Simmonds and Things

It's been a very tough week for Wayne Simmonds.  First the now infamous banana incident, and then he finds himself on the other end of a bad situation with Avery/homophobe incident.  You couldn't blame Simmonds for simply wanting to move on from the banana incident, though it's a little harder to ask everyone to simply forget a similar incident in which you are the perpetrator.

There is no excusing Simmonds alleged (likely) use of homophobic slurs.  It's not right and no provocation justifies it.  The whole thing is just unfortunate for a lot of reasons.

Truthfully the situation fits Avery's modus operandi perfectly.  Agitate, physically and verbally, then when a response finally comes, cry to the referees instead of finishing what you started.  This pattern was on full display in the game a few days, as microphones clearly caught Avery repeatedly yelling "he was going ****ing kill Giroux," and cheapshotting Simmonds with a punch in the face at the bottom of the pile when Simmonds is defenseless.  Later Simmonds challenges Avery to a toe-to-toe fight, and Avery turtles drawing a penalty.  As I said, his typical bag of tricks.

Where things change here is that, where Avery usually agitates then cries to the referees for a penalty, here he agitates then rats out a player to the media.  This is against all acknowledged NHL players codes, that what happens on the ice stays on the ice.

Avery is no angel.  He has previously been accused of using racial slurs against black players, was suspended by the league for commenting to the media that other players were having his sloppy seconds by dating his ex-girlfriend, and has at various other times been accused of crossing the line with his trash talk, delving into player's personal lives and wives.  Additionally, it has been reported that unnamed officials say they hear language like Simmonds is accused of 10 times a game.  Clearly, all of this generally vile behavior underlines that trash talk that is not fit for public consumption is an everyday part of life in the NHL.

Again, this doesn't excuse Simmonds behavior, but the prevailing culture cannot be ignored.  It is not practical or even fair to come crashing down on Simmonds at this time.  This is an uncomfortable subject that will come up again around the league, but for now the NHL is content to let it blow over and merely put everyone on notice.

General Preseason Notes
-The consensus is that Matt Read has won himself a spot of the roster, quite likely in the top 9 forwards.  He's shown a ton of jump, and is playing smart in all situations.  This would be great news for the Flyers if he can stick as a reliable, productive player.

-Schenn has underwhelmed a bit this preseason, and is now hurt.  The widespread expectation was that he would make the team, but the way things are going I wouldn't be shocked if he starts the season down in the AHL.  He is exempt from waivers so the Flyers can send him up and down as they please.  Also, the Flyers cap situation is very tight, and his $3m+ contract is not a trivial number.

-Couturier has shown very well, but it was always going to be an uphill climb for him to make the squad at 18.  I'd be very surprised if he sticks past the 10 game mark, when players his age must be sent back to juniors or else the Flyers will lose a year to his free agency status.

-The 7th defensemen spot battle still seems pretty wide open.  Matt Walker has the most NHL bona fides, but also a much bigger contract than Gustafsson and Bartulis, so he will have to be that much better than them to make the team.

-Good stuff from Bobrovsky thus far.  I previously said the Flyers would've been crazy to give the keys to the team this season, which I still definitely believe, but a year as a backup could be great for him.  Especially if he plays like this for an extended period.

Shanahan's Reign Begins

I was not a fan of how the NHL has conducted its disciplinary system the last few seasons.  It was arbitrary, mysterious, and lived up to the fan's mocking moniker "wheel of justice."  Perhaps the biggest indictment of the system was that it was wholly unpredictable, and lack of transparency and clarity are one of the worst criticisms you can level at an institutional system of justice.

When Colin Campbell left the office as head disciplinarian, things could only get better.  In steps Brendan Shanahan, a respected and well-liked former player who has been actively involved in rule tweaks the last few seasons.

Shanahan got things off to a good start, and even regaled those of us who lack the patience and interest to read a press release with a video;

Wow.  Transparent, clear, tough.  What a difference.

Jody Shelley has also found himself in the crosshairs;

I don't think Shelley's hit was as bad as LeBlond's, so Shelley's multiple suspensions last year and his "repeat offender" status obviously counts for a lot.

Given this positive start, the question still remained about the trickier case of illegal checks to the head.  Those incidents are much touchier, and there is still some resistance in the league to harsh penalties for such plays.  Also, late last season the GMs passed rule changes to toughen up boarding enforcement.  This included the language quoted in the videos about how the onus is the on the player applying the check to ensure the target is not in a defenseless position.  This language is not illegal check to the head rule.

It didn't take long to get a preview of how Shanahan will handle headshots;

Two games isn't very much, but that is explained by the lack of injury, intent, and previous suspension history of Boyes.  What IS noteworthy about this video is that Shanahan states that the onus was on the player delivering the check to minimize contact to the head, even though the onus language is not written into the headshot rule, as it is for boarding.

I think these rulings forebode very well for NHL disciplinary action this season.  Administratively, they are clear and transparent.  Substantively, they are tough penalties that place the onus on the checking player not to prey on the other player.  While the target still bears some responsibility for his position, it's a softening on the old school "keep your head up" attitude, which I think is the most important piece in reducing head injuries in the long run.