Crosby feels hits were in violation of NHL policy
PITTSBURGH-Just past the mid-point of the season, and that’s a perfect time to de-clutter the notebook.
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Sidney Crosby remains out from the effects of a concussion the Pittsburgh Penguins described as “mild.”
Crosby was blindsided by Washington’s David Steckel during the Jan. 1 Winter Classic, then he was hit from behind into the boards by Tampa Bay defenseman Victor Hedman on Jan. 5.
Crosby said last week that he thinks both hits were in violation of the NHL’s policy on checks aimed at defenseless players who don’t have possession of the puck.
There isn’t a lot of sympathy for that viewpoint around the NHL.
In fact, much of the focus seems to be on whether the Penguins handled the situation properly.
Crosby exonerated the team medical staff, saying his symptoms were concentrated in his neck after the Steckel hit.
Others wonder if the Penguins should have had him tested for a concussion then.
Cam Cole wrote in the Vancouver Sun, “The inquiring mind wonders whether the hits he incurred against Tampa were the actual cause, or the aftershocks of the previous tremor. Whether, because of the Steckel hit, he was a little slower, a little less alert, a little more vulnerable.
“Whatever the truth, it’s between the Penguins and their conscience. They may have it exactly right, or terribly, cynically wrong. We’re never going to find out.”
The NHL ruled the Steckel hit incidental contact. Steckel said he didn’t even realize it was Crosby he’d run into until he looked back after the collision.
Hedman also escaped any NHL penalty.
He told the Tampa Tribune, “”I don’t think I hit him blindsided. I did not hit him in the head. I’m not worried about it now. I need to look forward. It’s bad that he’s got a concussion, but I don’t think that was a direct hit to the head. I wasn’t trying to hurt him or anything. I was following the play and the puck was right there, he put it away and I finished my check. But I definitely did not hit him in the head, though.”
Meanwhile, some people argue that the Penguins should understand that vicious hits are part of the game, since they dish them out.
Larry Brooks of the New York Post called Penguins winger Matt Cooke, “a serial headhunter.”
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It was a routine post-game phone-in show on the Penguins radio network, shortly before Christmas.
Phil Bourque, the former Penguins player who is now color commentator on the broadcasts, told the story of how he became an NHL player after going undrafted.
A caller mentioned that he found the story entertaining and wondered if Bourque had anything else he could share.
As a matter of fact, he did.
He told the story of growing up in Massachusetts and how his father would always manage to find a way to get him the best hockey equipment.
His father took a great interest in Phil’s progress, to the point that he became overbearing.
That led to a serious rift between father and son.
Bourque said he went to Canada to play junior hockey to get away from his father.
When the Penguins won the Stanley Cup in 1991 and ’92, Bourque couldn’t celebrate with his father. They weren’t on speaking terms.
In recent years, Bourque reached out to his father. They reconciled to some degree. The relationship isn’t perfect, but at least they can have a conversation.
Bourque said he told the story because it might help someone in similar circumstances. He reasoned that Christmas is a good time to try to make things right.
Good call.
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Penguins coach Dan Bylsma added reality TV star to his resume, thanks to HBO’s “24/7” series in advance of the Winter Classic.
But before that unconventional exposure, Bylsma was also a published author.
He and his father Jay wrote, “So Your Son Wants To Play In The NHL,” published by Sleeping Bear Press with a list price of $24.95.
“Hockey is how the story is told, but it’s really a book about parenting,” Dan Bylsma said.
There’s plenty of information about the book at Bylsma’s website: www.danbylsma.com.