Well, The NHL season is in full swing and for once, there’s not a whole lot to discuss beyond the basics of who’s off to a hot start, who’s struggling and the typical petty complaints that are always associated with this time of year.
So, we’re going to do something a little different this week. We’re going to do some quick hits around The League, reacting to several items and then continuing to privately hope for chaos so that there will be more interesting stories to write.
Up first…
You know, we could probably do a whole column just on this first topic, but then we’d sound like a broken record. So, unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that Capitals’ “Bad Boy” Tom Wilson has struck again. This time, he snuffed out Filip Chytil with a borderline hit that may or may not have been late.
Wilson used his “experience” to cave in Chytil’s chest and apply “legal” contact to the latter’s head. The hit resulted in Chytil also suffering a whiplash and having to leave the game. By now, everyone in The NHL knows about Chytil’s injury history. You feel for the kid because you don’t want him to end up as another tragic figure one day, but, for now, you just hold your breath that this injury doesn’t end up being as bad as it looked.
By the way, how did the Department of Player Safety not at least take a look at the hit and have a hearing? Maybe you don’t suspend Wilson, but in a world very much driven by “optics,” wouldn’t it have at least made The NHL look a little better if Wilson was called for a hearing, even if he wasn’t punished, so that it at least looks like The League is doing something and taking this seriously? Oh well, another chance to look good thrown away.
Next up, The League announced last week that it is partnering with Syracuse University to create an educational program for NHL players and their families that will provide “a comprehensive suite of educational programs for access by NHL Players and their dependent family members, at significant tuition discounts. These course programs will be at both the undergraduate and graduate levels and will be offered fully online. In addition, Syracuse University will develop a full complement of professional development and executive education programs for program participants.”
Kudos to The League and Syracuse University on this new endeavor. Hopefully, it will be put to good use. We don’t expect to hear too much about this program during the season, but it could be interesting to check in next summer to see which players (if any) are taking advantage of the opportunity to further their education.
Up next was Joel Quenneville’s “return” to Chicago for the first time since being reinstated by The League. Quenneville is now the Head Coach of the Anaheim Ducks and while he has been making attempts to show that he’s truly sorry for his actions – or inactions – during the Kyle Beach mess, the fans in Chicago weren’t quite so ready to forgive him. Sure, there was some applause in a showing of appreciation for him guiding the Blackhawks to three Stanley Cup championships, but there was also some noticeable booing from the Chicago Faithful.
Good on the Chicago fans for not just skating over the unpleasantness and forgiving too easily. As Quenneville continues to try and make amends, he shouldn’t be handed anything easily. If he’s truly sorry, which, for now, we’ll choose to believe he is, then he should have to earn back the goodwill that was erased when the scandal first broke.
Lastly, did anyone have on their bingo cards Connor McDavid being goalless through his first six games? Or Shane Pinto leading The League in goals (seven) through six games? Or Scott Wedgewood leading The League in wins (five) or Dustin Wolf leading in losses (four)?
We know McDavid isn’t going to remain goalless for much longer. We doubt Pinto will be anywhere near the top of the leaderboard in goals when the season ends. And while Wedgewood’s win total will get a nice boost by playing for Colorado, we doubt he leads The League in that category at season’s end. As for Wolf, you knew there’d be some struggles, but with how bad Calgary has been thus far, this could turn ugly very quickly for the young netminder.
How’s that for being quick?
