Hockey's Dale Earnhardt Moment

An interesting week in the hockey world to say the least.  It is becoming increasingly apparent that many players in the league have absolutely no respect for each other.  I agree with Mike Milbury, the GM's and owners need to address the increasing violence NOW.  I would also suggest the NHLPA have a discussion with the players by pointing out the league is at a real flashing point if the current trend of violence continues.  The NHLPA may want to revisit player safety issues as well, they can start by considering a ban on fighting. 

Let's look at the Chara check.  When I saw the replay I asked myself four questions:

1) Was the check excessive?
2) Was there an intent to injure?
3) Was the check necessary?
4) Was the check an unsportsmanlike act?

The answers.....

1) Yes.
2) Don't know but doubt it.
3) No.  Chara was almost beat on the play, if the stanchion was not there it was likely Pacioretty would have slid by him.  Chara had to do something to impede his progress, but come on, this was over the top.  Chara and his team were down 4-0, he was pissed off.  Don Cherry characterized this as a hockey play - I vehemently disagree. 
4) Yes absolutely.  He was amped up and about to be beaten on this play. 

So, did the league make the right decision?  It's interesting because Chara is an honorable player with a solid track record of success.  It would be interesting to see what the league would have done if the player were someone other than Chara.  Let's look at an "instead of Chara what if" scenario:

Instead of Chara what if the player were _________ would he be suspended?
                                                               Wayne Gretzky          N/A
                                                               Alex Ovechkin           Yes
                                                                Cam Neely                Yes
                                                              Mario Lemieux           N/A
                                                                 Jean Ratelle              N/A
                                                                  Bobby Orr               N/A
                                                               Steve Yzerman           N/A
                                                                 Matt Cooke               Yes
                                                                Steve Downie            Yes
                                                                Trevor Gillies            Yes

When you do this exercise it really becomes a judgment on which players have the propensity to do something like this and which players would never consider it.  The not applicable (N/A) players would never really get in a position like this so, really, its a moot point.  These players have so much respect for the league and fellow players that an event like this is really beyond consideration for them.  When looking at the players that "yes" would be suspended, you see two different types.  Ovechin and Neely are/were "talented aggressors" much like Chara, both would likely have been suspended.  The second type of players are what I call "energy goons"; Cooke, Downie and Gillies fall into this category.   All of these "energy goons" would have received a substantial suspensions.  The "energy goons" alone cause enough problems within the league already.  It is particularly troubling however when a "talented aggressor" is involved in an incident of violence. 

Given the answers to my four questions and the categorization of Chara as a "talented aggressor" I would have given him a three game suspension.  One of these days the league and the NHLPA will wake up to the violence issue before it's too late.  On the heels of the recent Bob Probert research findings, we have a player nearly killed and now sponsors threatening to abandon ship.  How does the NHL respond?  Nothing, they just bank on our short term memory until the next incident takes place.

Bruce Dowbiggin of the Toronto Globe and Mail summed it up perfectly when he said, "Whether Bettman likes it or not, this is hockey’s Dale Earnhardt moment, the time when the speed of the cars and the aggression of the drivers overwhelms the race track. As NASCAR did when its brightest star Earnhardt was killed at the Daytona 500 in 2001, hockey has to take its foot off the accelerator and take stock of how much risk is acceptable. (Earnhardt was the fourth driver to die in NASCAR within a year; since revising its safety standards, no NASCAR driver has died since.) No matter how impulsive Air Canada’s media onslaught seemed, who wants a dead NHL player photographed lying in front of your corporate logo on the boards? Bettman’s petulant response to the week’s criticism, however, indicates he’s still got the pedal to the floor and his fingers in his ears."

Leadership, it starts at the top.