Minds Are A-Changing.

Yesterday, Alexander Ovechkin wasn't going to be suspended for his hit on Chicago's Brian Campbell.

Today, he's got a hearing. Started at noon. Expect a suspension.

While certainly justifiable given the injury to Campbell, a broken collarbone, this will only add to the confusion across the NHL these days over what is a legal hit and what isn't, and what is suspendable and what isn't.

Having the league's leading scorer banned for a few games will certainly allow the league to say it isn't giving its stars special treatment.

Then again, Marc Savard might wonder where this new vigilance was last week.

It's all very strange, very unpredictable, and it's not hard to get the sense that forces outside league V.P. Colin Campbell are influencing the process.

Just guessing, but the phone bills from Chicago to New York over the past 24 hours have got to be huge by now.

Comments

[other mark]

Maybe they'll get this one right. Cooke should have been penalized and suspended under existing rules. "Intent to Injure" covers a lot of ground and given Cooke's history, to me it's was a no-brainer. Again, I say, the NHL either needs to enforce it's rule book or remove the instigator/3rd man in rules for said book and let the players deal with guys like Cooke. One of the other; not the 'do nothing' stance they've taken.

[Paulo]

Hi Damien

Was the Ovechkin hit very different to what Lapierre did a couple of weeks ago?

[John MacKinnon]

There would not be a problem if there was an automatic 5 game suspension if and when a checking from behind occurs
(If the offender has been given a 5 minute and game misconduct)/ This would not allow for any second guessing and I believe, make the players more careful in throwing body checks from behind.

[Phil]

Ovechkin...beware the Ides of March!

[Gary]

If they don't suspend him for that hit the league is an absolute joke. It was clearly from behind and the player was seriously injured.

[Edward Palys]

There should be NO exceptions on cheap hits, no matter who the player is. Ovechkin is a "dirty" player who commits many infractions with his exuberance to his play. But he does get preferred treatment just because he is a star player and draws extra crowds at the gate. Enough is enough.

[Conn Smythe]

The hit should be a suspension - if the NHL can't see that, then the league needs to be shut down. I'm tired of players defending their dangerous actions, and coaches defending their players dangerous moves. This 'hit' by Ovie was similar to the 'hit' he gave Briere - from behind.

[James Wilkins]

man, that was horrible, hits like that should be out. He deserves to be suspended. Just a note, Matt Cooke also should have been gone. NHL has to get their heads screwed on straight.

[Charlie Horse]

Hey Damien, wasn't that you I heard this morning on The Fan going on about how Ovechkin would NOT be suspended? And where's the confusion here? The "hit" was clearly from behind. Not to mention since when is shoving someone into the boards a "hit"?

[Adam]

The NHL needs to get its collective head straight here. The league currently looks about as unbiased and professional as Dana White and the UFC; hardly distinguished company unless they perhaps wish to become an amateur league.

Ovechkin's hit was illegal, but probably not suspendable. It was not delivered viciously, nor with any apparent intent; two or five for boarding, and 10 or a game misconduct would have been appropriate in any combination.

In the related (but not closely) case of hits to the head, the league needs to sit down YESTERDAY and decide whether they want to change the rules now, or later. Personally, I think if it's serious enough to warrant immediate attention, it's serious enough to warrant immediate action. Either way, a real decision has to be made, and then followed with conviction.

[Joe]

That's nothing. The players deserve a lot of blame because they are the one's doing this to themselves but I blame the NHL, the gm's, the board, the nhlpa, they are all involved. It's nice to villify when we can but when the rules are there and they aren't enforced or there's no distinct/definitive rule and it's all in a gray area, I don't think the players are the only one's at fault here. Whether they suspend OV or not they are still hypocrites because they should have been suspending (longer suspensions), warning, fining (larger amounts), and applying the same rules to all the players not because of their status (prior actions is an alright base to start with). Intent is always an iffy subject and like Marek was pointing out a an hour ago Campbell got caught in a rut (not an excuse), and maybe he didn't know that the beast ov was on him or going to give him a hard hit by the boards, but he was vulnerable and that play was unecessary. OV is much more skilled than that and he could easily have followed the puck. That was a dumb play, injury or not. Steve Downie's play was also a dumb one driving the knee there trying to make a check and getting tangled or purposely trying to harm. How are we all really supposed to know? Maybe if the league and the players did a better job of policing themselves then maybe these garbage, unecessary moves wouldn't happen, but then again it's the NHL. This crap barely happens in the NBA and we all know they would love to disobey the comish and beat the hell out of each other or just randomely check someone to the ground like they do sometimes when they are angry and set up dangerous picks with intent to injure. I'm really disappointed in the league for not being decisive and trying to cater to everyone except for the spirit of the game. This is complete garbage.

[Will]

That was an unfortunate injury to Campbell, but that was a legal hit. Campbell took a peek and knew Ove was there, but decided to play the puck anyways... good forecheck on Ove's part. If you watch the replay in slow-motion, you can see Campbell's right foot slips and that's why he crashes so hard. That was almost a hit from behind, but not quite. How can players play a game when the rules are ambiguous? I feel empathy for Campbell, but I think a suspension to Ove is absurd.

[Fawzi Sayed]

If this took place in the street someone will face criminal charges.
What the NHL is waiting for, d some player to DIE .
It is a tough game but it must be some rules to protect the players and the dignity and integrity of a sport game.

[Pete vh]

No confusion about that hit. It's from behind and into the boards, at full speed no less. He should get 10 games in my opinion. Imagine what the league would hand out if it was Colton Orr (who, by the way doesn't do cheap shots).

[P. Jensch]

I don't know why the NHL is making it so difficult to properly penalize offending players.
It's relatively easy, length of punishment is the same as the injured player is out of commossion, plus the monies earned by the guilty player goes to the rehabilitation cost of the injured player.
In the real world, you do the crime, you pay the time.
Why should the NHL be any different.
This would be a great deterrent for stupidity in the NHL, and make the game more enjoyable to watch.

PJ

[Randy Arnold]

I've seen a lot of hockey over my 52 years...I am completely unbiased when it comes to both teams...that was not a hit punishable by a suspension, perhaps a double minor at the time. I am very worried that the league and team management are confusing hard fought hockey with unprotected head shots which should be removed from the game. Ovechkin is an anomaly...a potent offensive force who also plays a tough physical game. Remove the instigator penalty and these types of hits will be few and far between as types like Ovechkin would have to answer the bell, maybe more than once. Please don't ruin hard hitting hockey or you are going to lose a lot of fans...

[mrmelee]

No doubt. It was a cheap shot. Alex can say he didn't mean to hurt him, and maybe he didn't. But the fact is he didn't care if he did or didn't. He deserves a suspension. And he would have deserved it under the old too.

[Geoff Read]

I love Ovechkin's exuberant, physical style of play, but he's been making this kind of dirty hit since he broke into the league and it was only a matter of time until he seriously injured someone. Maxim Lapierre got four games for a very similar play - Ovechkin should get at least that much given this is his third suspension this year. If he gets less than four games it's a joke and he's been given the star treatment.

[Darnelious]

No trapezoid behind the net and this hit never happens. Numerous other big hits like this could be avoided by letting goalies play the puck more. And the way goalies play the puck, it'll probably result in higher scoring too. Well, at least considering how Leaf goaltenders play the puck that is.

[Stephen]

Damien, I've been strongly outspoken against penalizing Cooke as well as the new hits to the head rule, and I'm a huge fan of Ovechkin to boot, but this is a clear-cut hit from behind and fully deserves a severe suspension. Throw the book at him.

[B.Seddon]

That hit was cowardly.
Any player, no matter how good a hockey player he is, should be suspended for as long as the injured player is unable to play, even if, as in one case, the injured player is never able to play again.
Also, his team should not be responsible to pay him one cent while he is suspended. In this case, Ovechkin would lose his millions. That would make them think twice about a dirty hit.

[adam]

well he did get suspended. to the person saying it should have been a double minor, well ov got the penalty and the game right and now he's suspended 2 games...so why is it that apparently the caps were going to fine a complaint to get that penalty that was assessed to him rescinded. there's too much entitlement all around in this league and also from the fans. it's hypocrisy everywhere from within the game to the outside like the media blatherers. it all needs to stop. a penalty is a penalty is a penalty or a bad play/sometimes necessary play. yes the media spotlight is really intense right now because of these hits, but all this crap was happening first week into the season, throughout this year, last year, before the lockout, etc. i mean how long can the nhl decide to just whiffle about policing it's own game. i've never seen so much gray in the rules and how they are administered in a league. it's very sad as a hockey fan, as an athlete, to observe it all. it just makes me angry and i feel like i've been taken in. so you know what one day maybe all the reverse encouraging i have done to keep watching this game admist all the really awful things i've seen will catch up to me and i will give up hockey. i mean if this was boxing or ufc then fine. no one is saying we don't want agression or even mistakes to happen but there's something, actually a lot that isn't right about this game and the way it's being played on the ice as if the players are all disposable or teflon or indestructible. it's very disturbing to see and be a part of and the funny thing is it's not just the nhl but it's all trickling down to the minors too. it all just needs to stop and people need to think before they do their acts. alexander ovechkin is a smart guy. he didn't need to do that. no matter if his game is high octane and his m.o. is to hit guys and make it count. that was such a dumb play it only just makes him look bad. that was an instance where he could have used his brain and made some decisions, all of which would have been better than what he did/or was trying to do. if campbell hadn't fallen then people would think it was a good play, but knowing alexander ovechkin he probably should be called with boarding more than he does. and this different strokes for different players is garbage. they always should look at prior accounts and make decisions based on acts accumulated through the year.

[H8Pens]

I cannot believe they gave Ovechkin a suspension but not Cooke. Could it be the NHL is predisposed to let things go when the Penguins and the Pretty Boy of Hockey Cindy Crosby are involved? Ovechkin is stronger than most NHL players. When he hits you, you might get hurt. Sorry for Campbell but as they say if you can't take the heat, get off the ice.

[Hockey Fan]

I can't beleive Ovechkin is defending his actions. He knows that what he did was reckless and should admit it. He has a chance here to show responsibility and respect by excepting the blame and agreeing that he deserves to be suspended. Cooke and Richards should have also been given suspensions. The rulebook should not be used by ANYONE, Campbell, the NHL, Cooke, Richards, ANYONE to HIDE BEHIND!!! RIGHT IS RIGHT AND WRONG IS WRONG and right now they are all hiding behind it. By not suspending Cooke Campbell has made that situation even worse. What will happen this Thursday when Pittsburg and Boston play again???

[steve]

H8Pens,

Cooke's hit was a clean hit. Ovechkin's was a cheap shot from behind. Cooke's was a hit to the head, which is perfectly legal. Ovechkin's was to the back, which is completely illegal.

Get over your disbelief.