A hit that landed the Canadiens forward in the hospital with a concussion and a fractured vertebrae, a career threatening injury. If you don’t know much about the hit, Zdeno Chara lead Habs forward Pacioretty’s head into the stanchion between the two teams benches. A vicious hit, which Pacioretty believed to be intentional. The puck had already been chipped past the two players and Chara hit him anyway.

What happened to Chara? Nothing, not a fine, not a suspension, nothing.

Something has to change in this league if something like this can happen, and Zdeno Chara gets off without any ramifications.

Players know the rink. Chara knew he was nearing the stanchion in the glass, yet he lead Pacioretty’s head into the turnbuckle and Colin Campbell nor Mike Murphy, the NHL’s Vice Presidents did nothing about the hit.

Hence the petition here. It’s a petition, asking for the resignation of NHL VP’s Campbell and Murphy.

It’s show a lack of consistency in the NHL’s disciplinary department and the recklessness it allows in the league.

I have signed and fully support this petition. It is time for change in this league, its time for protection of it’s players. I am all for the big open ice hit, or the big hit in the corners. Clean hits are fair, but this, this is a disgrace to the league.

You can find the petition, here.

You won't see this guy suited up until mid-March at the earliest. Image via blues.nhl.com

St. Louis Blues forward Cam Janssen has received a five-game suspension as a result of his late hit on Washington Capitals forward Matt Bradley in each team’s final game before the Olympic break on February 13th.

At first, I thought the hit was suspicious but not enough to draw a sizable suspension.  I still believe the punishment is excessive, but there was no doubt it would draw the ire of the NHL’s front office.

I’ll take you back to last season – Ryan Hollweg (then of the Toronto Maple  Leafs), who had already been suspended multiple times for dirty plays such as the one Janssen committed a couple weeks ago, was given an automatic two-game ban by the League for a late hit on Alex Pietrangelo (video here) because of a prior history.  Hollweg, who now is toiling with the Phoenix Coyotes’ AHL affiliate (the San Antonio Rampage), had committed a similar act against the Blues in a preseason game and was a multiple repeat offender.  Now, here’s the video of Janssen’s hit on Bradley.

You be the judge . . . should Janssen have been given five games for his hit on Bradley, or would a suspension of maybe two games be more appropriate?  Considering Janssen had no prior history of dirty play, a suspension of two games probably would have been plenty.  Maybe I’m being a homer here, but obviously Colin Campbell and I have a difference in opinion.

With the Blues on a push for the playoffs after the Olympic break ends, Janssen’s energy and intensity will be missed for the five games he is banned, but there’s a chance he would have been in the press box for at least two of those games anyway, so it shouldn’t be difficult to find energy from the pool of 3rd- and 4th-liners already employed by The Note.