An Indefinite Suspension Without A Media Circus

KuklasKorner : The Puck Stops Here : An Indefinite Suspension Without A Media Circus:

Peca was upset with the non-call of the penalty and was arguing it with referee Greg Kimmerly. Peca grabbed Kimmerly’s arm as the referee skated away to try to argue his case. Peca was given a 10 minute misconduct and a game misconduct for abuse of an official. It is likely that this event will garner a 10 game suspension for Mike Peca (abuse of officials has a minimum 10 game suspension according to Rule 41, Category 2). If that occurs, it will place Peca on the list of the longest NHL suspensions ever. Is this one of the worst events in NHL history?

No, but is that all that matters?

Rick Tocchet got a couple of years away from the game for a gambling thing that was at best tangental to hockey. Pretty severe penalty for a rather minor lapse of judgement.

But these two situations both deal in a key area: integrity of the game.

Messing with the integrity of the game may not be as physical or violent as McSorley’s hit on Brashear, but it hits to the core of the game. Lose that trust in the integrity, and the league is little more than pro wrestling.

That’s why the league takes such a hard view on gambling: because the perception that gambling might be affecting the outcome of games could kill the league.

Another aspect of the game is that the referees have to be in charge and their authority respected. Yes, fans love to whine about how a referee hates their team (because god helps us, it’s never OUR team’s fault). Yes, it’s even more amusing to see fans from both sides of the same game make the same whine based on different plays in the game…

But ultimately, the referee is in charge of that game, and the players have to respect it. If you ask me, the referees in hockey put up with too much crap as it is. they cut players way too much slack on rule 40 (abuse of officials) as it is.

When the referee says “enough” and skates away, the player has to accept it. Doesn’t have to like it, but has to accept it. What Peca did was refuse to accept the authority of the referee here.

But by grabbing Kimmerly and holding him back, he crosses the line. You simply DON’T DO THAT. It’s something ingrained in players from day 1 of peewee. In my mind, also, there’s a really fine line between what Peca did and where a situation like this turns into an attempt to intimidate a referee.

And that ties right back into the integrity of the game. If a referee says “enough” and a player is allowed to say “no, it’s not”, we’re now headed down into territory where a referee can be intimidated and adjust calls based on that intimidation — and down that road were back at pro wrestling.

That’s why rules like rule 40 exist, and why when a player steps over the line, they get slapped hard. Peca took that first step down a slippery slope, and it’s a path the league has made clear (and has to make clear) you simply never take.

Peca’s appealed, he’ll get his time with Bettman. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the suspension cut, and I wouldn’t have a problem if it was cut to 5 games — but if it were me, I’d leave it where it is.

Because there are some things you simply do not do. Grabbing an official is one of them. It’s not something you judge by the severity of the action, but by the fact the action happened at all. If I were Bettman, I’d not only leave this suspension at 10 games, but use it as a chance to make a statement to the players that it’s time to put the F-bombs back in their pocket and stop lobbing them at the refs. I’m sick and tired of the tantrums on the way to the penalty box, and ultimately, Peca’s mistake was taking one of those tantrums a bit too far. He gets to pay the price for that mistake, but maybe it’s time for the league to try to look at the root problem and back the players off a bit on the histrionics over every stupid penalty…

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