We’d Go To Jail, They Play Hockey
People often ask why hockey is among the greatest sports ever played. Simple question, simple answer: only in this sport can you take a wooden stick and swing it at an opposing players head, sucker punch someone from behind or smash someone’s face into (essentially) a wall without going to jail, or at least losing your job.
We would lose our jobs and be arrested—instantly—the following, not so much:
Claude Lemieux (not related to Le Magnifique) checks Kris Draper (video here—first 0:20)
Draper (Detroit) comes away from the incident with a broken jaw, broken nose, and broken cheekbone as well as an obvious concussion; he has to undergo extensive reconstructive surgery. Lemieux (Colorado)? The NHL hands him a 2 game suspension.
Wayne Maki clubs “Terrible” Ted Green over the head with his stick:
Green (Boston) had three life-saving operations and a steel plate put in his head, and after a year of recovery, rejoined the NHL only to receive a 12 game suspension for the fight. Maki (St. Louis) was handed a 30 day suspension from the NHL. Both players were later charged with assault, but were acquitted by Canadian courts (read why here).
Todd Bertuzzi retaliates against Steve Moore (video here):
After a wicked sucker punch to the back of Moore’s head, a stretcher takes him off the ice. The resulting 3 fractured vertebrae, ligament damage, and more has kept Moore (Colorado) from playing since. Bertuzzi (Vancouver) was initially suspended indefinitely by the NHL, but has since been reinstated after serving only 20 games; legally, he plead guilty to assault and was given 1 year probation.
Marty McSorley slashes Donald Brashear (video here—slow motion around 1:35):
McSorley (Boston) slashes Brashear (Vacouver) in the side of the head, causing him to fall backwards and hit is head on the ice. Brashear fully recovered, McSorley received a 23 game suspension. Even though the NHL would allow him back, he never returned to play for the NHL again. He was charged with assault with a deadly weapon and put on 18-month probation.
This kid was allowed to keep playing:
Jesse Boulerice was with the Ontario Hockey League in 1998 when he did a double-handed, baseball style swing at the head of Andrew Long (video here). Almost 10 years later, while in the NHL with Philidelphia, he cheap shots Ryan Kesler of Vancouver (video here), resulting in a 25-game suspension.
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