Defenseman Chris Pronger received an eight-game ban for his stomp on Vancouver Canucks forward Ryan Kesler, and it couldn't have been a more appropriate punishment.
Chris Pronger may be a former Hart Trophy winner as league MVP, but the National Hockey League d-man is playing more and more like a goon. Case in point, his 'stomp' on Canuck Ryan Kesler March 12th. The two players got tangled up deep in the Anaheim Ducks' end of the ice early in the second period of what turned out to be a 4-1 Anaheim victory. When Pronger's leg got caught in between those of the fallen Kesler, the former briefly struggled to break free. When he did, as videotape evidence proves, he stomped on Kesler's calf. Initially, the league opted to not suspend Pronger, but, as the picture of the television clip of the incident got cleared up, it became equally clear what NHL director of hockey operations Colin Campbell had to do: suspend the guilty party for eight games.
Those with a long memory will recall that last December enforcer Chris Simon, then with the New York Islanders, lined up Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jarkko Ruutu's ankle and promptly attempted to guillotine his foot off. Almost indisputedly, serious bodily harm was intended. As a result, Simon got handed down a 30-game suspension, the longest in league history. Now, to compare Simon and Pronger, in terms of reputation, is not as different as comparing apples to apples as one would think. Simon has eight suspensions to his credit, and Pronger, following his most recent indiscretion, has... wait for it... eight as well. So, if you were to shake up and then ask your own magic eight ball why the huge disparity in degree of each player's punishment, the answer... well, the answer wouldn't be so short that it could fit on one of those triangular disks, so allow me to clear the air a little: It boils down to little more than malicious intent.
When Simon stomped on Ruutu's leg, he seemed to take the time to position Ruutu's leg on the ice in such a way that he was trying to disguise the guillotine motion as a step onto his team's bench at the end of his shift. Based on the footage, it was a calculated attempt to injure another player. Ruutu will never be confused with a Lady Byng Memorial Trophy winner in his career (awarded to a player based on his gentlemanly conduct on the ice) and he is far from an innocent bystander here. He has been known to goad opposing players into taking bad penalties time and again. In essence, he talks the talk, but usually refuses to walk the walk when people call him on it, such is his reputation. While the footage here only shows Ruutu in a vunerable position, there should be little doubt in anybody's mind that Simon was just physically manifesting the impure thoughts of most of his teammates on the night. Unfortunately for him, he paid the price for not properly filtering his own.
In Pronger's case, the infraction was almost certainly an instinctual reaction: "Hmm...I can't get back in the play because this dude's legs are all over me! Get the (expletive deleted) off me!" It happened so quick, relative to Simon's offense (even though both took place over the course of a few seconds) that, while the act was most likely intentional, it was not premeditated. That right there is the difference. There is no double standard, just justice.
Pronger will sit out eight of Anaheim's remaining nine regular-season games, and the punishment clearly fits the crime. Let's not kid ourselves here. Eight games is a hell of a long time, especially as far as suspensions go. Yes, Simon's was indeed longer, and, yes, each has a similar short-tempered resume, but there were other factors in play too. Campbell did his job, and, thus, Pronger will get another chance to do his this season, to shut down the opposition, only, from here on out, within the rules of the game.
