Sportsnet's Jeff Marek joked on Twitter Monday that Brendan Shanahan could get more air time this season than Vince from the Slap Chop commercial.
Heck, at this rate, he could get more air time than Jay Onrait. That's a scary thought.
Shanahan, the NHL's new head disciplinarian, has made his mark in a massive way in the last week.
After years of inconsistency, leniency and, some would have you believe, downright favouritism from Colin Campbell, Shanahan is dropping the hammer big-time.
He's not messing around.
Any doubts of that were erased on Monday when he handed down an eight-game regular season suspension for Columbus defenceman James Wisniewski for a head shot after the final buzzer.
Jody Shelley got five games for a hit from behind. Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond and Brad Staubitz also got suspensions for various no-nos.
Brad Boyes is now a repeat offender.
I love it. Bring it on, I say. It's long overdue.
At a time when we are discovering just how serious the long-term effects of a concussion are, Shanahan is setting the perfect tone.
Toughening up on head shots and other ugly hits was long needed, but effective communication is just as important.
With all the rule changes the last couple of years, many players don't know what they're allowed to do, where they're allowed to do it and where exactly the line is.
That's why I applaud Shanahan for explaining every suspension with a video released on the league website, including a replay of the suspendable act and a concise breakdown of why the ban is being levied, complete with the exact rule from the NHL rulebook.
It's even more remarkable when you consider the kind of player Shanahan was. He was the consummate power forward. He racked up the penalty minutes with the best of them. But he wasn't dirty.
What a breath of fresh air after all those maddening years of justice, Colie-style.
Can you just imagine him issuing videos for his suspensions?
"Cooke comes across and blindsides Savard with an illegal hit to the head. He targets the head and makes it the principal point of contact. I also took into consideration the fact that Marc Savard is a little fake artist, and therefore I'm not issuing a suspension."
I'd pay to see that.
Shanahan has had a major influence on how the game is played since he retired. But he's taking it to another level now. Bravo.
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A note to the Regina Packers: It probably wasn't necessary to go for two points with no time on the clock in the fourth quarter with a 59-6 lead. Just saying.
Josh Lewis can be reached by phone at 634-2654, by e-mail at [email protected], on Twitter at twitter.com/joshlewis306 or on his Bruins blog at bruinbanter.blogspot.com. He thinks now ex-White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen gave the quote of the year on Monday but, not surprisingly, it can't be repeated here.
