Punishment Worthy

Paul Kubina of the Tampa Bay Lightning was given a 3 game suspension and fined $60,000 and change today for an elbow to Dave Bolland's head last night. No penalty was actually assessed in the game. Bolland was not hospitalised.

Sean Avery was given a 6 game suspension in 2008 for comments he made about his ex-girlfriend who was then dating a player on a team he would face that night. The comments were made before the game. The Dallas Stars served him some punishment of their own. After the last day of his suspension the Stars announced that Avery was not welcome back on the team. For comments about his ex-girlfriend and her current boyfriend (Dion Phaneuf) made OFF the ice, before the game.

Nick Boyton of the BlackHawks made a throat slashing gesture at another player after a fight. He received a 1 game suspension.

Eric Goddard got an automatic 10 game suspension when he left the bench to help defend his goalie after Michael Haley skated the length of the ice to start a fight. Martin got a 4 game suspension for ANOTHER incident in that game. A game full of stupidity.

Zdeno Chara runs (one could easily say guided) Max Pacioretty into a stanchion leaving him with a concussion and a fractured vertebra. This is done when Pacioretty doesn't have the puck. He gets no "supplementary" punishment from the NHL.

I could go on and on looking at suspensions handed out. Some that make sense, some that could be argued. Yet it is the non-suspension of Zdeno Chara that leaves me shaking my head at the NHL. A throat slashing gesture after a fight warranted a 1 game suspension. Comments made to the media, before a game, warranted a 6 game suspension. Chara's actions warrant none? What a fucking joke.