Are you confused yet?

I am wondering if anyone is confused yet? The hit above by Nashville Predators defenseman Shea Weber's hit is worth a $2,500 fine by the National Hockey League. Color my cynical but there just seems to be too many inconsistencies in the recent rulings by NHL Director of Player Safety Brendan Shanahan.




This hit by Kris Letang  on Alexander Burmistrov of the Winnipeg Jets, in my opinion isn't as bad of a hit as the one by Nashville Predators defenseman Shea Weber's on Jannik Hansen. Yet one hit is worth two game suspension while the other hit is worth a 2,500.00 fine which is really a drop in the bucket for someone that is making 4-5 million dollars a year to play hockey. WTF? I am really confused here.

Shea Weber boards Jannik Hansen

Shea Weber could be the next one to be suspended by the NHL for his vicious hit on Vancouver Canuck's Jannik Hansen. I wouldn't even like to speculate what kind of suspension that Weber could end up serving, because this past week we saw the Penguins Kris Letang suspended for two games for a less violent hit.

NHL.com --- Nashville's Shea Weber will have a disciplinary hearing Friday afternoon following a boarding penalty assessed to the Predators defenseman for a hit on Vancouver's Jannik Hansen during Thursday's game. At 5:12 of the third period, Weber was penalized for boarding Hansen, and also given an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

In the NHL a day of bad news...

Image via WikipediaThere are three stories that I have been following today. Former NHL tough Guy Wade Belak (549 games 8g-25a-33pts 1263PIM) was found dead in his condo in Toronto, Ont... Wade Belak is the third current or former NHL hockey player that has died this summer during the offseason, Derek Boogaard and Rick Rypien also died this summer.

NHL.COM --- Former NHL player Wade Belak has been found dead in his condominium in Toronto. Belak, who played in parts of 14 seasons with five NHL teams, was 35 years old.

A source with the Nashville Predators confirmed the news. Belak finished his career with the Predators and remained with the team in an organizational role following his retirement.

According to reports, the cause of death was not immediately known, but foul play was not suspected.

Also it was revealed today that Boston Bruins star center Marc Savard has not improved and will miss the 2011-2012 season. Marc Savard is still suffering from post concussion syndrome and you have to think that his career with the Boston Bruins is in jeopardy.

Boston Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli does not expect Marc Savard to play this coming season, Fluto Shinzawa of the Boston Globe reports.

Savard played 25 games last season, but his campaign started late because of symptoms from a concussion in 2009-10 and ended in January after another concussion.

"Marc Savard won't play this year," Chiarelli told Shinzawa on Wednesday. "Nothing has changed in our monitoring. He'll be examined and he'll be declared unfit to play."

The 34-year-old center had two goals and 10 points last season. In the four seasons before his first concussion in March 2010, Savard averaged more than 89 points and was considered one of the top passers in the League.

If the news couldn't get any worse, today we also learn that former Minnesota Wild and Anaheim Duck's tough guy Todd Fedoruk is also battling addiction issues.

VANCOUVER — You have to give Todd Fedoruk credit; he isn’t shy about discussing his drug and alcohol addictions which he says were the real reason he was bought out in Tampa, ending his NHL career unless he should happen to catch on with the Vancouver Canucks this fall.

The winger says he’s been clean for nearly 18 months, is in terrific shape and is ready to drop the gloves as part of the role he has to play if he’s going to be a regular in the league as he has been for nine seasons, most of those with the Philadelphia Flyers.

Fedoruk has had many legendary fights, the most devastating being the shattering of his face by the late Derek Boogaard in October 2006 when the prospective Canuck was in Anaheim. It had to be rebuilt by doctors.

The first question that comes to mind is what is going on here? Something is not right in the NHL. At first glance one has to wonder if the NHL has a  problem with players suffering from depression... Add to that, one has wonder if the NHL also a Drug and alcohol problem. My next question does the NHL have  a peer support and counseling service for their players. I am serious these are very serious issues. 

Related articles

• NHL Breaking News: Marc Savard of the Boston Bruins Will Not Play in 2011-2012 (bleacherreport.com)
• Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli says Marc Savard won't play this year and might not ever play again (prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com)
• Boston Bruins: Marc Savard Will Not Return for the 2011-2012 Season (bleacherreport.com)
• Former Leafs enforcer Wade Belak found dead in Toronto hotel (thestar.com)
• Report: Marc Savard out for season, career in jeopardy (canada.com)
• Savard's career likely over (theglobeandmail.com)
• Bruins F Savard will miss season with concussion (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Bruins GM says Savard's playing career in doubt: report (reuters.com)
• Bruins GM: Savard out this year, likely beyond (espn.go.com)
• Breaking News: Former Nashville Predator Wade Belak Found Dead in Toronto (bleacherreport.com)
• Wade Belak, Another NHL Enforcer, Found Dead [Nhl] (deadspin.com)

Dirty Hit By Sami Salo

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I'm pretty sure that it's just not cricket to put your elbows behind a guys head and drive him into the boards.

I say this is suspension worthy considering how Salo made sure to put his entire body weight behind the hit.

Goon's Edit: Thanks to the Whistler for adding this hit. No word yet if the NHL is going to review this hit or not but I think we can assume that it's worthy of a look due to it's dangerous nature.

Pekka Rinne's amazing save in O.T.

This is one of the reasons why Pekka Rinne's is a finalists for the Vezina Trophy this season. Check out this amazing game saving stop in overtime of last night's game with the Vancouver Canucks. The Predators won the game 2-1 in double overtime. The Vancouver Canucks' fan base is now in full meltdown mode.

Yahoo.com --- Roberto Luongo led the Canucks to the league’s best record and the lowest team goals-against average (2.20). Luongo was 38-15-7 in 60 appearances, and his goals against average was 2.11.

Pekka Rinne was 33-22-9 with a 2.12 goals-against average, .930 save percentage and six shutouts.

Tim Thomas rebounded from offseason hip surgery, and the ’09 Vezina winner was 35-11-9, with a .938 save percentage and 2.00 goals-against average. He had nine shutouts.