The NHL handed down two suspensions today, one to enforce a newly instated rule, and another to keep players in line on the ice.
Let's head to Buffalo first. On Monday night, Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson checked Sabres forward Jason Pominville from behind, which left him with a concussion after being taken off the ice on a stretcher.
The hit, whether it was intentional or not—although it is hard to argue that it wasn't- was dirty and dangerous. How many hits and checks will it take for these players to stop the blind-side hitting. It is their responsibility to keep each other safe on the ice, and thus far they have shown they are not capable of doing so.
The NHL dealt Hjalmarsson a two game penalty, but that isn't at all sufficient. Although I am glad that they did give him something, but it should be more than two.
I've always felt that a sufficient punishment for these types of hits should be however long the injured player is sidelined. In this case, if Pominville misses 10 games, Hjalmarsson misses 10. If Pominville missed 30, same goes for Hjalmarsson.
If the NHL keeps handing down these slap ...
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Article written by Matthew Calamia
NHL Hands Down Suspensions to Two Players—Both Warranted
October 12th, 2010 by Matthew Calamia Leave a reply »
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