NHL Week in Review (Mar. 27-Apr. 2)
A few weeks ago the NFL took a massive step in the constant battle that seems to haunt every league that involves contact.
They finally admitted what everyone already knew, that the game of football had a direct link to the issues that come as a result of concussions.
It is a massive step for a major league in North America as they had spent years denying a link and the last few years not really admitting or denying it.
They finally admitted it and now will deal with the issues that come with that as the fear of long-term brain damage grows every year.
That confession from the NFL made its way to the NHL where people have been waiting for the league to admit the link between hockey and the issues that arise as a result of concussions.
Specifically, for the league, it was a question of whether the violence allowed in the game, due to fighting, leads to issues of long-term brain damage.
The NHL has yet to publicly admit it and amid questions after the NFL admitted their game’s role they still refused to make that link.
A big reason may be the fact that the NHL is currently in the midst of a lawsuit brought about by former players claiming that the league knew about the dangers of concussions but said nothing to the players.
The same lawsuit was brought against the NFL but was settled out of court while the NHL decided to take the lawsuit to trial.
That trial has resulted in plenty of revelations from the league and those who love the game but there were never as many revelations than this week.
That is because during the trial NHL emails were released and with them a number of conversations that the NHL would have preferred stayed out of the public eye.
There were emails between analysts and the league using derogatory terms to describe players and situations mainly regarding suspensions.
It was not the best thing but it also wasn’t entirely unexpected because the language used is pretty common within every sport, mainly calling players dirty using some choice four letter words.
The next revelation was slightly different though as it was an exchange between the president of the NHL Alumni Association, Mark Napier, and the deputy commissioner, Bill Daly, regarding a player meeting that centred around the concussion case.
The emails look to be a bit of a spy situation where Napier was reporting on meetings regarding the lawsuit.
He claimed that the players were not getting very far in their case but that he was going to continue monitoring.
It is a major issue as the man responsible for the alumni of the league was really working for the league and not representing the people he was supposed to.
It was a blow to the credibility of the NHL and a look into how they may run the business while to some just proving what they already knew, the league is pretty shady.
There was nothing bigger, though than the emails between top officials that discussed a possible link between fighting and depression.
Despite the league publicly refusing to admit there being any real link between the two there were clear discussions where the opinions were varied among top brass like Daly and Gary Bettman.
The emails show that the NHL does seem to understand that there might be a link between the two and for many who are against fighting it is just more firepower to ban fighting from the game.
If the NHL ever does admit to a connection there is little argument for them to keep fighting around in the interest of player safety.
Whether you agree with allowing fighting in the game or banning it there seems to be clear evidence that it is not great for the players that do it and if the NHL admits to it they can’t stop from banning it.
These emails have shown that they may be willing to admit it but not publicly and for many, including the retired players, that is concerning and just another peek into how the NHL operates.
Just as the league is entering one of the best times of the year with the playoffs right around the corner they now have to deal with these issues.
Overall the emails reveal the way that the league operates under Gary Bettman and for fans it is another reason to want him out of the commissioner seat.
Of course, the fans don’t get a say and as long as he continues to grow the league, no matter what way he does it, he will be the commissioner.
It will only create a bigger separation between the league and their players though and when the CBA comes up in 2022, if Bettman is still in power, there will be some interesting back and forth between the two groups.
Overtime
(Other News this week in hockey)
Scary Incident for Stamkos
The Tampa Bay Lightning have yet to clinch t a playoff spot but they seem on their way and if they make it they may not have their best player as Steven Stamkos will undergo surgery for a blood clot that might end his season
Canada Shut Out
Hockey is Canada’s game but no Canadian team has taken a Stanley Cup since 1993 and this year the drought continues as every Canadian team has been eliminated from the playoffs for the first time since 1970
College Free Agent
College free agents are becoming a lot more common and Jimmy Vesey will be the latest as he has refused to sign with the Nashville Predators, who signed him, in favour of becoming a free agent in August with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins seemingly front runners
Keith Losing Time
Duncan Keith won’t be following the Blackhawks to the playoffs, at least for a game, as he was suspended for six games which will include the first playoff game of the year for the team after he hit Charlie Coyle in the face with his stick
Key Scores:
Pittsburgh Penguins 3 – 2 New York Rangers (OT)
– The Penguins are one of the hottest teams in the NHL heading into the playoffs and they continued to show that as they got by the Rangers proving that they are one to watch as the second season approaches
St. Louis Blues 3 – 1 Colorado Avalanche
– The Avs were in the fight for the wild card and had a big test against the Blues who continue to fight for the division title and got a little closer to getting that as they beat the Avs who fell further behind in the fight for the wild card
Detroit Red Wings 3 – 2 Minnesota Wild
– The Red Wings spent most of the week hanging on to hope that they can continue their record playoff streak and a win against the Wild was a chance for them to climb back into a playoff spot as they hope to stay there with only a week left
Dallas Stars 3 – 2 Los Angeles Kings
– The Stars have been consistently great this year but they are getting a challenge from the Blues for the division and win against the Kings helped them get closer to that while they also proved they can take on one of the best in the conference
Next Week:
Colorado Avalanche vs. Nashville Predators (Tuesday, April 5th; 8:00 pm ET)
– The Avalanche are hanging on as the season comes to a close as any loss now could sink their chances of making the playoffs and they will take on a wild card team in Nashville hoping to make up ground on the last wild card team
Philadelphia Flyers vs. Detroit Red Wings (Wednesday, April 6th; 8:00 pm ET)
– The Flyers are playing great into the playoffs and they will look to keep that momentum going as they try to clinch while the Red Wings try to hold on to their spot and continue their playoff streak into its 24th year
Anaheim Ducks vs. Los Angeles Kings (Thursday, April 7th; 10:30 pm ET)
– The Ducks and Kings continue to fight for the Pacific division as both are heading to the playoffs but both want the division title to get the better match-up as they face-off one more time before the season is over
Washington Capitals vs. St. Louis Blues (Saturday, April 9th; 8:00 pm ET)
– The Caps look like the best team in the playoffs after clinching the President’s Trophy earlier this week and now they will look to get some momentum heading into the playoffs and will test themselves against the Blues
