Hockey Trade Rumors

Thanks to expansion, the number of players in the NHL has increased significantly. The result of that has been talent spread far too thin across the league and several players making it to the show when it is clear, they simply do not belong.

The players I am referring to are players like Jesse Boulerice. Boulerice today was suspended 25 games for his stick infraction to the face of Ryan Kesler.

Here is the story:

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This was a chance for the NHL to really take to task a player like Boulerice who does not belong in the NHL nor represents the league in any good way.

He is simply put a Thug. We saw that with his viscious attack on a player when he played in Major Jr hockey, and we saw that the other night in Vancouver against Kesler. He brings nothing to the game except another dirty cheap shot artist who makes a living hurting other players.

This was a chance for Commissioner Gary Bettman and President Colin Campbell to really take action and really send a message that these types of players do not deserve to represent any one of the 30 existing teams in the league.

Instead he will miss a 3rd of the season and in time will be back doing what he does best, contributing nothing in terms of speed, skill and entertainment except play the role of a hitman you would more likely find in a WWE wrestling ring.

After some worthy suspensions handed out to the likes of Mark Bell for drunk driving and Steve Downie for his dirty hit on Dean McAmmond, the league dropped the ball on this one.

I can only assume that because Kesler was not seriously hurt, this viscious attack was deemed to be not really that damaging.

I think this hurts the image of the NHL. While the fans seem to love the fighting and the violence of the sport, there is no place for thuggery and such blatant assault. Its appauling when someone does this walking down the street, it should be the same for when this happens on the ice.

This has nothing to do with policing the game and taking vigilanty justice in their own hands that some players and others have stood by. They say the league needs players like Boulerice to “take care of things” in order to prevent excessive violence and cheap shots from getting out of hand.

I believe the mindset is that if stuff like this ends, so will the hitting and physicality of the game. Swinging their stick into someone’s face has nothing to do with hitting or being tough or physical. Its dirty, its cheap and it has no place in hockey.

When will people realize that its these very players who commit these horrible acts. The McSorleys, the Domi’s the Simon’s, the Boulerice’s. they are the ones who cause all this stuff in the first place. To assume that we need these types to save the likes of Sakic, Modano, Crosby is pretty much a joke.

This isnt going to end. The suspensions they hand out sort of show the league doesnt want this to end. I can only assume that it will take someone ending another player’s life with a horrible act for the league to see the light.