HockeyGrowing pains with Shanahan, plus 30 Thoughts

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The suspension of Minnesota forward Pierre-Marc Bouchard for two games had his agent, Allan Walsh, fuming at what he views as an insufficient appeals process. (Andy King/Associated Press)

Guess who just started following Allan Walsh on Twitter? Free chalupa if you said Brendan Shanahan. (Credit to @wayne_chow for the tip.)

The player agent Walsh had quite a weekend. Friday, he ripped the Washington Capitals for starting Michal Neuvirth in their home opener instead of client Tomas Vokoun. Then, he blasted Shanahan for slapping Pierre Marc-Bouchard with a two-game suspension. (You guessed it, Bouchard is another client.)

Walsh called the Bouchard suspension a "shameful farce," referred to the hearings as "kangaroo courts" and called for a neutral third party to handle supplemental discipline. (A league spokesman said his comments were "not worthy" of a response.)

Bouchard's suspension is a small piece of this story, though. Walsh's missive is part of two larger issues: league-wide reaction to Shanahan's hammer and the NHLPA's desire to attack the suspension/appeal process.

The Appeal Process

Shanahan was handed The Disciplinary Throne during last year's Stanley Cup Final. At that media conference, league commissioner Gary Bettman said, "That is my hope and expectation," when asked if the move would lead to longer suspensions.

Publicly, there was a lot of support. Privately, the NHLPA seethed. Why? Because Bettman handles appeals. Tough to imagine a successful one when the guy hearing them wants stiffer punishments.

This is what Walsh's letter is really about. Last week, executive director Donald Fehr told The Canadian Press's Chris Johnston, "The process that we have for handling disciplinary cases is one in which neither the players, nor the union as their representative, have any meaningful role to play. There's no neutral [body], there's no appeal and that's something obviously which we've been talking to players about."

That's a discussion for the next CBA, but it might be time for a committee, simply because I'm not sure any one person could - or should - handle this job.

Shanahan played 1,700 games (including playoffs), winning three Stanley Cups, an Olympic Gold and a Canada Cup. Wonder if any of that ever caused him as much aggravation as four months of this.

Hotstove partner Eric Francis reported Saturday that a group of NHL GMs complained to Gary Bettman and Bill Daly about the severity of Shanahan's suspensions. He is learning what Brian Burke and Colin Campbell discovered before him. This is the hardest job in professional sports because, if you suspend, you get ripped. If you don't suspend, well, you get ripped.

Example: there was grumbling that Ryan Malone wasn't suspended because Shanahan and Lightning VP-GM Steve Yzerman are friends.

"That's dirty pool," said Mike Milbury. Yes, it is. The same kind of stuff was said about Burke and Campbell. You get smeared in this job. (Apparently, Doug Risebrough was pursued for the position after Burke left for Vancouver in 1998. He wanted no part of it. Can't blame him.)

On Saturday, I spoke to a GM who, over the summer, said he was hopeful for harsher penalties because he was concerned about concussions and reckless play.

Does he like what Shanahan is doing?

"Yes, yes I do," he said. "And I hope he keeps it up."

That GM isn't alone. Walsh mocked the videos, but a lot of players really like the transparency. It's the anger, though, that gets the headlines. We're five days into the season, and it seems like 5,000.

Let's give this some time to play out.

30 Thoughts

1) He'd never admit it - but I'm going to bet the ovation Gary Bettman received in Winnipeg was the best feeling he's had since becoming commissioner. He may put five more teams in Manitoba.

2) Making Vokoun the backup for Washington's opener wasn't coach Bruce Boudreau's only surprising move. He benched Marcus Johansson and played Mathieu Perreault. He's sending a message: I've got depth this year and I'm going to use it.

3) Two guys who deserve major credit this week: Stephane DaCosta and Paul MacLean. DaCosta was nearly blown into 2012 by a clean, but ferocious, Dion Phaneuf hit. It's a tough time for the league with the concussion and suspension debates, and both said there was nothing wrong with Phaneuf's contact. DaCosta admitted it was his fault he was hammered that badly. A lot of other guys would have said otherwise, particularly when it comes to a fierce rival.

4) That play reminded me a great deal of Scott Stevens on Eric Lindros (without the injury, thankfully.) There's been a ton of debate about what would happen to Stevens now. Shanahan and Rob Blake have said that most of Stevens' big hits would be clean, because body was the principal point of contact. The exception? The one on Paul Kariya in the 2003 Stanley Cup Final. That may have been late.

5) Also agreed with the NHL that the Cory Sarich hit on Matt Cooke was clean. Now, that didn't stop Penguins fans from asking about the ensuing crosscheck to Pascal Dupuis. Fair question. Last year, one coach told his players that, if someone is coming at you, raise your stick or gloves in defence. Don't kill the guy, he said, but I can live with a two-minute penalty if you're protecting yourself.

6) Completely useless and premature prediction: Kris Letang will be a big part of the 2014 Canadian Olympic Team. He is the Penguins' best/most important player after Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Fleury.

7) Clearly, Malkin is on a mission to prove his passion. If I was Ray Shero/Dan Bylsma, I'd gently remind him to be smart about it. Nothing wrong with fighting Curtis Glencross, but the referees gave Malkin a gift by calling it a roughing minor. His jersey wasn't tied down, and a fight would've had him tossed. That doesn't help him, or the team.

8) Same with the elbow to Calgary forward Lee Stempniak's head. No discipline, but, again, it's close to the line. And, can't imagine a certain teammate liked seeing that kind of play.

9) As mentioned on Hotstove, Don Maloney re-iterated that he will not trade Kyle Turris, saying that if Turris wants to play anywhere in the NHL this year, it will be in Phoenix. After talking to a few people, here's the picture that emerges: Turris wants to be traded. "The feeling is he will sign a reasonable contract with a new team," says another GM. That eliminates an offer sheet (should we actually see one), because Maloney would match. If Turris doesn't sign by Dec. 1, he can't play this year.

10) Maloney would like to follow his Keith Yandle model. After Yandle's entry-level deal, they signed him to a two-year, $2.4 million US contract. The defenceman's breakthrough 2010-11 led to a five-year, $26 million deal. Maloney was happy to give that money to an All-Star and would be happy to do it for Turris should he develop like Yandle.

11) Remember the CBC/NHLPA Player Poll at last year's All-Star Game? Dave Tippett finished second to Dan Bylsma as best coach to play for. Very rare to hear someone say they'd rather be elsewhere than with him. The vast majority really like the guy.

12) Who's interested in Turris? Calgary, for sure. The problem is, I don't think the Flames have what Phoenix would need. Not exactly loaded with prospects, does it make sense to trade high picks or a prospect like Mikael Backlund for Turris? (Then again, I'm not even sure the Coyotes would make a Backlund-Turris deal.)

13) Meanwhile, reaction is that Martin Hanzal contract (five years, $15.5 million) is a good one for both player and team.

14) Nashville and Shea Weber took some time off after a difficult summer and haven't begun negotiations on a new contract. Then again, Weber still has another year before becoming a UFA. Ryan Suter and Pekka Rinne, however, are more urgent cases, because their freedom looms July 1. Talks have started with both players, but are early. Toughest thing for the Predators: they might be the two best free agents available this summer.

15) One GM on Nashville: "David Poile plays his cards very tightly. I don't know what he's going to do. But I'm preparing as if one of those players is going to become available [by trade]."

16) By the way, Predators cannot take Weber to arbitration this summer. He, however, can take them through the process.

17) Loved the story in the documentary Fuelled by Passion: The Return of the Jets about Mark Scheifele's agent (Rob Hooper) telling him to get rid of his gum just before Winnipeg picked. Obviously, Hooper knew it was coming. Scheifele told Scott Oake before Sunday's game it was important to get nine hours sleep the night before. Sounds like assistant GM Craig Heisinger kept a few notes from the Vancouver organization.

18) One coach on Shanahan: "I told all my players, there's a new sheriff in town and he's not afraid to suspend...So be smart."

19) PJ Stock showed in Saturday's pre-game how Toronto forward David Steckel uses the same move to win all of those face-offs. Leafs coach Ron Wilson made a good point about that: why use something different if the same one wins 62 per cent of the time?

20) Francesco and Sandra Scandella live in Quebec, and plan on being in Ottawa Tuesday night for their son's visit with the Wild. Marco couldn't wait, though, scoring his first NHL goal in Saturday's win over Columbus. He really impressed Mike Yeo in the preseason, thanks to a change in his workout regimen. Scandella thought he wasn't quick enough, so he dropped 10 pounds and 2.5 percentage points of body fat.

21) Funny now to read all of the stories ripping then-Flyers GM Russ Farwell for taking Peter Forsberg sixth overall in 1991. Farwell said Forsberg was second on their list behind top pick Eric Lindros, and added that there were three other players they briefly considered. Those players were Alex Stojanov (7th, Canucks), Patrick Poulin (9th, Whalers) and Glen Murray (18th, Bruins). They combined for 893 points (651 by Murray). Forsberg, who had 885 by himself, had his number retired in Colorado.

22) Apparently, Carey Price is waiting for matching pink pads before he uses his new pink mask. The mask (painted by David Arrigo) is available for auction at legendsdepot.com (bidding at $4,100 US as I write this). Proceeds go to support the fight against breast cancer.
23)  It is rare for a goalie to change his equipment after a spectacular season, but Price did that this summer. The reason? He felt Reebok really listened to what he wanted.

24) Was talking with MLSE president Richard Peddie at a morning skate last year when Devan Dubnyk walked by. Peddie asked, "How is anyone supposed to score on that guy?" You can see he's beginning to figure it out, and I'd like to see Tom Renney ride him for awhile.

25) Tough injury for Chris Campoli, who was determined to make Montreal look good for taking a chance on him. Campoli admitted he was nervous about waiting through the summer to pick a destination and was thankful Pierre Gauthier stepped up. Having a team walk away from you (Chicago) is powerful motivation, but he'll have to wait until January to show his improvement.

26) One Senator on the Red Wings: "They should be called the Detroit Vultures. You make a mistake and they pick you apart."

27) Asked Zenon Konopka to compare the young players in Ottawa with the young ones on Long Island. He said that both groups are very talented, but the Senators will be helped by the presence of Daniel Alfredsson, Sergei Gonchar and Jason Spezza. "The Islanders didn't have as many as those kinds of guys." Especially after Doug Weight was injured.

28) Jacques Martin had a message for PK Subban after last season: Can you be great consistently? "He told me I stepped up when Josh Gorges was injured, which proves I can do that," Subban said.

29) Three fanbases who take things the most personally: Washington, Pittsburgh (especially when it comes to each other) and Vancouver. A lot of nasty response to last week's blog about Alexander Ovechkin. Funniest came from a Penguins fan who wrote: "Glad you're not an Ovechkin homer anymore." Oh, I'm still a fan, but stand by my point: he could (and should) be in the MVP race every year. There is more for him to give.

30) After Washington lost to Pittsburgh in 2009, I bet someone The Great 8 would win a Stanley Cup by 2013. I'm still confident.

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