Contrary to popular belief, revenge isn’t a dish best served cold; Injustice is. Nearly a week after Boston Bruin enforcer Shawn Thornton finished his on-ice assault of Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik, the NHL is finally set to meet with Thornton.
The first obvious question is—why did it take the NHL six days to schedule a hearing. Should not an on-ice assault be met with swift discipline, sending a message to other premeditating muggers?
Thornton deserves a suspension of 20 or 40 games. There can be no place in any sport for the intentional disarming and battering of a competitor into essential unconsciousness. That it was premeditated adds to the egregious nature and should add games to the suspension.
The Thornton “mugging” was on par with Marty McSorely’s stick swinging incident on Donald Brashear, which left Brashear unconscious and convulsing on the ice. McSorely gave Brashear, a fellow fighter, several chances to drop the gloves. McSorely was suspended for the remainder of the 99-00 season (23 games) and charged with assault with a weapon.
The Thornton “mugging” was equal to Todd Bertuzzi’s sucker punch and face first slam to the ice of Steve Moore, which left Moore concussed, forever out of hockey and in court suing Bertuzzi. The court date will finally happen in September 2014, 10 years after the incident. Bertuzzi’s suspension totaled 20 games, including 7 playoff games and an IIHF ban during the 2004-05 lockout.
Orpik’s injuries are not as severe as Moore, but the incidents bear resemblance as a premeditated blindside attacks which did not conclude with the initial contact or when the injured player was no longer able to defend himself. Both aggressors continued the attack of a defenseless human being.
Unfortunately, the game’s premier ambassador and Orpik teammate, Sidney Crosby, predicted only 10 games for Thornton. Sad. Sad that Crosby would answer the question. It is sad that players only expect 10 games.
So, why did the NHL wait a week? Answer: The NHL agrees with Crosby and does not want to hand Thornton a huge suspension. Islanders goon Trevor Gillies received only 9 games for his hit to the head and subsequent punching of defenseless Eric Tangradi during the infamous Long Island Massacre. Gillies was/is less hockey player and more extra from Slapshot.
Thornton’s actions occurred in a marquee game with many around the hockey world watching. The action garnered immediate and intense attention, debate and discussion forcing the NHL to wait to dole out justice.
The NHL and Department of Player Safety (ha!), by their delayed reaction, has let the event fade from headlines thus signaling intent to dole out less suspension than most would have predicted and insulated them from what would have been an extreme volume of intense criticism.
It bears repeating, Thornton deserves a 20 or 40 game suspension. Precedent must be set. The NHL cannot tolerate “goonery” from any player.
However, it’s hockey. It’s a man’s sport and hockey is for tough guys. Thornton actually portends to play hockey with some proficiency. In the NHL universe, that allows some level of criminality to be forgiven.
Imagine what the NFL would do to a player. Imagine what MLB or the NBA would do to a player who took down a player from behind and punched him into unconsciousness.
And that is why non-hockey fans will always mock the NHL. And why the NHL will always deserve it.
