From the 'make sense of this' dept.
Wild defenseman Sean Hill is not permitted to play in the preseason as part of his 20-game regular-season suspension (19 left) for testing positive for steroids.
However, the NHL has permitted Islanders forward Chris Simon to play despite having five games left on his 25-game suspension for swinging his stick at Rangers forward Ryan Hollweg's head in March.
Asked why Simon can play and Hill cannot, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said in an e-mail to the Star Tribune, "Terms of suspensions are case specific. Sean Hill's does not allow him to play."
And then Daly climbed in a clown car and drove around in circles while Gary Glitter played in the background.
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by James Mirtle @ 11:35 AM
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"And then Daly climbed in a clown car and drove around in circles while Gary Glitter played in the background."
Thanks. Now I have to clean coffee out of my keyboard. ;)
Well, when you spend all your time designing new jerseys that no body wanted little details like not allowing players to play while suspended sometimes get overlooked.
Rumour is, since Downie committed his crime during an pre-season game, his suspension will only apply to pre-season games and he will be allowed to play in the regular season, especially in games against Ottawa.
Aww James. I wish you hadn't pointed this out. Just as I was having some faint hope of the league actually getting it's act together - you give me this. All hope is now dashed. (panic, chaos and disorder - their work here is done!!)
Not going to lie, your quip at the end had me laughing out loud during my lecture.
Could the team possibly be fined for playing a guy who is under suspension?
Not when the league is saying he was allowed to play.
James, yes the league is at fault here, but what about the two coaches who allowed Simon and Hollweg to dress for the game.
This is a preseason game, both coaches had rosters of over 30 players, so why the need to dress Simon and Hollweg for the game ?
Surely, they should have known that "scores would be settled" during the game
One theory I have heard is that they wanted to get the "score settling" out of the way in the preseason, so that it wouldn't become an issue later in the season when Simon returned from his suspension.
In any event, I believe both coaches are as much to blame as the league.
I honestly have serious concerns about the actual competence of the people in leadership positions with the NHL. Being a long-time hockey guy, former player, whatever doesn't matter if you lack the organizational and basic business sense to properly run the league.
That the league's suspension policy is basically "I sat down, thought about it and came up with this random result" is a symptom of a serious, and potentially disastrous, problem.
That the league's suspension policy is basically "I sat down, thought about it and came up with this random result" is a symptom of a serious, and potentially disastrous, problem.
Actually, I think Colin Campbell spins his "Wheel of Justice" to choose a penalty...but I see exactly what you mean. Each situation is different and it might not be possible to have an airtight one-to-one correspondence of infraction to penalty, but the ranges could be better. When it wouldn't be much of a surprise if a penalty is 20 games or 2 games for a particular offense, arbitrary-ness is out of control.
A "Wheel of Justice" is too complicated for Campbell or Bettman to use. I think they're consulting a Magic 8 Ball from 1972 and the liquid is cloudy.
I guess they're cracking down on the "drug" policy, while totally overlooking the blatant attempt to injure...
The other day I wrote a tiny piece, asking why Simon was allowed to play. I didn't know that Hill wasn't allowed to.
Now I am even more disgusted.
Oh good Christ. I keep wanting to like the NHL, I really do. This makes it that much harder to take it with any seriousness whatsoever.
*sigh* Oh well, there's always the WCHA. Go Badgers!
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