kane/marchment dicipline issues overdue - 29 November 2021

Story by Rocky Rhodes

Controversy continues to surround pro sports that range from the NFL to the NHL and while we hear that the issues released to the media are being resolved, realistically speaking – are they??

First addressing the NHL was faced with the issue of sexual abuse surrounding the Chicago Blackhawks that indicated that several of the teams top officials ignored player accusations of sexual abuse.

Why was this ignored, well for one we are hearing that it came at a time when the team was in the Stanley Cup playoffs, but does that make it right?

In an interview on a major sports station in Canada, Kyle Beach was revealed as the one who made the comments that surrounded the 2010 Blackhawks playoff run.

Beach is currently playing hockey in Germany and was the one who came forward reporting the sexual abuse by video coach Brad Aldrich, was later convicted of sexually assaulting in Michigan in 2013. 

Following a meeting with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, Panthers Coach Joel Quenneville who was with the Blackhawks in 2010 as their coach, stepped down. 

The next day Bettman chose not to discipline Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff, who was Hawks Assistant GM in 2010 while taking it a step further Hawks owner requested that the HHOF remove Aldrich’s name from the Stanley Cup.

Continuing on with Jets, the NHL felt that Kevin Cheveldayoff  directly reported to Stan Bowman and was listed as the one with the lowest amount of say-so in the room which included no responsibilities over any of the coaching personal.

Commissioner Gary Bettman mentioned “While on some level, it would be easiest to paint everyone with any association to this terrible matter with the same broad brush, I believe that fundamental fairness requires a more in-depth analysis of the role of each person,” 

He continued “Kevin Cheveldayoff was not a member of the Blackhawks senior leadership team in 2010, and I cannot, therefore, assign to him responsibility for the Club’s actions, or inactions. He provided a full account of his degree of involvement in the matter, which was limited exclusively to his attendance at a single meeting, and I found him to be extremely forthcoming and credible in our discussion.”

Continuing with additional on-goings it’s reported that the Anaheim Ducks have  immediately suspended GM Bob Murray, all pending a thorough investigation.

In a statement the Ducks said the following:

The Ducks have placed Executive Vice President and General Manager Bob Murray on administrative leave pending an ongoing investigation related to professional conduct.

Following is a statement from the Anaheim Ducks: “We recently became aware of accusations of improper professional conduct against Bob Murray. After internal review, we enlisted Shephard Mullin to perform an independent investigation. Upon recommendation from their initial findings, we have decided to place Bob on administrative leave pending final results. In the interim, Vice President of Hockey Operations and Assistant General Manager Jeff Solomon will assume the role of Interim General Manager. We will have no further comment until the investigation is complete.”

Photo Credit - Seth Hoffman/Unsplash

Story by Steve Erickson

NHL is back, which means that we’re going to hit the ice regularly between now and June next year. 

As usual, however, it’s safe to say that there will be a few twists and turns along the way. 

Could there be some surprises and upsets in the weeks to come? 

Let’s have a look at some brave predictions already being made as NHL starts up again.

Golden Knights Beat Oilers to the Punch

There’s a strong rumble amongst experts right now that the Golden Knights will pip the Oilers to the Pacific title. That is, however, come April. 

Some experts believe that the Knights will likely only have ten points to spare ahead of their rivals. What’s more interesting is that these two teams are mainly leading the prediction pack right now.

There’s not too much faith in the Ducks or Sharks at this point. However, strange things happen on the ice – and these are very early days. Time to consider Vegas for the top spot?

Get Set for The Avalanche

However, there are also strong feelings behind the Colorado Avalanche. When looking at stats according to bookies, they stand a reasonably good shot at getting the Western Conference title. 

However, even more ambitious is the fact that some experts are pitching them to win the Stanley Cup outright.

In fact, right now, they are far ahead of the pack. Tampa Bay Lightning brings up second, with the aforementioned Vegas Knights running alongside. 

The Oilers (likely to be the Knights’ big rival on the Pacific stage) seem to be a way down the Stanley grid.

Tampa Breaks the Duck

Tampa Bay Lightning, of course, has been the team to watch for the last couple of seasons. They’ve won the Cup twice consecutively now – and they’re eyeing a third. 

That’s going to take a lot of luck (they already have the talent, of course). Could Tampa be ready to equal the New York Islanders’ triple-threat record?

Some experts believe the wheels are going to start slowing down on the Tampa machine reasonably soon. Wise bettors appear to suggest that three times the charm isn’t attainable – but, again, strange things happen.

Maple Leafs Make the Wildcard

Of all the teams heading into the 21/22 season, the Leafs arguably have it harder than most. 

They’re going to need to get past the likes of the Lightning or the Panthers – for example – to get a shot at the seed. What’s more, they’ve shown that they can wobble under pressure. They’re human!

That considered, this could be the year that the Leafs breakthrough such difficulties. 21/22 could be the making of them – and, surprisingly, so few commentators are putting their necks out here.

All things considered, 21/22 is set to be a tricky year for most teams. 

All eyes are on the Lightning – but what are your top picks? Could this be a year of uncertainty unlike any other?