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"Culture change" identified at GM meetings

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Written by J.P. Hoornstra

Wednesday, November 10, 2010 04:41

Rule banning blindside hits is doing its job, but a new All-Star Game format is needed, the general managers conclude.

One the same day that one of the league’s most popular players was serving a two-game suspension for a blindside hit to an opponent’s head, the NHL general managers again threw their support behind Rule 48.

While the rule has been met with some criticism so far, it has also achieved its goal of reducing serious injuries resulting from direct blows to the head. That was the consensus message coming out of Tuesday’s GM meeting in Toronto.

"We've seen a change of culture," were the exact words of Buffalo Sabres GM Darcy Regier as they appeared in USA Today.

"There are instances where it looks like players are aware that other players are vulnerable, and they impede their progress by not taking advantage of the situation,” Regier told ESPN.com.

According to USA Today, the rule has been applied in six situations through the first month of the season.

Two players (Phoenix Coyotes captain Shane Doan and San Jose Sharks captain Joe Thornton – whose 2-game ban ended Tuesday) were suspended. Two more (Edmonton’s Tom Gilbert and Ottawa’s Nick Foligno) were fined but not suspended. The others, Pittsburgh’s Kris Letang and Los Angeles captain Dustin Brown, were given five-minute majors and game misconducts, but escaped further discipline from the league.

As each of these decisions was met with various degrees of derision from fans, coaches and players, NHL disciplinarian Colin Campbell wasn’t surprised.

"We understood there would be criticism," Campbell told ESPN.com. "It's like 2005-06 [with the obstruction crackdown]. It was a pretty rocky road for the first few months. Now it's similar, but we can't forget the big picture. The greater good is we want the players to learn."

Added Washington Capitals GM George McPhee, “The important thing is to give this the year to play out and let (the players) follow our mandate, and see how it goes, and then we’ll revisit it.”

In truth, even one month is a fairly small sample size to work with. The concussion-inducing hits last season on Florida Panthers forward David Booth and Boston Bruins center Marc Savard – both cited as reasons for instituting the new rule, and lumped together in hindsight – occurred five months apart. Already this season, four Colorado Avalanche players (Kyle Quincey, Kyle Cumiskey, Adam Foote and Peter Mueller) have been sidelined with concussions, but none were the result of a headshot deemed illegal under Rule 48.

It’s probably safe to say that concussion-reducing measures will be expanded before they’re reduced.

New All-Star Game format discussed

If the GMs gave a thumbs up to Rule 48, any previous All-Star Game formats got a thumbs down.

Most of the specifics weren’t discussed publicly, but multiple reports indicated that NHL vice president Brendan Shanahan’s proposal would allow fans to vote in the 40 all-stars. Using that pool of players, two captains would then choose their squads, like in a real-life fantasy hockey draft. The format has never been used before to determine sides in an NHL All-Star Game. The game will be played Jan. 30 in Raleigh, N.C.

A spokesperson for the NHL Players’ Association, which consulted with Shanahan on the format, said details would be announced “soon.” One unresolved question: If the captains choose the teams, who chooses the captains?

"Social media policy" on hold

Voting on any formal NHL “social media policy” was given a stay of judgment.

Phoenix Coyotes GM Don Maloney led a discussion regarding players’ use of Facebook and Twitter, but as Regier told USA Today, “the thoughts are we don’t know enough about it.”

Specific concerns were voiced about certain players’ use of Twitter. McPhee noted that former Capitals forward Donald Brashear once announced on Twitter that he was being scratched prior to a playoff game. “The other team had a pretty good idea of what our lineup was going to be,” McPhee told reporters.

Maloney also addressed the unique case of Coyotes enforcer Paul Bissonnette, whose 17,000-plus followers have been treated to some off-color musings over the last year. While Maloney told reporters that the team didn’t force Bissonnette to shut down his Twitter account this summer following his written remarks toward New Jersey Devils forward Ilya Kovalchuk, “every once in a while, you just have to say, 'No, no, no, no, stay on the good side of the ledger.'"

Overtime, coach’s challenge rejected

Two ideas that didn’t get off the ground came from Detroit Red Wings GM Ken Holland, who proposed a 3-on-3 overtime period, and Florida Panthers GM Dale Tallon, who proposed allowing coaches to formally revisit an on-ice official’s call.