June 3, 2011, HockeyPrimeTime.com column on Brendan Shanahan's promotion to NHL Czar of Discipline

Shanahan facing a tough test of character

Columns

Written by Denis Gorman

Friday, June 03, 2011 06:16

As the league's head of discipline, Brendan Shanahan must put to work the same moral compass that guided him as an outspoken player. All anyone ever needed to know about Brendan Shanahan’s character was displayed on March 26, 1997 at Joe Louis Arena. Shanahan’s Detroit Red Wings had lost the first three regular season meetings against that night’s opponent, the reigning Stanley Cup Champion Colorado Avalanche. It galled the Wings that Colorado had eliminated them from the Stanley Cup playoffs the previous spring. It infuriated them during that series when Colorado’s über-pest, Claude Lemieux, had gotten off with a slap on the wrist from for destroying Kris Draper’s face with a check from behind into the boards. Sometimes in life you are forced to take a stand. On that night in Detroit, the Wings did just that; they beat the Avalanche 6-5 in overtime. But what the game will be remembered for was that it was the first of countless on-ice gang wars between the Western Conference superpowers. The teams combined for 18 fighting majors and 144 penalty minutes. The most violent and memorable of the bouts occurred with 1:38 remaining in the first period. It began innocently enough as Igor Larionov and Peter Forsberg engaged in a wrestling match. It ended with Chris Osgood and Patrick Roy exchanging haymakers. In the interim, Darren McCarty devastated Lemieux with punches and knees. If not for Shanahan, though, McCarty may not have had the opportunity to exact a pound of flesh from Lemieux. Adam Foote raced over to protect his teammate, who had no intention to fight. Shanahan and Osgood attempted to pull the Colorado defenseman away when Roy raced towards McCarty. He never got there as Shanahan, signed to a contract extension earlier that day, threw a cross body block that sent Roy spiraling away from McCarty. It has been 14 years since that night and much has changed. Shanahan’s willingness to defend, to protect, and to do what is right has not. It is why NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced in Vancouver on Wednesday that Shanahan will become the NHL’s Senior Vice President of Player Safety and Hockey Operations, along with replacing Colin Campbell in “administering supplemental discipline.” What kind of discipline czar will Shanahan be? Judging by his history, the initial belief is that he will not follow in the oft-controversial footsteps of his predecessor, nor will he make the indefensible – frankly, disgraceful – decision not to suspend Alex Burrows for at least a game in the Stanley Cup Final for biting Patrice Bergeron's finger. “You know what, I'm over it,” Bergeron said when asked for his reaction from the media throng yesterday. "To be honest with you, I'm looking forward for next game. We have to get back in the series. Like I said last night, it's the League's decision. I'll let them make the call, make the decision. I have nothing else to say about it, I guess. We're looking for a win there. He did it. But, I mean, like I said, I'm over it." Added Bruins coach Claude Julien: “Obviously, I had a chance to look at it because we watched the game tape, saw what happened. As far as I'm concerned, the League has made a decision on it and we move on. … We're not the type of team that whines and cries about things like that. A professional defenseman from 1980-92, Julien said, “obviously things were a lot different in those days. In those days I remember a lot of gouging, a lot of biting. It was fair game at that time. Obviously, the rules have gotten a little tighter. Those kind of things right now are deemed unacceptable.” The NHL employed Shanahan as a Vice President for Hockey Operations and Business Development following his retirement as a player in 2009 because he is proactive. Shanahan’s willingness to meet with the league during the lockout helped to create the new rules that have improved the pace of the game. Perhaps just as importantly, he brings relatively fresh blood into the league’s Sixth Avenue headquarters. Murphy retired after a 12-year career with the St. Louis Blues, Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers after the 1982-83 season; Campbell walked away from the game in 1984-85 after playing for seven NHL teams and the Vancouver Blazers of the World Hockey Association. Shanahan’s most important asset to a job that the commissioner termed “thankless” is his ability to communicate. He was a go-to guy throughout his career for members of the media because of his willingness to speak on issues relating to his teams and the league. Following a January 2007 loss to the Flyers while both were members of the Rangers, it was Shanahan who spoke up in defense of Czech teammate Jaromir Jagr, who had been manhandled by Todd Fedoruk, amongst others, without a whistle being blown. “Guys hit him late, guys hit him high, guys hook his hands. He doesn't complain. He just goes out and plays and plays and plays. The referees just seem to have a different set of rules about the way people get to play against him,” Shanahan told reporters. “Not since [Slava] Fetisov came over from Russia have I ever seen a star player get ignored by the referees, and I know the reason why they were ignoring him back then.” Like that night nearly 10 years earlier, it was another example of Shanahan’s character. One that earned him arguably the most heavily scrutinized position within the league. He’ll need all the character he possesses for the task at hand. On Twitter: @HockeyPrimeTime and @DenisGorman Photos by Getty Images

Last Updated on Friday, June 03, 2011 06:39

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