NHL's Campbell 'Taken Back' by Criticism

When NHL general managers gathered in Florida this week, one of the major items on their agenda was fighting. The GMs decided to recommend abolishing "staged" fights, as well as greater enforcement of the instigator rule.

Montreal veteran and well-known enforcer Georges Laraque wasn't pleased. He was left to wonder why these recommendations were made without anyone consulting with the players such rule changes would impact. NHL discipline king Colin Campbell apparently doesn't understand Georges' beef.

"I guess it's not great to counter comments by players, but I was a little taken back by Georges Laraque, who criticized our managers about what they said or did with fighting," Campbell told NHL.com yesterday ... NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, who interviewed Campbell on his weekly radio show yesterday, previously indicated he would be happy to sit down with Laraque and discuss the new proposals.

Bettman is surely on to something when he suggests talking to Laraque and other enforcers. It's the right thing to do, especially if the players' union is right in saying that these changes will have to be collectively bargained.

What I found more interesting than the comments by Laraque or Campbell, or Bettman's offer, was the take of Philadelphia Flyer forward Simon Gagne. Not known for his fists, Gagne instead benefits from the presence of guys like Laraque, who help keep him clean. Gagne has fallen victim to concussion issues in the past, though, and that may influence his take on what should be of highest priority for NHL executives.

"(NHLPA head) Paul Kelly came out and said three-quarters of the players want the league to do something (about head shots), it's us playing and not them, and it's easy to watch the game from upstairs,. Players see something is wrong with it. We asked for them to do something and they don't want to do it.

"It's too bad for them. I don't understand it. If 75% of the players think something needs to be [done] on head shots, and it's getting worse and worse every season, and right now they are there talking about fighting. If you take that way, you'll see even more dirty head shots."

Gagne's point is a good one. A stronger watch on head shots could lead the NHL to a day where fighting is no longer considered a problem by anyone.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

3-13-2009 @ 2:39PM

Hi Dude said...

I think CAmpbell and Betteman should get together again, with the GMs and oulaw all wood and metal sticks. They should use the same materials that are used for the large hand holding a finger to the air. They could then start using a whiffle puck so when the foam stick strikes the whiffle puck it could not hurt anyone. They have already made it so that a goalie can set a pick behind the net and not worry about getting hit. Lets go back to the Cheever days when the goalie is fair game if he is out of the crease.

Hockey is a game of contact. There are tough guys who are there to protect the likes of Gagne.

Laraugue better be careful, he might have to go to the NFL rehab center for speaking freely about this. Afterall Betteman is the Speech Policeman of the League

3-13-2009 @ 3:08PM

Colonial said...

We don't need tough guys to protect players. I hate how people keep bringing up this traditional argument when the facts show otherwise. College hockey, European leagues, and international competitions all treat fighters way harsher than the NHL is suggesting and they are not plagued by cheap hits or excessive stick fouls. Why would the NHL be any different?

Also what kind of deterrent is being in a fight anyway? Most players who play at this level aren't afraid to park in front of their opponents net as their own teammates fire 90+mph slapshots in their direction, but they are supposed to be afraid of a goon punching them when (statistically speaking) good punches are rarely landed in a hockey fight?

If you like fighting in hockey just say you like fighting in hockey because it is entertaining, quit trying to pretend it isn't a sideshow or that it has some legitimate place in the game. It doesn't.

3-14-2009 @ 12:23PM

pmspa48 said...

They should get rid of all the stupid rules they came up with to protect Gretzky and go back to the way hockey used to be playsed. Fights and hard checking are part of the game.

3-15-2009 @ 7:42AM

claytor said...

Wow, Colonial, how about just admitting you don't enjoy TRUE hockey, because uh, that's the Canadian brand. I hate to get all Don Cherry here? But he's right, the game is sissyfied and continues to orbit closer to being worse as we cater to European players who are afraid to get their hands dirty. As for the college game, they still play righteously hard and fights and dirty incidents occur there all the time to this day (see the Michigan incident), but for god's sake don't even attempt to mention a region that a time honored league has essentially bowed down to and gave up it's traditions for is somehow better than the sport itself.

Remember, the greatest players of all time are of Canadian heritage, from Gretzky to Howe to Mario, and even Mario wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty, something euroboy Jagr was hardly ever known for.

3-15-2009 @ 6:09PM

I like watching a good hockey fight but I like it for what it is, its a sideshow. Its not a necessary part of the game and I'm sick and
tired of people claiming it is. Enforcers are not needed. My beef isn't with fighting (one of my favorite Hockey memories is watching two all-stars in Iginla and Lecavlier drop the gloves) my problem is with players whose only contribution to the game is fighting.

I think a bigger problem than catering to Europeans is catering to goons who don't have the skill to actually play the game. Derek Boogard, for example, has 10 points in almost 200 career games. Hes not good defensively and is known to make dirty hits. Does he really belong in the league?

Mario may not have been afraid to get his hands dirty but did you pay any attention to his career at all? Mario was always one of the biggest voices arguing for rule changes to help skill players do their thing. He is a major reason the league began to crack down on holding and stick penalties.

Yes, dirty incidents do happen in college hockey but not at the same level as the NHL which is strange because the NCAA is harder on fighters (5 minute major, instant game ejection, 1 game (+1 for every fight the player has been in) suspension). Why isn't there more dirty play in College hockey if enforcers are hindered? If we believe Big George's argument there should be anarchy in the NCAA.

Also I'm a fan from Western Canada. You don't need to remind me that the greatest players of all time are Canadian.

3-17-2009 @ 5:54AM

Mario was also a scorer first, so of course he's going to want rule changes to create open space, this only makes sense.

But that's no different than the rule changes made to aid quarterbacks in the NFL disguised under player safety. It helps to keep qb's from being hindered in their all star quest more than safety, case in point, NFL qb numbers have skyrocketed since the implementations of these new rules, which clearly demonstrates and advantage over the defense, but yet, its safety. Not very fair is it? But hey, it's safe.

Truth is, goons exist, because even players who aren't goons are fully capable of crippling another player, even the best, most offensive minded players get some kind of penalty minutes, so they're obviously not adherent to infractions. I don't know about you, but if i were a star player, i'd like some sort of police type on my team to make sure i didn't get creamed.

My fondest fight memory is Messier knocking the crap out of Lindros, or Patrick Roy joining in a brauhaha and fighting the other goalie. Yes, sideshows indeed, but the Boogeyman, just like Tony Twists, Bob Proberts, and various goons before him exist to make sure the Wayne Gretzkys, Super Marios, Yzermans of the world have such full careers. Would it make you feel any better if an established "star" gave a slash to Iginla's knee and put him out for the year, crippling Calgary's Cup chances? No. That's why goons work. No different than baseball throwing at the other team after someone gets plunked, or a team delivering a flagrant foul in retaliation of the other team doing it. And normally those teams get that one go ahead, and that's it. Maybe we should be allowed one fight per game?

Tell you this much, the Pens and more specifically Crosby, haven't looked right this year after losing the presence of Malone on his line, and that's current fluke last minute win streak in mind. These guys play a role, numbers be damned. It's like the cliche "giving more to the game than numbers", that's what they do.

And yes, we ARE catering to how everyone else plays the game, and not how it was created originally.

Here is probably the best way to look at it...when you're watching a game, and suddenly it becomes thrilling, wide open, no refs are making their usual oh my god you touched him! calls, just letting the players play, it's hard hitting, and you don't know what the hell is going on and are tense, and then the announcers of the broadcast say something to the effect of "This is great, the refs are just letting these guys go, this is how they used to play!", look back on that remark, and ask yourself why are they using past tense.

3-23-2009 @ 1:41PM

Sanganoski said...

Protection, policeing an on ice incident, it is what it is and to just eliminate it makes one think that the term "Gordie Howe Hat Trick" will no longer be spoken. To those that don't know what that term stands for, it means a player has achieved a goal, an assist on another players goal, and has been involved in a fight all in the same game. Makes one wonder if some of todays players when compared to Howe would have even survived when it was just old time hockey.