Shut Up Montreal

After the NHL announced that there would not be any forthcoming suspensions or fines in the wake of the hit by Zdeno Chara on Max Pacioretty, Montreal police have opened an investifation into that hit. The police stated that they are acting upon a request by the director of criminal and penal proscutions in Quebec, Louis Dionne.

In related news, Air Canada has threatened to withdraw it's sponsorship of the Montreal Canadiens home unless the league tightens rules to potentially limit severe injuries. NHL Commishioner Gary Bettmen, showing a completely uncharacteristic spine, stated that the NHL may no longer use Air Canada for it's flights as a form of retaliation.

The thing is, this sort of play happens thousands of times over the course of an NHL season. Two players are chasing a puck near the stanchion, and it essentially becomes a game of chicken. They know it's there, it just becomes a matter of which one slows up first. In this case, neither did. Momentum simply carried Pacioretty into the stanchion. Yes, the injuries are severe and unfortunate, but this play happens multiple times per game. The only thing that could possibly prevent these injuries would be to put padding on the turnbuckle, such as the padding on an NFL goalpost.

Yet, the 'outrage' coming from Montreal speaks volumes about that team. The Canadiens play a brand of hockey that is roughly akin to soccer. They dive. They flop. If someone so much as sneezes within three feet of them, they go flying across the ice as if they were shot. In fact, watching that play, it seemed as though Pacioretty was faking the injury to draw more than an interference call on Chara. It was only when he remained down for longer than a few seconds when the thought that an injury may have actually occurred came to mind. It is unfortunate, but that is the way Montreal plays.

However, they can cheap shot the opponent. They can grab. They can agitate. They will run people into goalposts. They trip. Then when someone goes to retaliate against them, they turtle, refuse to fight, and dive across the rink. These actions are why, not only do other teams hate playing them, but other NHL fans hate watching them. It is soccer on ice skates.

So, shut up Montreal. Realize that hockey is a physical game, and things like this do happen. It was an accident, pure and simple.