The NHL’s disciplinary action, which had become a joke, reached a whole new level late Thursday night. Many would rub their eyes a couple of times when the news channels were filled with the league’s Ottawa For Shane Pinto from the 41-match suspension.
41 matches!
The first thought was whether this is really the same disciplinary body that hands out five-ton fines or suspensions of at most a couple of matches for tackles aimed at the head that cause chronic brain injuries.
The astonishment was great when the truth dawned: we are talking about the same company.
Of course, the punishment was imposed by the NHL commissioner Gary Bettmannot a disciplinary boss George Parros. This detail says a lot about NHL discipline. Parros has as much power in NHL discipline as he had in his nine-year NHL career on the rink – his playing career produced eighteen goals.
Parros is in a sheltered workplace, where his powers are sufficient for fines of a few tons or bans for a couple of games. When big men make big decisions, Parros makes coffee.
The astonishment was equally great when it was found out what caused Pinto’s suspension: for a violation of the league’s betting rules. The NHL added that the American striker had not bet on NHL games.
We don’t know anything else.
In this respect, the NHL was able to take its discipline to an even sadder level than before. How on earth can the league hand down a half-season suspension without telling exactly what the player is being punished for? The solution is special.
According to the North American media, the player would have used a third party or parties who had access to the betting account in Pinto’s name. After this, however, the truth is out there somewhere. No one knows exactly what Pinto will be punished for.
Reputation beyond humanity
It is easy to understand why the NHL wants to punish Pinto. Naturally, the league does not want any kind of betting humps and bumps on its table. It already sent a memo to the clubs more than a year ago, in which it warned everyone operating in the league of sanctions if the border was crossed.
The proportions are all the same, if you compare the cake that has been dropped now with other punishments given by the league.
The fact that NHL management does not have a functioning moral compass is not news, but this is an ugly reminder of it. Reputational damage can cause chaos in the warm NHL office in New York, but if damage is done to people, there is understanding and a line to be found.
When representing Nashville at the time Austin Watson was convicted of assaulting his girlfriend and the mother of his child, the NHL deemed the offense worth 27 games.
When Todd Bertuzzi in the 2003-2004 season, attacked Colorado from behind like a raccoon Steve Moore’s with the consequence that his career ended, the NHL punished the player with a 33-game suspension.
It is thought that Pinto, who is without a contract, would sign a one-year, $4.5 million contract with Ottawa. In this case, he would pay a monetary compensation of 2.25 million dollars for his suspension, since the player does not receive a salary during the suspension.
That would be $250,000 more than what the Chicago Blackhawks were made to pay for covering up the sexual abuse. Chicago’s video coach at the time Brad Aldrich had sexually exploited the player in the spring of 2010, but the club management did not raise the issue.
Two strollers
The fact that the NHL has entered the betting business in a big way adds its own spice to the soup.
In the past couple of years, advertisements of different betting companies have appeared on shirts and helmets, and nowadays you can’t even watch match broadcasts without the advertisements of betting agencies being pushed onto the screen at an even disturbing pace.
Betting is crammed up to the throats of everyone in the NHL community, but when problems arise, there is only a stick available – and a stick that is not used in any other context.
The punishment meted out has the flavor of double standards.
But this is the NHL. Behind the shiny goal totals, the league’s current management gives the series an ugly face.
Until two months ago, the league was of the opinion that players do not have the right to use rainbow tapes on their bats. Humanity, human values, tolerance and equality mean nothing to Bettman and his backers.
The world just doesn’t work that way these days.