from John Shannon of Sportsnet,

I’m writing this because I am tired of hockey being bashed. Most often by those of us in and around the game. For every suspension that gets hours of attention, there aren’t enough of those great Hertl-style stories told. Like the return to the NHL by Manny Malhotra, or the hard work of young guys who never dreamed of playing in the NHL, like Will Acton of the OIlers or Carter Hutton of the Predators. We tend to eat our own. Only a few, over the years, appear to be above that fray. Gretzky, Lemieux, Messier and now maybe Crosby. Perhaps that’s why we can’t promote individuals a great deal in hockey—with every compliment there would be two complaints.

Is it too much to ask, once in a while, to enjoy the game for what it is? It’s the toughest, fastest, most entertaining team sport in the world. And perhaps, every once in a while, we can celebrate the game and its players, as opposed to waiting for another player safety hearing.

more