The Flyers haven't cornered the market on cheap, senseless hits, but it only takes a look at their growing list of "supplemental disciplinary actions" to realize that the sons of the Broad Street Bullies have carved themselves a nasty and dangerous niche.
No two cheap shots are alike, which makes for a dicey discussion when trying to figure out exactly what the Flyers are doing, or trying to prove, what they're thinking, or if they're thinking. The latter point is open to much debate, after witnessing Scott Hartnell, a well-behaved citizen most of his career, clobber a defenseless Andrew Alberts last Monday night while the Bruins defenseman slid on both knees toward the boards after knocking down a puck and bunting it away.
"I did not stick my elbow out, and I did not crush his head against the boards," said Hartnell. "I let up at the end."
The 6-foot-2-inch Hartnell had no legit reason to hit Alberts. By the time the Flyer winger reached the contact point, Alberts no longer had puck possession. Alberts was drifting toward the sideboards, and Hartnell elected to slam him, rattling his head off the top of the dasher.
Did Hartnell slow down? Yes, slightly, almost imperceptibly, a shift from fourth gear to third. Was his elbow out? No, but the replay showed Hartnell aim a forearm at Alberts's head, and make partial contact, with less than full force. Had he delivered that forearm at full power, Alberts unquestionably would have suffered more than a blasting headache and abrasion around his left temple. It could have been a whole lot worse. Witness: Patrice Bergeron, still picking up the shattered pieces after the Grade 3 concussion, and accompanying broken nose, he sustained when Flyer defenseman Randy Jones crushed him into the boards Oct. 27 at the Garden.
In both cases, much to the ire of the Bruins and their fans, Jones and Hartnell were suspended for only two games. Colin Campbell, the league's chief disciplinarian, erred drastically, and disappointingly, to the side of conservatism.
The view here: Campbell was about three games light on Jones. He had less time to think about the hit than Hartnell, which makes a case for less intent, but he did "finish" the hit with a forearm. In an era when the league and the players constantly chatter about the need to eliminate head shots, then something around a five- or six-game suspension at least would have shown that HQ takes that chatter seriously.
Hartnell, though he backed off a smidge, nonetheless chose to follow through and drill a player while he was defenseless. Frankly, it was a cowardly, shameful act. Hartnell needed to be sent away for a minimum 10 games. Too much fault here, however, ends up in Campbell's lap. He is guilty only of a slip in calibrating justice. He should be more engaged in protecting the paid help, but Campbell didn't commit the crime.
Does the sport have a problem with player-on-player violence? Yes, there are guys, four of them Flyers, who have proven their desire and ability to hurt people. And guess what? They all pay dues to the same union, the NHL Players Association. And that is a crucial, oft-overlooked point.
When it comes time to sort out the damage, far too much blame gets tossed into the laps of Campbell and his boss, Gary Bettman. All of these incidents, and scores before them, point to the dire need for the players themselves to clean up their act. That's where the PA has to step in.
Judging by a conversation late last week with new executive director Paul Kelly, it seems the PA finally has realized the obvious. Kelly, who met Thursday with the NHL's Board of Governors in Pebble Beach, Calif., wants the union to be far more engaged in the supplemental disciplinary process. In his estimation, after meeting in recent weeks with the rank and file of 11 of the league's 30 teams, the players feel the need to increase the on-ice respect factor and do what they can to decrease, ideally eliminate, "head shots."
"There is a feeling among the players," said Kelly, "there has been a greater number of these this year than in the past - and no one has an explanation for it. Some of these are hits by guys who are considered third- or fourth-liners, and perhaps they are sent out by a coach to play a certain style, or maybe they are trying to win a job, or keep a job, and maybe they feel they have to ratchet up the aggressiveness.
"No one is sure what it's about. But I can tell you, overall, it's the players' view that [fixing it] has to start with them."
According to Kelly, he has spoken with Bettman, his top aide, Bill Daly, and Campbell about a variety of ways for the PA to be involved. To start, Kelly would like Campbell first to notify the PA of his decisions on "supplemental disciplinary" cases before the decisions are made public. Ideally, said Kelly, the PA would participate in the steps along the way to Campbell reaching his decision. And if the perception is out there that the PA always will seek the lightest punishment possible, then someone truly has the wrong idea, according to the executive director.
Based on what Kelly is saying, the players want the suspensions to mean something, they want them to hurt, they want them to lead to cleaning up a frightening, and potentially lethal, element that has no place in the game.
"If you are going to be out there, hitting people when they are in defenseless or in vulnerable positions," mused Kelly, "well, before you hit them with that elbow, you better think long and hard about the implications of that. These are highly skilled athletes, and they know when to pull up. This is serious, and we are talking about it in a serious way."
Neely takes a direct approach
Tuesday was an optional practice day for the Bruins, with only a smattering of players taking the ice at Ristuccia Arena in Wilmington. The skeletal crew included Petteri Nokelainen, Milan Lucic, and Cam Neely.
The workout . . . uh, wait a minute . . . Cam Neely?
Yes, indeed, the Hall of Fame right winger unexpectedly pulled out the skates and added "on-ice instructor" to his lengthening job description. For the better part of 20 minutes, the 42-year-old Neely led Lucic and Nokelainen through a number of skating and shooting drills that both players figure should help them contend better with the rigors of the NHL.
"He gave me some things to think about, things that might help me coming down the wall," said Lucic, a fellow British Columbian. "You know, little things . . . a big guy coming down the wall should be able to muscle his way in.
"You've got to have that upper-body strength, and strong legs, and kind of stay down low as you're coming down. It was good. Hey, any time you get a little lesson from a Hall of Famer, it has to help."
Neely also worked with both players on their shooting, encouraging them to fire the half-slapper (a Neely patent), and also reminding them always to be aware of positioning - where they are on the ice, in reference to the goal, and how to position their stick in anticipation of a pass.
"A guy like that, what else can you do but listen?" said Nokelainen, who as a young boy in Finland counted his Neely hockey card among his prized possessions. "He definitely knows what he's talking about. I've been talking to him the last couple of weeks, and he sees things from upstairs that maybe we don't see down on the ice. Who's better to tell you these things?"
Portrait of a sorry Charlie
The ever-ill-at-ease Charlie Jacobs, the Bruins' executive vice president, might need years for the Zamboni tire track marks to fade from his backside in the wake of a Boston Magazine piece, "Charlie in Charge." The author, John Gonzalez, portrays the junior Jacobs as out of touch, moody, and otherwise listing awkwardly at the helm of the tattered Spoked-B franchise.
Descriptive, vivid, and balanced, the story methodically carves Jacobs into pieces, to the point where it now will be hard for him to gain any traction or credibility in town. Consider it the younger Jacobs's "Thanks Dad" baptism. If there is anyone left on Causeway Street who could have spared Jacobs the embarrassment, he or she failed, miserably. Bad day for the club's high-paid media consultants, too.
Under the young Jacobs's orders, a good many of the club's best people have been rudely shown the door in recent years, and some of them might have been able at least to shield him from the indignity. Maybe not. But with Harry Sinden now marginalized to the point of being a hood ornament, and the building now up to its roof line in young, ambitious kids who chant, "You betcha, Charlie!" Boston Magazine's velveteen hatchet job was inevitable.
Among the many telling passages is the lead, portraying an August Town Hall meeting at the Garden with season ticket-holders. By Gonzalez's description, the event was an unmitigated PR disaster, and he tells that to Jacobs.
"Really?" Jacobs finally says to Gonzalez, his face flushed. "Everyone I talked to said it was fine."
On Causeway Street these days, too many people nod, and those who don't take their truths to the street.
Etc.
He's hot for these skates
When word broke 6-8 weeks ago that as many as 10 NHLers would receive Thermablades to test in practice, Bruins pivot Marc Savard was eager to get his pair of the heated skates. "I met a guy at a golf tournament over the summer, and he told me about them," Savard said. "I'm still excited about it, but nothing yet." The blades, manufactured just outside of Montreal and expected to retail for close to $400 per pair, include a concealed battery and microchip. When activated, they will heat to over 40 degrees Fahrenheit, which in theory will cut down on glide friction and the resistance a player faces when starting from a dead stop. "Hey, if they're going to help me skate, I'm all for them," said Savard.
Executive derision
Tough days in Toronto, where Richard Peddie, president and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, opined last week that it was a "mistake" to put a raw rookie - specifically John Ferguson Jr. - on the job as general manager. That, folks, might set the record for a vote of nonconfidence, not to mention front office buffoonery. But as the weekend began, JFJ remained on the watch, amid swirling rumors that another rookie GM, ex-goalie/broadcaster Glenn Healy, could be named his successor. Frankly, if Peddie didn't realize the scope of the job, then he should not be part of the selection process - or the dismissal process, other than his own. But still the stands fill at
Bruin big wheel
Bruins coach Claude Julien, his attention to detail and overall defensive strategy leading to impressive results the last couple of weeks, has been an avid bicyclist for years. Prior to taking the job here, Julien said he would bike for miles along the streets and trails around his home outside of Ottawa. But now? "I've still got the bike, but it's in the garage with two flat tires," he said. "Just haven't had the time."
From the suggestion box
Simple, bright idea of the week, how to fix the NHL, from your faithful hockey scribe (patent pending, of course): Except when taking a faceoff in its defensive end, no team shall be allowed to have all five skaters behind its blue line. In cases of a faceoff in the defensive end, one of the skaters must exit the zone no more than five seconds after play resumes. (Similar to the NBA's three-second rule.) The effect: 1) teams typically will attack at five-on-four strength once penetrating the offensive zone; 2) the "defensive" team, constantly forced to leave a player out of the zone, will find ways to spring the player on breakaways. NESN analyst Mike Milbury, when apprised of the idea: "Ridiculous. No way. You've changed the game." Faithful hockey scribe to Milbury: "Thank you."
Nice to see you again
The Lords of the Boards met in Pebble Beach last week and, thankfully, approved a new scheduling matrix that next season will have all 30 teams facing each other at least once. Divisional play will be sliced from 32 games (eight against each opponent) to 24 (six vs. each opponent), and then 40 more games will be played against the other 10 clubs (two home, two away) in the same conference. All of which will leave 18 games to be played against the 15 teams in the other conference. Voila, no more "dropping" a division each season on a rotating basis. Of course, if the league expands by six more teams, three in each conference, then those 18 out-of-conference games will allow for exactly one game against every team. The Original 36. Has a ring to it, doesn't it?
Farewell to a friend
Upward of 200 guests made their way to St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church in Falmouth Friday morning to celebrate the life of Tom Johnson, the former Bruins coach, and later executive, who died Nov. 21 at age 79. Johnson's longtime pal, the Rev. Paul Finn, noted in the service, "If there is a Hall of Fame for true friendship, then Tom's jersey hangs there, too." Some of the ex-Boston players in attendance: Derek Sanderson, Ray Bourque, Bob Sweeney, Bronco Horvath, Gord Kluzak, Gary Doak, Ed Westfall, Tom Songin, Jay Miller, Jean Ratelle, Rick Middleton, Lyndon Byers, and Milbury. Longtime trainer Dan Canney, still going strong at Suffolk Downs, where he helps the jockeys suit up, also made the journey from Charlestown.
Kevin Paul Dupont can be reached at dupont@globe.com; material from personal interviews, wire services, other beat writers, and league and team sources was used in this report.
