Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand is scheduled to face a hearing in front of the NHL Department of Player Safety for his blatant spear against Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Jake Dotchin.
It may be scorching hot here in the Bolts Nation, but we have a distinct feeling hockey hell is just frozen over. Why is this, you may ask? Well, it has a little something to do with the NHL Department of Player Safety and them actually doing something about a blatantly dangerous play.
As many of you already know, last night, as the Tampa Bay Lightning did battle with their Atlantic Division Rivals, the Boston Bruins, Bruins forward Brad Marchand took things to a new level when he decided it was perfectly acceptable to use his stick to introduce himself to Jake Dotchin’s business.
For those of you who weren’t able to bear witness to the ridiculous act, Marchand’s stick had a first-class ticket to Dotchin’s no-no place, which sent poor Dotch tumbling to the ice in a tremendous amount of pain. As you can imagine, Lightning Head Athletic Trainer Tom Mulligan rushed out onto the ice to attend to him.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Thankfully, there was some good news regarding this situation. Jake Dotchin was able to rejoin his teammates on the ice when the team returned from the first intermission. Unfortunately, we’re pretty certain there were some residual effects from Marchand’s classless act.
Now, if you have been a Tampa Bay Lightning fan for any period of time – hell, if you have been a hockey fan for just about any period of time – you know that since Brendan Shanahan left the NHL Department of Player Safety on Apr. 11, 2014, Player Safety has been inconsistent in their rulings, at best.
Keeping this in mind, many here in the Bolts Nation did not have very high hopes Player Safety would step in and do their job when it came to Brad Marchand. Then again, why should they? It wouldn’t be the first time Player Safety has dropped the ball when it comes to Brad Marchand. We’ll come back to this in a moment.
Despite all of this, there is some encouraging news coming out of the NHL this morning. The NHL Department of Player Safety announced Brad Marchand will have a hearing tomorrow morning for his actions against Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Jake Dotchin.
At the same time, there is something a little disconcerting about their announcement. Under normal circumstances, their announcement would also include whether or not the hearing was to be over the phone or in person. Should Player Safety be looking to impose supplemental discipline over a traditional two-day suspension, the hearing is usually held in-person.
In other words, with their lack of information leading to the hearing, it is difficult, if not impossible, to guess whether or not he will receive any sort of discipline as the Bruins make their way into the postseason. Frankly, we’re tired of seeing the blatant leniency the league has shown Marchand this season.
Now, let’s get back to what we were mentioning previously. This is not the first time the NHL has dropped the ball when it comes to Brad Marchand. Just days before the 2017 NHL All-Star Game, Marchand was fined $10,000 for a “dangerous trip” against Detroit Red Wings defenseman Niklas Kronwall.
More From Bolts By The Bay: Jake Dotchin Speared By Brad Marchand (Video)
While we have no love for Kronwall, for obvious reasons, this was a dangerous move and could have resulted in a very serious injury had things played out even slightly different. Thankfully, Kronwall was not injured on the play.
Here’s where things start to get very interesting for those of us here in the Bolts Nation. On Jan. 31, in the first game back from the All-Star Break, the Tampa Bay Lightning are set to take on the Boston Bruins. Late in the second period, Marchand pulls the exact same move he pulled on Kronwall just before the break on Lightning defenseman Anton Stralman. Ironically enough, it was Stralman who ended up in the box when all was said and done.
Did the NHL Department of Player Safety take a look at this incident? Of course, not…why would they? They had already made their point by fining him .2 percent of his annual salary, right? Let’s ignore the fact he’s a repeat offender with a rap sheet that could rival the most hardened criminal in the world.
At this point, it’s going to be incredibly difficult to determine what the NHL Department of Player Safety has in store for Bruins forward Brad Marchand, if anything at all. However, if you ask us here at Bolts By The Bay what we think on the matter, we have just one thing to say.
Throw The Book At Him!
The Tampa Bay Lightning has an incredibly tough road in front of them. After their disappointing shutout loss to the Boston Bruins, the Lightning’s playoff hopes are hanging by a thread. Tomorrow night’s contest between the Lightning and the Toronto Maple Leafs is essentially a Game 7. This is a must-win situation.
The Lightning is once again tied with the New York Islanders at 88 points, which places both teams five points behind the Toronto Maple Leafs for the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. One of the only ways for the Bolts to gain the necessary ground would be a victory tomorrow night.
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There is no denying the Lightning are dealing with more than their fair share of issues right now, especially when it comes to player injuries. Lightning Head Coach Jon Cooper has some difficult decisions to make over the next 24 hours. Hopefully, the team will be able to refocus and gain back the momentum they lost.