Beauty might be in the eye of the beholder, but when it comes to justice in the NHL, a fair ruling certainly seems like a very “personal” experience too. Many hockey fans probably grimaced when they heard that Brad Marchand only received a five-game suspension for clipping Sami Salo, but to the surprise of no one, Boston Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli isn’t happy with the ruling.
“While we respect the process that the Department of Player Safety took to reach their decision regarding Brad’s hit on Sami Salo, we are very disappointed by their ruling.
“While we understand that the Department of Safety is an evolving entity, it is frustrating that there are clear comparable situations that have not been penalized or sanctioned in the past.
“It is equally disappointing that Brad sought the counsel of the Department this past Fall for an explanation and clarification regarding this type of scenario so as to adjust his game if necessary. He was advised that such an incident was not sanctionable if he was protecting his own safety. Given our feeling that Brad was indeed protecting himself and certainly did not clip the player as he contacted the player nowhere near the knee or quadricep, today’s ruling is not consistent with what the Department of Player Safety communicated to Brad.”
Well, at least he didn’t use the word “propaganda” in his statement. Read more Chiarelli anger regarding the situation here.