Sidney Crosby Comeback: NHL breaths a sigh of relief

Sidney Crosby made his comeback last week and the NHL and hockey fans everywhere breathed a huge sigh of relief. The hockey world had been without Crosby for nearly a year as he recovered from a concussion from shots to the head in back to back games.

Sidney Crosby’s absence raised a lot of questions about player safety and discipline. Everything was under scrutiny from equipment, to rules, to the way the game is played. Gone are the days of unabashed goonery.  

Wayne Gretzky was protected by Oilers’ enforcer Dave Semenko. Sidney Crosby is now protected by the NHL.

The threat of losing a once in a generation star to a careless hit from a nameless goon got the NHL’s attention. Sidney Crosby is not just another player. He drives ticket sales, merchandise sales and TV ratings.  

The NHL needs Crosby like bad movies need Adam Sandler, without them they just aren’t the same.

Because of recent rule changes the game is faster and less physical.  Fewer and fewer teams are using a precious roster spot on a player who can’t skate or shoot just to scare the opposition into avoiding excessive hits on the team’s star. The message with the enforcer on the bench is that if the star player gets hit there will be consequences on the ice.

The enforcer has been replaced by Brendan Shanahan, the NHL’s director of player discipline. Sheriff Shanahan is taking game tape, checking it twice and looking to find out who’s been naughty or nice.  

The fourth liners of the league will be wise to avoid unnecessary hits to Crosby, or any other stars of the NHL. The NHL is now its own enforcer.