The Shanahan Hammer

All summer, we have heard about the “HANrahan Hammer.” Now that hockey season is in just about full-swing, Brendan SHANahan, the NHL’s senior vice president of player safety and operations, is bringing down the hammer on players in violation of Rules 41 and 48 of the NHL Rule Book. (Rule 41 is Boarding, and Rule 48 is Illegal Check to the Head.)

With so many players believed to be out for the beginning of the season due to head injuries sustained from this past season, Shanahan has taken the need to crack down on both intentional and reckless behavior on the ice that could seriously injure a player. Penguins star center Sidney Crosby, Ranger Marc Staal and Blackhawk Jeremy Morin, for examples, all will most likely not begin the 2011-12 NHL season due to head injuries sustained in January and February of the 2010-11 season.

Shanahan has altered Rules 41 and 48 to broaden their definitions and to be sure to account for reckless behavior and the positioning of the victim, among other things. Supplemental discipline may be applied in addition to in-game major and minor penalties based on the severity of the incident, prior violations of NHL rules that resulted in suspensions, and injury suffered by the victim.

Shanahan released videos that all players were required to watch. The videos detailed examples of what would be considered a legal hit and what would be considered illegal. This is fantastic for hockey. The ambiguity of what could be considered a legal hit is now resolved.

Since this year’s preseason began, five players have been suspended by Shanahan for boarding and illegal hits to the head. Not only did Shanahan suspend the players, but he has brought a new level of transparency to the NHL by releasing videos on the NHL website that walk viewers through the incident that resulted in the suspension and explain why it was a direct violation of the rules. In addition, Shanny explains the rationale behind the length of the suspensions.

For example, Jody Shelley from the Flyers was suspended for five preseason games and five regular-season games for an illegal check on Maple Leaf Darryl Boyce. Shanny explained that the length of the suspension was due to the fact that Boyce was injured by Shelley and that Shelley served two suspensions last season as well as had the opportunity to minimize the impact of the hit on Boyce.

On Monday, James Wisniewski from the Blue Jackets was suspended for the remainder of the preseason and the first eight regular-season games for an illegal hit to the head of the Wild’s Cal Clutterbuck.

Shanahan is sending a strong message this preseason. So far, he is ruling with a heavy yet extremely fair hand. Sorry to say it, but Matt Cooke better come out this season like the player he promised to be. Cooke served a boarding penalty on Saturday—though bogus—but thankfully, no suspension was applied. This is going to be a rough season for Cooke regardless of how clean his game is. Cookie better keep his fists, stick and elbows inside the vehicle at all times, or he is going to be sod-farming with Jordan Staal’s family in Ontario instead of playing hockey.

As long as Shanny rules consistently and finds a standard of discipline to apply when rules are violated that warrant supplemental discipline, he will change hockey for the better. Players will be more conscious of their actions and will alter their style of play to comply with these rules rather than harm their teams by serving long suspensions ... like Cooke did last season. (The Pens really could have used Cookie for special teams when he was out, and in general).

The last thing that hockey needs is more players out for extended periods of time with head injuries. Hopefully, this new era of discipline in the NHL coming with that joke of a disciplinarian, Colin Campbell, out of the way, will make the sport more safe for the players.