Tampa Bay Lightning F Ryan Callahan Will Not Face Suspension
Tampa Bay Lightning F Ryan Callahan Will Not Face Suspension For Hit on Pittsburgh Penguins D Kris Letang
Tampa Bay Lightning F Ryan Callahan is not expected to receive a call from the NHL’s Department of Player Safety following his hit on Pittsburgh Penguins D Kris Letang in game one of the Eastern Conference Finals on Friday night.
The incident occurred less than three minutes into the first period, and Callahan was assessed a five-minute major, but remained in the game.
Kris Letang wound up missing close to 10 minutes, but returned after being evaluated by the team’s medical staff.
In an interview with Mike Sullivan following the game, Pens coach had this to say (via Sportsnet):
“I don’t have thoughts or observations,” Sullivan said Saturday on a conference call. “The NHL is going to do (its) job, we’re doing to do ours. We’re just going to play hockey.”
“I think it’s really important that our club focuses on playing hockey,” said Sullivan. “There are two teams out there that are playing emotional games, that are passionate, they’re trying to win. We’re all doing everything in our power to try to win the hockey game.
“We’re going to play, we’re going to let the referees do their job and we’re going to let the league do (its) job.”
Mike Sullivan chose not to address the other controversial hit by Ondrej Palat. On the receiving end was Brian Dumoulin, who left the game – his status is still unknown.
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Why no Suspension for Tampa Bay Lightning F Ryan Callahan?
First and foremost, it’s important to note that over his long career, Callahan has never been considered a dirty player, or received supplemental discipline. Split-second decisions at high speeds can sometimes result in accidental injuries.
Players on both sides have a responsibility. Yes, Ryan Callahan should have made a better effort to cushion the hit or guide him into the boards. At the same time, Letang has responsibilities as well.
In my opinion, Kris Letang is more at fault than Callahan, and the NHL looks as if they’re catching on as well. No player in the NHL leaves themselves more vulnerable to injury based on their style of play more than Kris Letang.
Nowadays, opposed to taking a hit to make a play, (whether this is coached or self-taught, who knows?) players would rather attempt to both make the play and avoid the hit. Who knows how this phenomena made its way into our sport, but it has resulted in an increase of hits from behind.
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It works two ways:
a) Either a player sees an opponent coming and decides to turn their back. Perhaps those “STOP” signs they introduced while I was playing minor hockey gave the impression that, “if I turn my back, they can’t hit me”, as if you could stop the momentum of someone skating at high-speed.
This one baffles me. I was always taught to keep my head up and protect myself, especially in vulnerable places (such as along the boards) – that means making sure you get your hands up on the glass to cushion a potential hit from behind. At one time, whether you were the one giving or receiving a body check, both players had responsibilities to help protect themselves. Somehow the game has evolved where only the person hitting is responsible.
b) Change in skating direction. This where Kris Letang is the worst offender of any player. The ability to change directions on a dime with solid stops and starts has always been an effective tool for skaters. For some reason though, if Letang is skating back in the defensive zone and the puck is curling around the boards behind the net, he likes to make it seem as though he’s going to pick up the puck and skate around the net, but instead locks up the brakes once he’s on top of it to go the other direction.
Not that this isn’t an effective play, because it can be – it’s just that Letang doesn’t execute it very well. This isn’t the first time Kris Letang has been the victim of a controversial hit. In fact, his lack of self-responsibility likely plays a factor in his nasty injury history.
As someone who is hockey obsessed, it’s personally disturbing to watch the carelessness of some players nowadays. With such a physical game being played at an extremely high-speed, it’s difficult to imagine a scenario where you’re not treating the game with similar responsibilities and respect you would driving a vehicle – after all, a large body skating at a high-speed can do a lot of damage.
That means knowing your surroundings 360 degrees at all time. And if the opposition is barreling down on you, I might think about bracing myself by getting a strong center of balance, perhaps even get my hands/forearms up on the glass or in the opponent’s chest to cushion the blow.
So, for those of you wondering why Tampa Bay Lightning F Ryan Callahan wasn’t suspended.
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Think of it this way; If Ryan Callahan were the conductor of a train, and someone (Kris Letang) is on the tracks in front of him, the conductor can’t stop on a dime to avoid hitting them. It’s the other person’s responsibility to get out-of-the-way – If you can’t, trap the puck in your skates and take a hit.
No one ever wants to see a player get hurt. At the same time, it’s difficult to empathize with players who intentionally make themselves vulnerable.
Don’t be surprised if we see more of this in the NHL moving forward. The league goal for several years now has been limiting injuries/protecting players, but it almost seems some players have taken advantage of that, assuming limited or no responsibility at times on the ice.
Next: Eastern Conference Final Preview: Lightning vs. Penguins
How do you stop it? Short of penalizing them for embellishment, the only other option is a two or five-minute penalty – no game misconduct, no suspension or fine.
By doing this, the NHL can force its players to decide whether a PP is worth missing a potential extended amount of time. Maybe Kris Letang thinks about continuing his path around the net next time he’s in pursuit of a puck in the defensive zone?