Lost in the bliss that is everyone outside of New England, this took place in Chicago last night in a preseason hockey game that meant little to either team that participated in it.
The reason I post this is not to throw barbs at the Red Wings fanbase… because I would love to do just that. No. Instead, the reason I post this is because Brendan Shanahan is the new guy in the NHL walking up and down 30 desks with a ruler slapping in his palm. Shanny has taken over Colin Campbell’s role as Vice President of Hockey and Business Development and head disciplinarian. He’s also doing a helluva job in that role and we haven’t even dropped the puck on the games that matter yet.
Shanahan has suspended seven players already this preseason for hits or actions that he feels no longer belong in the sport of professional hockey. It began with Jody Shelley of the Philadelphia Flyers who leveled a major boarding hit in a game against Toronto. Shanahan removed him from the remainder of the preseason and he’ll also sit the first five games of the regular season. Now, Jody Shelley is what some people might refer to as a goon. Steve James Wisniewski on the other hand? The Columbus Blue Jackets paid him a pretty large sum of money to make a difference on their blue line. He’s going to forfeit a solid chunk of that money because Brendan Shanahan is attempting to rid the beautiful game of ugly pockmarks that have stained it over the last couple of seasons.
Colin Campbell thought discipline was as simple as picking a number of games for a player to sit and then issuing a press release stating just that. Brendan Shanahan would like you to step into his office and hear the exact methodology he used in coming up with your suspension. Yes. I mean you, the fan.
How’s that for transparency?
Even if you’re not a puckhead, you know that the world’s greatest player is currently on the shelf because David Steckel and Victor Hedman scrambled his eggs into a Western Omelet. Hockey needs Crosby. It also needs Ben Smith. And Cal Clutterbuck. Go ahead, say that name a few times and try not to laugh. With the nation’s most popular sport putting concussions in the spotlight, North America’s niche sport is doing its damnedest to drop the curtain on the same light.
Brendan Shanahan has done more in two weeks of preseason hockey than Colin Campbell did in 12 years. Forget giving the NHL’s executive of the year award to another Presidents Trophy winner. Let’s give it to Shanny for making the game we love that much safer for the players that play it.
I think Brendan Smith’s phone just rang.
Who the hell is Steve Wisniewski?
The worst part is that I tagged him correctly but I put Steve in the actual body of the post. I haven’t written anything in a while. My editor skills are not what they once were.
Johnny approves of this post
/misses crosby
Actually, the worst part is that Brendan Smith isn’t even an NHL caliber player and the guy he hit was fighting for a roster spot with the Blackhawks. Brandon Saad just made the Opening Night roster.
Thank Hossa the Blackhawks have actual depth this year.
This is why you should read up on prospects and watch pre-season.
The NHL has been much more pro-active than the NFL to this point.
According to Chris Kuc, he wasn’t going to make the Red Wings roster.
And it looks like I was right about his phone.
Hockey prospectus – Wings prospects.
So I assume you’ll defend Babcock, seeing as how he’s Canada’s boy, for his comments after the game too?
I’m tired of the teams defending their guys for hits to the head…
Nope, primary responsibility lies with the hitter, not the hittee. Smith is going to get dinged, but I don’t think it’s going to be as big as you’re expecting. I think in the middle of Boyes and Wisniewski as he’s not a repeat offender (in the NHL).
Also, I thought I stated my intent in writing this pretty clearly from the get-go. How about we give Shanahan some credit for making a clear example of what we don’t want anymore? Or shall we just continue going back and forth about who is and isn’t making a roster?
This was a reckless hit. It wasn’t dirty because I don’t think he intended to KO Benny. However, he went up high and you simply cannot do that. These are the hits that don’t belong in hockey.
Two thumbs up for me so far. Loving the video explanations.
Everyone loves the new guy. Give it a few years, you’ll hate him.
While this might be true, there is no way in hell he can be worse than Campbell’s drunken blindfolded dart throwing method of punishment
After dealing with Colin Campbell for so long and all the antics he had, Shanahan is a breath of fresh air, CBH. He’s doing a great job so far. I’ll applaud him now. If he slips up, we’ll recognize that too.
For now, he deserves some serious credit. NHL needed a guy like this.
good stuff. why don;t you write more?