"Hockey is a tough, physical game, and it always should be...But what happened Friday night on Long Island wasn't hockey. It was a travesty. It was painful to watch the game I love turn into a sideshow like that..The NHL had a chance to send a clear and strong message that those kinds of actions are unacceptable and embarrassing to the sport. It failed...We, as a league, must do a better job of protecting the integrity of the game and the safety of our players...We must make it clear that those kinds of actions will not be tolerated and will be met with meaningful disciplinary action.If the events relating to Friday night reflect the state of the league, I need to rethink whether I want to be a part of it."
Personally, I thought the fights were extremely entertaining and its one of the most important reasons that I even tune in to watch the NHL. However, what happened Friday definitely did cross the line of a good old-fashioned Hockey fight and turned more in to a street brawl, particularly Gilles pounding on an already injured/defenseless player.
Fights aside, my effort here is to call out the person who is truly most wrong in this situation and that is Mario Lemieux himself. How can a guy who employs a player like Matt Cooke make such a ridiculously hypocritical statement to say that what went on was ugly and shouldn't be a part of the game. Matt Cooke is considered to be one of the dirtiest players in the NHL (ask Marc Savard - I still don't think he can tie his shoes without assistance) and has been disciplined numerous times.
My biggest probelm with what Lemieux said is that he suggests potentially walking away from the NHL. If that is what he wants personally then go right ahead and leave just because your team was finally on the wrong end of one these. But Lemieux is essentially cornering the NHL and putting an already un-popular league in a bad position by having one its most prominent figures make such rediculously negative statements.
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