elocomotive
A useful idiot.
Oh yeah, I have not spoken to one Caps fan who thinks the Wilson suspension was excessive. WTF is wrong with that guy?
I thought the suspension was appropriate, but that's because I'm generally for longer suspensions for players, especially repeat offenders, so that the players take the safety issues more seriously. Wilson's hit was really bad, it was in a preseason game (which makes it worse for me), and his repeat history is in a short span of recent time factors as well. So I think 20 games is earned. I was surprised at the length based on the past actions by the NHL. But hopefully this is part of a continuing trend in terms of both protecting players' heads and in being more serious about punishment doled out. (And hopefully it brings an end to the reckless trend in Wilson's play.)
What I can't reconcile is how you can continue to allow fighting as a normal part of the game.
While the result of the play from Wilson's hit was much worse, Marchand sucker punched an unwilling Eller last night in the game. Is Marchand's intent here not worse than anything during a "hockey play?" Isn't allowing fighting - where the mindset of retribution is clear and the intent is only to physically harm - worse than anything not clearly intentional (think Dale Hunter, Tie Domi) that happens between the whistles?
That I can't reconcile.
If you want to enforce a legitimate safety policy, then fighting can't be a part of the game. It's far less than it used to be, but an outright ban on it is needed and appropriate with escalating suspensions for fighting similar to what Tom Wilson received. Especially in situations where one player does not consent to the fight in the first place.