from Gary Lawless of TSN,
Talking to a number of NHL types over the last week about Crosby’s unpenalized slash brought mixed reaction. From, “That’s a penalty and we don’t call it often enough,” to “It’s always been in the game and we shouldn’t take it out,” there has been all manner of comment.
The fact there is no consensus suggests nothing will change soon. A movement from the GMs is the best way for the NHL’s hockey people to get behind an issue and enact change. That hasn’t happened.
Just because a critical mass of GMs haven’t spoken up on the subject, however, doesn’t diminish the reality.
They were slow to come around on obstruction as well and for good reason. They get paid to win games and defence is easier to acquire than offence. So the lowest common denominator wins out.
So regardless of a lack of outcry from many of the game’s stewards, it’s clear from watching NHL games that the threshold for calls to be made on slashes to the gloves is too high.
When a player puts his stick on an opponent’s gloves, it’s a penalty. But, as often happens in the NHL, players push the boundaries of a rule and the standard shifts. Watch an NHL game today and you’ll see a lot of stick-on-glove work.
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