NHL vs. NFL, NBA, MLB: Are NHL Players Being Held at a Higher Standard?

The NHL, NFL, NBA and MLB are all professional sports organizations that claim players who have a major influence on society, but recent events are starting to show NHL players are being held at a higher standard than other professional athletes.

Interesting enough, out of all professional sports organizations, the NHL is easily the least popular.

In an article in the November 2010 issue of GQ magazine, author Michael Idov gives readers a real taste of Washington Capitals star and captain Alex Ovechkin. Idov, in his interpretation of Ovechkin, didn't seem to hold back in any way, laying out Ovechkin's actions regardless of how these actions can be perceived by an audience.

In fact, a particular scene in the article has stirred some controversy on the internet. Ovechkin, slated to take photos at a Russian ice skating rink for GQ, arrived with two girls he picked up at a bar earlier who were dressed like snow bunnies

He then proceeded to make out with one, then the other. Neither left his side; they even left together.

This drew a heavy amount of criticism and for a good reason, but have other professional athletes who "have stepped out of line" received the same treatment?

It doesn't always seem that way.

The fact that Alex Rodriguez is flirting and seen with another Hollywood celebrity is just a part of the news, maybe even expected at this point.

That's a harmless example, but what about Brett Favre's recent sexting scandal? Or Ben Roethlisberger's shenanigans in the women's bathroom?

Turn on ESPN any day of the week and an NFL, NBA or MLB athlete is always up to something and it's not always in a positive light. Scandals have become a part of the daily professional sports news and some would even argue it's the reason why those leagues are so popular: they're always up to something that is going to put a player's face and the team he plays for in the news.

In the journalism world, all press is good press.

Don't get me wrong, fans and analysts usually look down on professional athletes when they misbehave but have we gotten to the point where sports scandals have become a part of the sports world when referring to those popular leagues, to the point where they're expected?

There seems to be a different expectation surrounding NHL players based on how people within the NHL react to certain behaviors. Let's take a look at goal celebrations.

When a football player scores a touchdown, some kind of celebration dance ensues in the end zone. If it gets excessive, a 15-yard penalty is assessed but other than that, no harm, no foul.

But when Alex Ovechkin scored goal number 50 and decided to "warm his hands with his stick," Don Cherry was all over him on his program Coach's Corner .

And in August of 2009 when Patrick Kane punched a cab driver because he didn't have 20 cents in change , the story remained a hot topic issue until the preseason began in September.

As I write this, I also receive a tweet from @TSNBobMcKenzie that says the following: "Milt Schmidt, class act. Carries himself the way a hockey player and a man should. Very impressive."

Clearly, there's a set image of how hockey players should act and even stronger reaction when they don't act accordingly.

The natural conclusion is that NHL fans and experts are the ones who set the bar so high for NHL players. They expect a certain behavior from NHL players, especially the stars in the League, and will be too quick to criticize them if they aren't meeting those expectations.

So I ask: is it fair that NHL players must go above and beyond the expectations of professional athletes? Should they not all fit under the same umbrella of "professional athlete?"

It seems logical, but it also goes without saying that the NHL isn't like the rest of the professional leagues.

A strong argument can be made that the NHL is the league of "good boys," where excessive trouble is hard to find. Other than the latest injuries and players on a hot streak, the headlines are filled with players putting their off-ice time into charity.

Too much time spent with charity can sometimes feel like a ploy, but you can tell that these hockey players truly care about what is going on off the ice and they understand that they can make an impact. One could argue that the NHL and its respective teams and players spend more time doing charity than any other professional league.

These facts were highlighted earlier this month when comic-book legend Stan Lee partnered with the NHL to create The Guardian Project , a comic that will feature the NHL as Lee's newest clan of superheroes. Lee will design superheroes based on NHL teams, giving them talents that fit but not necessarily match the team's mascot.

It's a huge honor for the NHL to be chosen as Lee's muse, especially over more popular sports organizations. I feel this has to do with the NHL's mix of the strength and finesse of hockey on the ice and the pure-heartedness of hockey players off the ice.

In a way, this could be seen as a mini reward for what the NHL has been able to produce in recent years. Creating a comic book will certainly increase some exposure to the League, a great help since the NHL isn't that popular in the United States.

On the other hand, this could be more proof that the NHL is held in a higher regard than other sports, that people are naturally expecting more from members of the NHL community.

Or maybe Lee feels pity for the lack of hockey exposure in the United States and simply wants to cast a spotlight on a not-so-popular league.

In short, many signs point to increasingly high standards for NHL players these days because of how members of the hockey world react to their shortcomings.

Whether or not that's fair—or if it's even the case—is entirely up for discussion.

What do you think?

Laura Falcon is a Featured Columnist for the Pittsburgh Penguins and a college writing intern for Bleacher Report. Follow her on Twitter or email her at [e-mail] with any comments.