Fans Slam Jennifer Botterill Following Intense Hockey Night in Canada Exchange
Hockey Night in Canada hosts Jennifer Botterill and Kevin Bieksa got into a heated argument on Saturday, leading to a broad discussion about player safety and physicality in the NHL.
The play that started the controversy was a hit by Penguins forward Noel Acciari on Canadiens forward Juraj Slafkovsky. Both players were racing to a loose puck and arrived at roughly the same time. Instead of attempting to make a play on the puck though, Acciari decided to make a hit on the Habs star while he was in a vulnerable position, reaching down for the puck. While Acciari appeared to try and not hit him up high, it was impossible to avoid head contact entirely due to the fact that Slafkovsky was bent over. Regardless, it was a dangerous play that the Canadiens did not appreciate.
Unfortunately, the NHL Department of Player Safety elected not to suspend or fine Acciari for the hit. However, this does not mean that he got away with it without any repercussions. In the dying seconds of the game, Canadiens enforcer Arber Xkekaj took matters into his own hands, delivering a dangerous hit on the Penguins veteran, reminding him of who he was dealing with.
Former NHL defenseman Kevin Bieksa took a strong stance after the game defending the play from Xhekaj. However, he did not defend the Canadiens as a whole, saying the team is regressing into a worse version of themselves this season. Despite the team's overall lack of success, he did seem to compliment their culture, saying that Xhekaj's response to the hit on Slafkovsky was justified and made at the perfect time.
Naturally, this lead to a huge argument on the hockey night panel. Jennifer Botterill was upset about the series of events, saying that not everything should be treated as an eye-for-an-eye. She argued that the game has changed and is continuing to move away from these kinds of incidents.
That being said, the panel was largely in agreement with Bieksa's take. Fellow former NHLer Luke Gazdic chimed in with his thoughts pointing out how emotional NHL games can be. He did add that the knee-on-knee hit was unnecessary and he probably should have retaliated in a different way, but overall, the intention behind the action was justified.
Considering the fact that no players were fined or suspended based on their actions in this game would seem to indicate that the NHL is largely in agreement with Bieksa and Gazdic. That being said, the Department of Player Safety is generally considered a joke among hockey fans as there is never any consistency in their decisions. This is just one more file in that case.
| POLL | ||
Do you think Noel Acciari or Arber Xhekaj should have been suspended for their hits on Saturday night? | ||
| Yes, Acciari | 82 | 22.7 % |
| Yes, Xhekaj | 54 | 15 % |
| Yes, both | 68 | 18.8 % |
| Neither | 157 | 43.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
