Burnside Has It Right

I'm in 100% agreement with Scott Burnside's comments after the Pronger suspension.

"People talk about the respect or lack of respect players have for each other.

Respect comes from knowing what the boundaries are.

Players in general don't whack each other in the face with their sticks because the league has drawn a clear line in the sand on stick fouls. Do it and you're on the phone with Colin Campbell or worse in his office.

Hits from behind and blows to the head, sadly, remain in that grey area.

Anaheim captain Scott Niedermayer, for one, seemed perplexed by the Pronger hearing.

"It's hard to know really what's going on," Niedermayer said.

"I mean, my brother got the penalty. They're talking to Chris now. Anybody else they want to bring in? Maybe they should talk to Holmstrom, as well. You know, I don't know. I don't know what they're doing," he said.

Well, at least in this moment, the NHL is trying to say that if you endanger another player by hitting him in the head or whacking him from behind then you're going to get the boot no matter who you are."