After seeing that Torres got 25 games for that hit, I've seen enough. I understand the game of hockey and have watched and played long enough to know that hit differed from a Kronwall hit by about an extra second. Seriously, watch it again. I have no idea what all this fuss is about. Once again though, its a bottom 6 guy, so the NHL can make a statement. They can make up for not suspending clear intent to injure the head, from behind, of another on a non-hockey play by giving out an assininely overboard suspension to a bottom six guy on what essentially was a late hit. A late hit to the front of a player (head up Hossa!). The clear bias towards star players is sickening. Some of Kronwall's hits have been similar to that hit and nothing happens. The funny part is we knew already that Weber would get a slap on the wrist and it happened just like we said. "Well that's just the way it is" is not good enough, this is embarrassing for hockey. The NHL's attempt at any serious regard for players health and safety is marred by the fact that when the rubber meets the road and they have to make a tough decision, they drop the ball. Any rule they make has some kind of loophole for star players and then they act like they can throw the book at Brendan Smith, Raffi Torres, etc.
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Now i start to watch closely at what happens when its a player from a team that Bettman really needs to succeed, in his small market experiments (Nashville). The fact that the NHL owns the Pheonix Coyotes is one of the biggest conflicts of interest I've ever seen and should call into question almost everything that happens in a playoffs series with them involved. Bettman has went to near every length he can to keep them there (while letting ATL go without so much as a breath of remorse) and I would not be surprised in the slightest to learn of any involvement between him and anyone that has any way to even quietly influence a series in their favor. There's hundreds of millions of dollars at stake and we all know Bettman is all about money. I'm happy for the Coyotes and I haven't got to watch any of that series but I legitimately wonder if its being called toward Pheonix's favor. I was glad to see the Penguins getting stomped but I started wondering if the officiating was goingto turn toward Pittsburgh because I know that series is getting a ton of tv viewers and makeing the league a ton of money. Call it conspiracy but in the last four years the NHL has shown its true colors and bias and it seems to follow the money to me. Our series with the Pens, the first SJ series in the 2nd round (the most epically crooked thing I've ever watched in hockey), and now the clear confusion/bias in dealing with suspensions has shown how much of a crooked league we have. I miss the old NHL.
I know this is all over the place right now, maybe ill finish and expound on my thoughts when I can (at work now).
Edited by achildr1, 21 April 2012 - 12:16 PM.
