NHL to crack down on "divers" Canucks Diving team might be in trouble

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My buddy Redwing77 will like this article as he has been an outspoken critic of players both in college and the professional ranks that over embellish infractions and leap to the ice like they have been shot every time they are hit to draw penalties so their team can go on the power play. Personally, I have to admit that I am sick and tired of these antics as well and I am pointing the finger at the Vancouver Canucks players especially, we know who they are -> Alex Burrows. If you want to act like you’ve been shot every time you’re touched go play soccer or hockey in Europe.

Eric Francis; Calgary Sun --- Colin Campbell is tired of seeing his officials embarrassed by players throughout these NHL playoffs and isn’t going to stand for it any more.

Due to the increasing number of players diving and embellishing throughout these playoffs, Campbell and director of officiating Terry Gregson have instructed officials to crack down on players who snap their heads back to sell a call.

Teams and players have been warned to cut it out or referees will be handing out diving calls as well as “two and twos,” tagging both the victim and the perpetrator.

While diving generally increases in the post-season, what complicates the issue this year is the heightened desire to protect players from head-shots, leading players to prey on this and act as if anything coming close to their noggin makes contact, a la Vancouver Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo and teammate Maxim Lapierre.

This topic has kind of come to a head in round two; watching the Vancouver Canucks Hockey frauds/diving team and how they flail around on the ice every time they are hit, it’s like most of their players went to drama school and will have a career in acting after they are done playing hockey.

I don’t know if the over embellishment is a result of their General Manager Mike Gillis whining about the reffing being one sided in Chicago’s favor during round one of the Stanley Cup playoffs or not? None-the-less, the topic of diving has become a hot button issue and has generated a lot of discussion on how the Canucks players throw their heads back every time they are hit or tapped by a Predators player. Apparently, the Canucks defenseman Kevin Bieksa thinks that diving can cross a line. I agree…

Seriously, I think diving is poor sportsmanship and this needs to stop now in all level of hockey, if I was a head hockey coach and I saw one of my players embellish on the ice in attempt to draw a call, like I have seen on the ice this past season, that player would sitting on the end of the bench until he learned that North American players don’t play hockey like soccer players.