Charlie Klein
The National Hockey League has suspended Alexander Ovechkin for two games following his hit on Brian Campbell last night in Chicago. NHL Senior Executive Vice President Colin Campbell has also fined the Capitals star $232,000. And to me, this is utter garbage.
I watched the game yesterday and saw the hit Ovechkin placed on Campbell. And I tweeted yesterday, "what a horse sh*t call by the referees giving Ovechkin a game misconduct from a hit from the side." And my opinion on it has not changed. Sure, it was a hard hit. Yes, it definitely injured Campbell. Of course I wish that Ovechkin would not have hit him like that. But, it is completely ludicrous that of all hits to be punished by the NHL this season, this is the one that Campbell decides to lay down any discipline.
I would offer that these two hits are much worse than Ovechkin's.
The first of which is the Mike Richards hit on David Booth:
The second of which is the Matt Cooke hit on Marc Savard:
And here's the Ovechkin hit:
The first two hits received no sanction from the genius that is Colin Campbell. And yet the third one does. Such logic clearly indicates that the NHL is specifically targeting Alex Ovechkin and attempting to make him the poster boy for vicious hits in the game. What is obvious from the video footage is that Ovechkin hit Campbell from the side, which does not call for a boarding major penalty and a game misconduct, it is a two minute minor penalty.
Even if you do not agree with me that Ovechkin does not deserve a suspension for his hit, the fact remains that the NHL has indubitably failed when it comes to disciplinary measures regarding hits. If the first two had resulted in suspensions and fines, I would have no issue at all with what has happened to Ovechkin. But it clearly has not. All of you Ovechkin haters can gloat about this, but you must know you do not have the high ground when it comes to rational thinking.
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