No Harm, Big Foul

The NHL took a giant leap in enforcement today when it handed down the suspension on Senators goaltender Ray Emery. Emery delivered an aggressive slash to the face of Canadiens forward Maxim Lapierre, after Lapierre 'inadvertently' crashed into the keeper. During the game both teams were taking unwarranted runs at the goalies and Emery simply snapped. While the NHL is not known for handing down punishment on plays that do not result in serious injury, it appears the punishment committee has made the correct decision in this case. All too often the NHL goes on the basis of no blood - no foul when handing down suspensions, a practice that has seen malicious actions, with intent to injure, go unpunished to the extent they should.
In the case of the Emery slash, it was an action that more than likely could have resulted in a facial injury if it was not for the brunt of the blow being absorbed by Lapierre's visor. The swing of the stick was pre-meditated which makes the incident impossible to ignore. No head/facial injury occurred in this case, but if the NHL is looking to clean up the game this is a step in the right direction.
This is a view I'm sure is shared by Keith Primeau whose career was prematurely ended by numerous head injuries, and whose final moment in the spotlight in Philadelphia conveniently was held this evening. A top-rate player during his prime, successive concussions led to his retirement before the start of this season. While the last few concussions Primeau suffered were the results of hits that were deemed clean, a critical eye can easily disagree with the NHL's ruling (or lack thereof) on at least some the plays. Vicious checks and slashes leading to head trauma cannot continue to be overlooked if the NHL is serious about cleaning up the sport.
So here's to hoping the NHL ruling on the Emery slash was a genuine attempt to remove intentional shots to the head, and not an attempt by the NHL to avoid cries of hypocrisy on the night of Primeau's retirement ceremony.

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