The following casual conversation took place between myself and a good friend, Steve Saal, in between our bickering over whose team will do better, Devils or Rangers, when a general discussion of the state of the NHL broke out:
Steve: The enforcement in the NHL is such a joke that I don’t judge anyone.
Me: Yeah, inconsistencies are pathetic
Steve: and Chara not being disciplined is basically contrary to everything in our entire society
Me: He needed to get a game or two because he was not aware of where he was on the ice.
No question he needed to get a game or two.
Steve: Hell, more than that. We'll throw people in jail for doing things that are illegal, and, while you would never foresee a specific type of injury from the action, you'd be responsible for it nonetheless. But we won’t suspend a hockey player
Me: very very good way to look at it
Steve: There's a guy up in Boston facing man slaughter charges, and deservedly so, because, in a dispute, he threw a glass. the glass bounced awkwardly, shattered, stabbed, and killed a young guy from long island who was in no way connected to the confrontation. Did he ever think he was going to slice someone's artery and kill them when he threw that glass? Of course not, but it was still illegal and stupid and he deserves to be held accountable.
Me: You know what I think, and it’s very narrow sighted, I think his [Commissioner Gary Bettman] contract extension has a big role in Chara not getting anything.
Steve: Chara illegally finished a check towards the boards. Normally, nothing comes of it, but it was illegal and the crazy results are his responsibility.
Steve: [In response to my comment] Maybe.
Steve: To me, there's no difference in those two examples, Chara, and that bar incident.
They are unlawful, overt and intentional acts that unfortunately resulted in something catastrophic that no one would ever predict.
If we were out on the street and were fighting, and I moderately pushed you and you stumbled, nothing happens. If I moderately push you and don’t see the pole I push your head into --> ASSAULT. That's life.
The law sees the intent of the act, and the injury. Intent to cause the injury is an escalating issue but not determinative.
Sorry, been fighting with people on this all week. It gets me annoyed.
For whatever reason, in sports, intent to cause the injury somehow got into the punishment process.
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