Connor McDavid's push for a player-led committee is the mandatory solution for a better NHL
Photo credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
Connor McDavid saw Radko Gudas only get five games for kneeing Auston Matthews and had a message for the NHL: start letting the players have a louder voice.
McDavid is not too pleased with how the NHL handled Auston Matthews' injury and the subsequent suspension to Radko Gudas. A five-game ban felt way too minimal for the league's top player and he's a bit stunned at how the league has handled issues lately.
A player-led committee is the mandatory fix for a more consistent disciplinary process
Speaking to reporters, McDavid stood up for Matthews and had a very interesting idea to give the NHL a brand new way of looking at how to handle these types of incidents:
Player safety has done their best. It's not an easy thing to do, that being said. There is reason to take a look at how the process works.
Every time there's a suspension everyone complains, so why don't we take a look at the system and see if there's a better way to make sure both parties are happy because there's a lot of frustration there.
Every time there's a suspension everyone complains, so why don't we take a look at the system and see if there's a better way to make sure both parties are happy because there's a lot of frustration there.
While McDavid and Matthews are always in the conversation for top players in the game, and seeing the Oilers captain put any rivalry aside for the betterment of the game is admirable (but did you expect less from McDavid?)
Putting in some type of new group that analyzes each incident could bring new life into things while also making sure the players have a voice. These are the guys who make the money for the NHL, so not allowing them to speak is grossly unfair.
Uniting the league's elite talents is the perfect way to build a more resilient future
Though he didn't outright state it, but McDavid sounds like he wants a solution that involves current and potentially former players who form a committee that would then take a look at issues and determine what the right course of action would be.
Imagine a panel of the following to determine injuries:
- Sidney Crosby
- Connor McDavid
- Auston Matthews
- Jarome Iginla
- Patrice Bergeron
- Brian Leetch
- Chris Tanev
- Connor McDavid
- Auston Matthews
- Jarome Iginla
- Patrice Bergeron
- Brian Leetch
- Chris Tanev
While the legends and names are ones you can swap out at any time, when you have guys like Bergeron, Leetch, and Iginla who have all dealt with injuries that affected their career and know why punishment needs to fit the crime.
It's something additional to the NHLPA, and could be something that the league works in conjunction with along with a general board to come to a discussion. No more heads like Parros, but a unified effort to end these things.
You're trying to make sure that the future players - especially in this increasingly sped-up game, are protected better. You want the Celebrinis and Bedards to have a fruitful and thriving career, but if Gudas-esque incidents keep happening, it could ruin things before they begin.
McDavid in one comment may have solved an issue that George Parros has had for a decade - just let the players speak for themselves.
Also read on Hockey Patrol :
John Tortorella's confusion over Matthews signals a league prioritizing code over star safety
John Tortorella's confusion over Matthews signals a league prioritizing code over star safety
| POLL | ||
MARS 16|669 ANSWERS Connor McDavid's push for a player-led committee is the mandatory solution for a better NHL Does the NHL need a player-led board to determine suspensions? | ||
| Yes | 600 | 89.7 % |
| No | 69 | 10.3 % |
| List of polls | ||