As September draws to a close, NHL fever is about to hit the city. With about two weeks left until the first game of the new season, the Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sydney Crosby raised crucial questions. “The Next One” has spoken out about the NHL’s Department of Player Safety and its inconsistent decisions.
As the name suggests, the department is there for the safety of players. In a game of ice hockey, anger is normal. There have been several incidents where players started a fight and fought against other players. The fight between Alex Pietrangelo And Leon Draisaitl or violent blows between Darnell Nurse and Nicolas Hague during the Stanley Cup last season is fresh in the minds of fans.
Many times, in this type of fight, we see the referees standing aside. This left fans wondering why they weren’t intervening to stop the maul and protect the players. Players are then usually sent to cover for a few minutes depending on their attack. Crosby has now outlined what exactly a suspendable act is.
“It’s always something where you see a highlight or a clip and you don’t know the hang range.“, says veteran striker. He further added how he felt about this situation. “Not sure if it will be a suspension or not. This is how I feel.”
Sidney Crosby has long continued to charm fans with his impressive hockey skills. His personality and determination have made him one of the most beloved figures in NHL history. Although his plays often decided matches, he apparently never had a major problem with the officials. However, this is not the first time he has raised questions against the league’s Department of Player Safety (DoPS).
In 2018, Crosby commented on the regular altercations of Tom Wilson with officials. During the preseason that year, Wilson became the enemy in the eyes of many after hitting Oskar Sundqvist. “When a guy does it multiple times, you start to wonder what his intention is,» Crosby then said before adding how often they talk about him.
“I hope that as players we can clarify what constitutes a good move and what isn’t. Crosby added. While in his 1,190 games as a big man, he hasn’t found himself on the wrong side of DoPS. Despite this, there have been instances where Crosby himself could have faced some sort of disciplinary action for his on-ice conduct. The fact that he received his first career misconduct last season in February further proves his point and raises questions about the credibility of the NHL DoPS.
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