THE CANADIAN PRESS
The new era of discipline in the NHL is off to a slick start.
Brendan Shanahan made a strong statement in his first ruling since replacing Colin Campbell, handing Calgary Flames forward Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond a five-game suspension Thursday and accompanying it with a video explanation.
The 75-second video was posted on the NHL’s website and featured Shanahan explaining how Letourneau-Leblond violated the league’s new boarding rule when he hit Vancouver Canucks forward Matt Clackson from behind on Tuesday night.
"Leblond has time to avoid, or at the very least, minimize the check," Shanahan said. "Instead, Leblond takes a direct route and drives through the check hard and high and from behind. This is a clear violation of the boarding rule."
The expanded boarding rule introduced during the off-season states that players must ensure opponents aren’t in a defenceless position when throwing a hit. Earlier this week, another video featuring Shanahan and NHLPA executive Mathieu Schneider was circulated to teams which outlined that change as well as those made to rule 48.
Letourneau-Leblond will forfeit US$6,402.44 in salary while sitting out Calgary’s remaining four pre-season games and its regular-season opener. He is eligible to return Oct. 10 when the Flames visit St. Louis.
Shanahan replaced Campbell in June and was given a mandate to increase player safety. He plans to issue a video with each ruling in an effort to bring transparency to the decision-making process — an area where critics felt Campbell fell short.
During Shanahan’s long playing career, he was suspended by the four men who handled discipline before him, giving him a unique perspective on the sport’s most thankless position.
"I played this sport, I understand the passion that’s involved," Shanahan said last month. "I broke a lot of rules when I played and wasn’t always happy when I got punished — even when I deserved it. I totally understand the passion that’s involved in hockey and it’s one of the reasons why hockey’s a great sport."
