You just had to watch those Proponents of Aggression, Don Cherry and Ron MacLean, on Saturday's edition of Hockey Night in Canada to see how tortured the rationales for acts such as Janssen's have become. While acknowledging a cheap shot on Kaberle, both announcers also blamed Kaberle for not expecting a head hit from an opponent well after the play. Blaming the victim . . . a time-honoured tradition in hockey, war and domestic violence.
Apologists for actions like Janssen's don't want to come down too heavy on "effort" guys like the Devils enforcer because "they don't want to eliminate the physical nature of the sport." At the same time, they don't mind eliminating skill players like Kaberle or Chris Drury or Tim Connolly with severe concussions.
This tripe continues because the hockey culture is saturated with guys who either never made it or else survived only by accepting thuggery as their meal ticket. Don Cherry and Colin Campbell want their proteges in the game. Taking guys like Janssen or Tie Domi or Chris Neil out of the sport would be like taking them out of hockey, too. Better to let skill players get concussed than lose marginal agitators from the sport.
The 3 game suspension to a marginal player like Janssen has less of an impact on the Devils than a 2 minute penalty. Meanwhile lenghty suspensions like the one served by Bertuzzi has had an noticeable impact on his career. More of these types of suspensions and agitators will think twice before hitting someone in the head. By the way the National Post reports today that Kaberle is gone for the season.
Kudos to Paul Maurice who recognized it was more important to get two points out of the Devils than get even for the Janssen hit.
A final question: How come referees can see a tiny hook in the corner from centre ice but no one can see Janssen run halfway across the ice and belt Kaberle into the boards? Just asking . . .
12 years ago
