NHL chief Gary Bettman refuses to succumb to criticism on disciplinary actions-NHL News
The National Hockey League (NHL) has refused to be bogged down by criticism on its disciplinary decisions and actions.
NHL Commissioner, Gary Bettman, has seen the criticism to be a matter of perspective and referred to it as ‘gamesmanship.’
He was referring to the battering the league office has been receiving from different managers and coaching officials over suspension of their players and other punishment to them as result of their rough plays.
The NHL has suspended as many as nine players from different teams in the initial eight days of the NHL Conference playoffs quarterfinals series.
Bettman said of the lashing from team managers:
"That doesn't mean anything. They didn't like it. The fact is, it was a cross-check to the face. It deserved a game."
He added:
"Everybody will have a different view. In Vancouver, they probably thought Bitz was being picked on and got suspended for too much. In Chicago, everybody felt that Shaw shouldn't have been suspended at all because Smith was faking."
The tenure of the respective suspensions ranges from a game to three games, while the league has also penalised some players and coaching officials with fines, ranging from $2500 to $10,000.
The NHL has rather come harsher on Chicago Blackhawks’ coach, Joel Quenneville. He has been made to pay $10,000 in fine over his criticism of officiating in the game against Phoenix Coyotes.
This is for the second time in last two seasons that the official has been penalised over his outbursts against the league officials. He had paid the similar amount as price to his comments against officials last year.
Phoenix Coyotes’ winger, Raffi Torres, who had an in-person hearing with the league office over his hit on Chicago Blackhawks’ forward, Marian Hossa, on Friday, April 20, 2012, is due to receive fresh terms of his punishment on Saturday, April 21, 2012.
He has already been suspended indefinitely over the foul, which knocked down Hossa on the ice motionless for few moments before he was shifted to hospital in an ambulance. He is said to have not improved since then.
According to the commissioner, it was very much expected that the league’s decision would not please the officials.
Still, he said, his office is responsible to pursue the players’ security and safety vigorously and offer them a safe and secure playing environment.
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