd and 4th liners given more ice-time. They’re not always out there to send a message, they’re just getting some bonus time in a game that’s done on the scoreboard. However, it seems that reputation is what means the most under this new rule and coaches are going to have to think twice about who gets to play, no matter what their intentions are.
I wrote last night that often a player wouldn’t be penalized the way Doan was last night, so it doesn’t surprise me that the suspension/fine wasn’t given. I’m sure the NHL isn’t looking to have Gretzky become the first coach fined for this infraction either.
The non-automatic automatic suspension seems to have caught some off-guard too, but it was mentioned by Mike Murphy, who assists Campbell, in September in a Miami Herald article (looking for a live link):
Murphy said every incident will be evaluated, and those that occur in the last five minutes won’t draw a suspension if the retaliation is considered warranted.
“We have a right to look at it and say, ‘That’s a deed he had to commit,’ ” Murphy said.
I just hope the actions on the ice, and not just the names on the back of the sweaters, are what will be reviewed.
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