Get well, Brian!

By David Haugh, Chicago Tribune, March 20, 2010:

I asked Campbell if he would like to have a good, clean hit delivered on Ovechkin if the Hawks and Caps meet for the Cup and his recovery allows him to return late in the playoffs.

"I don't care who I play in the Stanley Cup finals — as long as we're there," Campbell said. "(Ovechkin) is a great player and works hard but obviously he does some stupid things. I don't think it's anything against me personally or anyone else needs to seek retribution for.

Get well, Brian Campbell. You're a great guy. That's hockey, things happen. I am pretty sure in your career you've been pushed like that before and nothing happened. But this time it was Ovi who is heavier and stronger, anybody else wouldn't be able to do such damage. As I said Ovi needs to be aware of how strong he is. But I am glad that you've agreed that Ovi has nothing personal against you.

Here's the great post from Amy Bass, Morphizm, March 20, 2010:

I don’t know Alex. What I do know is that he is a professional hockey player, and professional hockey is, the last time I checked (and by checked I mean looked up, not slammed into or flattened) a contact sport. And if the costume of a professional hockey player is any indication, I think each of them is well aware of the dangers of their sport.

The hit against Campbell had an incredibly unfortunate outcome, absolutely. After Ovechkin made contact, Campbell flew into the rear boards, leaving him out for probably the next two months nursing a broken collarbone, a huge blow to a team with Stanley Cup hopes. But should the injury determine the punishment?

The NHL has had, quite literally, a rough last week or so: Boston’s Marc Savard went down with a concussion at the hands of Pittsburgh’s Matt Cooke, but Cooke went unscathed. A few days later, Pittsburgh fans held their collective breath when Tampa Bay’s Steve Downie blindsided Sidney Crosby after Crosby had made a pass across the ice: to be clear, Crosby was not in possession at the time of the hit. Crosby hobbled to the bench, obviously in pain from the attempted slew-foot, but later returned to the game. Again, no suspension. All is fair in love and contact sports.

So why Ovechkin, who many are now saying may lose out at yet another Hart Trophy because of what is increasingly being heralded as his “aggressive” style of play (translation: he’s dirty)? He is obviously under the biggest microscope in the league, with people watching him from all sides simply because he is that good. He has also assumed somewhat of an enemy perception in the wake of his rivalry with Crosby, the North American golden boy who most recently led his nation’s Olympic team to the most important gold medal of Canada’s record gold haul. Lastly, NHL senior vice president Colin Campbell —who hands suspensions out – has dubbed Ovechkin a “repeat offender”; Campbell (Colin) further admitted that if Campbell (Brian) hadn’t been hurt, Ovechkin likely would not have been suspended.

So if Crosby had gotten really hurt on what was kind of an insidious hit by Downie, Downie would’ve been suspended?

The NHL seems to have a few decisions to make. Hockey is either a contact sport or it isn’t. The NHL either has set rules or it doesn’t. But this kind of reactive, from-the-hip behavior sends a bad message to all those kids whose parents are undoubtedly calling for Ovechkin’s head because, as a “repeat offender”, he has become a bad role model.

Think about it: oh yes, Billy, you can check Tommy as hard as you can, as long as Tommy doesn’t get hurt, and as long as no one you’ve ever checked before happened to hit the boards and get hurt. In other words, only hit guys who can take it; because if you happen to hit a guy who flies the wrong way, you’re doomed.

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