Last night the NHL handed out
suspensions to three players and a $100K dollar fine to the New York Islanders
for Friday’s debacle. Today, Mario
Lemieux and the Pittsburgh Penguins released a statement in response to the
actions the league took.
Lemieux did not mince words in
the statement:
"Hockey is a tough, physical game, and it always should be. But what happened Friday night on Long Island wasn't hockey. It was a travesty. It was painful to watch the game I love turn into a sideshow like that.
"The NHL had a chance to send a clear and strong message that those kinds of actions are unacceptable and embarrassing to the sport. It failed.
"We, as a league, must do a better job of protecting the integrity of the game and the safety of our players. We must make it clear that those kinds of actions will not be tolerated and will be met with meaningful disciplinary action."If the events relating to Friday night reflect the state of the league, I need to re-think whether I want to be a part of it."
While I agree with Lemieux that the league did not go
far enough, especially in the case of Trevor Gillies there is clearly a level
of hypocrisy here from Mario. He employs
Matt Cooke, who is one of the dirtiest players in the game, and you never see
Mario say anything about Cooke and his antics.
Now it is uncommon for a coach, general manager or owner to speak out
against their own player, but if you are going to keep your mouth closed on
those guys, then you should do the same when people cross the line against your
guys.
You either play referee and try to call a spade a
spade in all circumstances or just keep quiet.
