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They Must Use A Dart Board To Make Decisions At NHL Headquarters

LOS ANGELES — The first two days of the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs are now in the books, but, disappointingly, one of the most memorable aspects of the playoffs so far is the fact that how the National Hockey League handles supplementary discipline is still little more than a joke.

Logo courtesy National Hockey League

Before you start rolling your eyes, this is not really about the merits of Los Angeles Kings center Jarret Stoll’s hit from behind on San Jose Sharks defenseman Ian White in Game 1 of their Western Conference Quarterfinal series on April 14. It is also not about if Sharks defenseman Jason Demers should have been suspended for his hit on Kings left wing Ryan Smyth in the same game. Even the punishment Anaheim Ducks right wing Bobby Ryan should receive for stomping on Nashville Predators defenseman Jonathon Blum’s’s foot in Game 2 of their first round series on April 15 is not what this story is about.

These incidents shine an ultra-bright spotlight on the haphazard way the NHL hands out fines and suspensions. Indeed, it often seems that whether or not the incident results in an injury, along with the severity of the injury, dictates whether or not a suspension is handed down, not to mention the number of games. Read more of this post

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Pronger Suspension: Discipline In The NHL A Joke?

LOS ANGELES — About 48 hours have passed since the Detroit Red Wings pounded on and embarrassed the Anaheim Ducks in game 3 of the Western Conference Finals, taking a 2-1 series lead, and Detroit’s dominance over the Ducks has been all but overshadowed by the vicious, brutal hit laid upon Detroit winger Tomas Holmstrom. Read more of this post

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