Brendan Shanahan: Why He's Not the Right Man for the Job

Whether it was the 1 piece, retro goalie masks, the players skating without helmets, or the lack of neck-guards on goalie equipment, it's safe to say the NHL has never been as safe as it could be.

In recent years, hits from behind and to the head have been the topic of interest, and rightfully so.  People like Eric Lindros and Marc Savard know the damage these hits can do, and even young players such as Sidney Crosby and Peter Mueller know.  

Something needed to be done about these types of plays. Ergo, Gary Bettman hired Brendan Shanahan to lay down the hammer.  Throwing out hefty suspensions by the day, Shanahan made an immediate impact on the league.  There are, however, some problems with the way he is doing things.  

First, Shanahan hands out suspensions inconsistently.  In a preseason game, James Wisniewski was suspended for three preseason games and eight regular season games, for a hit that despite being dangerous, may have been unintentional.  

Wisniewski delivered a post-whistle hit to the head against Cal Clutterbuck, but as you can see in the video, Clutterbuck was approaching Wisniewski, who appeared to be looking in the other direction.  

While the true intentions of Wisniewski will remain unknown, if an individual detects someone approaching them at a close and fast pace in their periphery, it is an instinct to raise the forearm.  The harsh nature of this suspension, without a doubt, was largely due to the fact that Wisniewski was a repeat offender.  

On October 29, Dan Carcillo also received a suspension, for a hit from behind.  As you can see, this play is equally dangerous as that of Wisniewski, yet it only warranted a two-game suspension; the equivalent of what James Wisniewski received for an obscene gesture last season.  

It is important to note that like the Wisniewski incident in the preseason, this hit didn't result in an injury, and Dan Carcillo is a repeat offender as well.  

Why the big difference?

There has also been a great inconsistency in the quantity of suspensions handed out.  In the preseason, there was a total of nine suspensions in 10 days, with an average length of 6.67 games.  In the regular season, there have been a total of six suspensions in 50 days, with an average length of three games.  

While the goal of cracking down on these types of plays is to remove them from the game, it will be a gradual process. It did not suddenly happen between the preseason and the regular season.  Shanahan got off to a great start, sending a strict message to the players, but has since loosened the ropes.  

Lastly, is the lack of disconnection from the NHL as a player.  Brendan Shanahan played his last NHL game less than three seasons ago.  

While he was a great hockey player and leader, he played with an edge as well.  With 21 NHL seasons, 2,489 penalty minutes (22nd all-time), and 97 career fights, Brendan Shanahan is bound to have a lot of friends and a lot of enemies.  

Since he has been retired for less than three seasons, it's safe to say that many of those friends and enemies are still in the league.  

Brendan Shanahan is classy, and this is not to suggest he would intentionally show bias towards any players; but it would be hard to approach it objectively if he was reviewing a play involving a long-time teammate and friend.