NHL Player Safety Is Struggling With Implementing a Standard and Applying It Fairly Across the Board
The NHL has a consistency and standard-setting issue, and this must change in order for the league to earn the same level of respect that the other four major professional sports leagues receive. Gary Bettman has been notorious for not having a strict standard when applying league rulings. This allows for one-off cases where certain situations may not fit the typical criteria, giving Gary the ability to make decisions that are in the best interest of the league at that specific time.
However, when it comes to player safety, this is one area where that approach needs to change. While plays happen extremely quickly and it can be difficult to determine intent and the appropriate level of punishment, there has been a major discrepancy between what punishments are expected to be and what they actually become.
One major example of this was the Radko Gudas knee-on-knee hit on Auston Matthews in Toronto. There was significant debate that the knee injury, which ultimately ended Matthews’ season, warranted more than a five-game suspension. As a neutral observer, I tend to agree. I do not believe star players should receive preferential treatment when it comes to drawing calls or being protected from physical play. That being said, when it comes to potentially dangerous plays, I do think it is important that these situations are handled with a consistent standard and, in some cases, potentially more severely than a regular infraction.
From a business perspective, star players sell your sport. If you allow opposing players to seriously injure them through dangerous plays, you are removing the individuals who bring attention and viewership to your league, which directly impacts the strength of your bottom line.
In other cases, punishments have been too lenient overall. For example, A.J. Greer boarded Connor Zary with an aggressive hit from behind. The puck was not the primary reason for the contact, and the play appeared to be focused on punishing the player rather than making a hockey play. Greer was assessed a three-game suspension for the incident. Zary only missed a couple of games, but the intent behind the action should be the overarching factor when determining punishment.
To me, aside from the specific area of the body involved, there is little difference between the Gudas knee and the A.J. Greer boarding incident, as both involved actions that were intended to punish the opposing player.
There has also been discussion that George Parros has shown favoritism toward teams he previously played for. While that does not necessarily apply to the examples provided above, as Parros played for Anaheim and Florida, it still raises questions about potential bias. The league should consider whether hiring individuals with no previous ties to NHL teams would help eliminate concerns regarding impartiality.
The issue of inconsistency has now reached the top player in the league. Connor McDavid publicly questioned the NHL Player Safety Department’s decisions, stating that players do not know what to expect and that frustration exists across the league. For a generally reserved and conservative player like McDavid to openly criticize the system should be viewed as a significant warning sign and a call to action.
This cannot become an issue involving the biggest stars in your sport. At times, it almost feels like Player Safety is flipping a coin and then deciding the suspension afterward. For Blue Jays fans, it is similar to Max Scherzer’s frustration with the strike zone and his sarcastic reaction toward an umpire by pretending to flip a coin.
While I do not believe every non-player safety issue requires the same level of consistency, player safety absolutely does. Gary Bettman needs to intervene and establish a clearer standard within the Player Safety Department. The variability in suspension decisions is not only frustrating players, but it is also alienating star players and fans.
As someone who wants the NHL to continue growing and succeeding, I hope the league addresses this issue. However, the responsibility ultimately falls on Gary Bettman to determine whether the league can create a system that players, teams, and fans can trust.
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