"Sick and tired!": Huge pushback from former stars on NHL's failure to protect McDavid

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Two former star NHL players are blasting the league for not properly protecting star playes like Connor McDavid from constant fouling.
We’ll start with Norris Trophy winner P.K. Subban, now a U.S.-based hockey commentator, who went online to rip the NHL, saying that if there had been a penalty called in the 15 seconds where Vancouver Canuck Conor Garland mugged Connor McDavid, things never would have got out of hand.
“It wasn’t a judgement call situation folks!!” Subban said.”Blow the whistle!! 20,000 cameras in the building, and everyone and their mother had their cameras out to see the best player in the world do what he does best in the dying seconds… instead we subscribe to that crap!”
Subban continued: “The safety of the players is number one… in our business protecting the stars from those type of situations is important. This situation isn’t good for the players or the game! We need to see our best players every night!! Unacceptable!”
Added Ryan Whitney of the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast, a top-paring d-man in the NHL for seven years: “I am so sick and tired of watching this guy (McDavid), game in, game out, get assaulted without penalties called on them… This guy should have ten times the amount of penalties he draws. It’s crazy, dude.”
And Sportsnet broadcaster Ray Ferraro, who scored 408 NHL goals in 1258 games, went on the Ray & Dregs podcast to say McDavid deserved to be suspended two games, but there’s a separate issue of the NHL failing to protect star players.
“Protecting of the stars, I do think that that’s a discussion that needs to be had,” he said. “Because there is no way you should take the greatest players in the game and have them have to dumb down their game to the rest of the league. Like, why would they have to do that? That makes no sense. So, I go back to like the Austin Matthews, there’s that clip of him and Pierre-Luc Dubois, it’s like a rodeo. And there was no penalties. And you’re like, ‘Well, why would we want Matthews’ skill taken out of the game? Why would we want McDavid taken out of the game? Like, why would we want that?’ That’s not what anybody wants. They want the best players to play.”
Ferraro continued: “The stars should be protected more. McDavid should have been suspended for two games and Myers for three. That’s kind of my view on it.”
When he played in the 1990s, Ferraro said going through the neutral zone was a quagmire of quicksand because so much hooking, holding and interference was allowed. That’s now been reduced. But still the game needs to call fouls, both committed by star players like McDavid but also against him.
“I don’t think we should look at them and say, ‘No, they’ve got to fight and claw and scratch and every piece of the ice. It’s not the way the game should be played.”
As for McDavid’s crosscheck on Garland, Ferraro said, “That’s a long road of frustration that gets him to there.”
Others also made similar critiques of the NHL. Said Hockey Hall of Fame writer Terry Jones, “McDavid suspension could a be a good thing. Massive reaction around sports world paints NHL as joke. Owners gotta be pissed. Firings. Officiating expose. Protecting stars. Possible positive fallout. That stat of No. 97 being 197th placed player in drawing penalties says it all.”
And TSN legal analyst Eric Macramalla: “I don’t like shots to the head in hockey. But 3 games for Connor McDavid after Garland goes WWE on him? Ridiculous. Where’s the penalty on Garland? NHL doesn’t protect its stars. From Mario to Connor. Ridiculous.”
My take
1. Fire Gary Bettman. He’s had his run. But for the entire time he’s led the NHL, this has been an issue. It’s time for him to go.
At the Cult of Hockey
McCURDY: No McDavid for marquee match-up between top NHL teams
Staples on politics

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