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Where are the NHL’s priorities?

by Forechecker on 12/02/08 at 11:40 PM ET
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Earlier this month, the NY Islanders’Thomas Pock got a five game suspension for elbowing Ottawa’s Ryan Shannon. Then the Devils’ Mike Mottau received a two-game suspension for elbowing Frans Nielsen of the Islanders. Last week, L.A. Kings forward John Zeiler received a 3-game sentence for boarding Colorado’s Adam Foote from behind.

Today, just hours after dropping a verbal bomb that (presumably) referred to his ex-girlfriend Elisha Cuthbert as “sloppy seconds”, Dallas’ Sean Avery has been suspended “indefinitely, pending a hearing with commissioner Gary Bettman,” per TSN.

I’m guessing that NHL commissioner Gary Bettman’s not a big believer in the old saw, “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”

If Avery gets more than a single game suspension out of this, the NHLPA should call the league out on the carpet for prioritizing PR above player safety.

Filed in: NHL Commentary, | On the Forecheck | Permalink