For Max. For Hockey.

 (First published March 11, 2011)

With so much being said and written about the Zdeno Chara hit on Max Pacioretty, it probably makes no difference for me to weigh in on the topic. In large part because, according to the league and the vast majority of big network hockey insiders and analysts, I must recuse myself from having an opinion because I am a long-time fan of the Canadiens.

Nonetheless, there are a few things that I am finding impossible to accept in the days following this incident, and many arguments that need to be addressed.

Let me first express my thoughts on some practical matters. First off, I don't think the current police investigation is useful. We all know where this will end up and frankly it is a waste of police resources that ought to be directed at real criminal activity. Secondly, Air Canada's threat to pull its advertising from the league, while newsworthy, was in my opinion ill-advised and poorly executed. I believe it would have been more effective for the carrier to first garner support among fellow sponsors and together express their concern to the league rather than make a threat in which no one believes the airline was prepared to follow through.

Third, and this may make me rather unpopular, I do not believe Zdeno Chara to be a dirty player. As much as the evidence from prior games suggests a vendetta-like attitude, I simply can't believe he would have wished for this outcome. Hockey is a rough sport, and hard hitting is a big part of that. I do believe he made a huge error in judgement, and I think he knows it.

I would like to address some of the criticism and analysis from some individuals in the media outside of Montreal. Many of these individuals believed that the Chara hit was not atypical of a hockey play, and had it been elsewhere on the ice there would be no discussion. Many also believed that despite this knowledge the league would likely issue at least a minor suspension. That did not happen.

The outrage amongst fans and media in Montreal has been played-up significantly in this debate, and has been used to undermine the severity of this incident. The argument being that because this happened to one of our own, naturally we would see the issue of dangerous plays in the league with a bias. My response is unequivocally yes, we are more hurt and shocked because this was our player. This incident happened in front of fans, Pacioretty's parents, and our children. I have been a Canadiens fan for forty years, of course I am upset.

I have also been a hockey fan for forty years as well. The question has been asked rhetorically, where were Canadiens fans when Matt Cooke levelled Marc Savard? Where were Canadiens fans when a Guillaume Latendresse illegal hit ended Rob DiMaio's career? Believe it or not, we were just as shocked, and in the case of the latter, embarrassed and ashamed.

There seems to be a surprising lack of understanding of Canadiens fans among many of the media people outside of this city. Have they not figured out by now that this fan base is more critical of its own team than anywhere else in the league? While Habs fans are passionate about their team, they also have a deep appreciation and knowledge of the game of hockey. I dare-say, the average Habs fan knows more about line combinations, ice-time and game strategy than fans in Florida, San Jose or even Boston.

The sports reporters, analysts and insiders have been far to quick to dismiss this incident as simply a hockey play, and just as quick to assume the anger and frustration felt in this city is just a blind affection for a team and nothing more. I would contend that there is a similar type of bias at work here. Because we are Habs fans we are incapable of thinking or saying anything other than that which blows this issue out of proportion. That is tantamount to taking the notion of impartiality and twisting it to fit your own viewpoint.

Well, here are the proportions of the issue, a player was sent to hospital with a fractured vertebrae and a severe concussion for what is being described as a hockey play. Am I exaggerating the truth?

Let me get back to Chara. As I stated earlier, I don't believe him to be a dirty player. I may not like the fact that our team has to play against him, but that has more to do with the fact that he's good. As rival teams go, I like the Bruins. I like the city of Boston, and yes I'll admit I like Bruins fans too. Why? Because they are as passionate as Habs fans. This is a rivalry as old as the league itself, and for the most part it's been an entertaining one. It's also been tough. Cheap shots, hard hits and chippy play are the hallmarks of Montreal-Boston games. I could do without the extracurricular jabbing and trash-talk, but otherwise I enjoy a good Bruins-Habs game.

The issue at hand is this. An increasing number of dangerous and illegal plays has resulted in devastating injuries to some of the league's best, and most entertaining players. These injuries have been working up to a deadly crescendo in recent years and I believe culminated with the injury to Pacioretty. I have not heard from a single person watching that game, no matter which team you support or where you are from, who looked upon Pacioretty's motionless body lying prostrate on the ice and was not sick. Let's just leave team allegiance and prejudgement aside and focus on that.

League rules are very clear on certain issues. If a player tries to clear a puck and accidentally sends it over the boards, it is a penalty, regardless of intent. If you have a high stick, even if it flies up accidentally, and the stick hits another player in the head, it is an automatic penalty. A four minute penalty if the action draws blood, again regardless of intent.

Chara's hit on Pacioretty pushed him into a stanchion (turnbuckle) and caused a serious injury. If we were to follow the reasoning governing the two previously cited rules, a player must, at all times, be in control of his body during play, regardless of intent. If we were to apply the same reasoning behind the high-sticking rule, if said action results in an injury, the penalty should be more severe.

By downplaying the severity of Chara's action, intentional or not, the league has given tacit permission to players for this action to occur again. As a fan of hockey, this is unacceptable, and it is a serious miscue by the league.

You can dislike Habs fans, you can even dislike the city, it's irrelevant with regards to this issue. But if you were a witness to what happened in Tuesday's game and, with a clear conscience say that this is just part of the game of hockey, then I submit that it is not Canadiens fans that have lost touch with reality, it is you.

Have a safe weekend.