Boston Bruins: More players must back Evander Kane against the NHL

Evander Kane has made a bold call in being outspoken against the NHL and it’s time for Boston Bruins players to back him up.

The San Jose Sharks winger called out the fact that he’s fed up with the inconsistent suspensions given out by the NHL’s Department of Player Safety. The Boston Bruins experienced this first-hand very recently and it’s time they spoke up too.

Against the Arizona Coyotes, it was deemed correct to give Jeremy Lauzon both a game misconduct and then a two-game suspension, with no prior suspension history, for a check to the head of Derek Stepan.

Granted, we don’t want to see players of any team going down with head injuries or concussions, so it’s an understandable punishment to give the game misconduct. His hit though was without the intent to do anything more than hit the player.

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Later in that game, it was clear Lawson Crouse was out for blood, with what appeared a far more intentional head shot on Boston Bruins’ defenseman Charlie McAvoy, albeit with his elbow. For this, he was punished for two minutes and that was all.

The double standards are ridiculous and Evander Kane has called it out. It’s time that we as Boston Bruins fans stand alongside him and push the Department of Player Safety to do something about it all.

Remove judgement of individual hits and make it a standard one-game suspension for any hit to the head. Standardise it. That way at least the player knows that they’re due to be punished.

If that’s not deterrent enough, make it two games for any check to the head penalty called on the ice. But likewise; any spearing or elbowing call needs to have the same penalty adjudged.

Looking at other sports like soccer, for example; an accumulation of five yellow cards across a season results in a one-game suspension, whilst a red card also befits the same suspension. It’s simple, it’s standardised and ill discipline is punished.

In taking a stand, Evander Kane should make it easier for other players to protest the way the Department of Player Safety runs things.

It’s all well and good for their explanatory videos detailing why they adjudged a dangerous hit to be worthy of three games or seven (if you’re Zack Kassian), but why one elbow is worth three games in Kane’s case, while Crouse got off with none is anyone’s guess.

The Boston Bruins, maybe not as an organisation, but at least as individual players need to support what Kane says. That it has become guesswork to determine how many games a player may or may not miss is completely ridiculous in the best league in professional ice hockey.

There’s obviously no easy fix right away, but we’ve been wronged too many times not to back him. Most of all, fair play to him, whether you like him as a player or not, for having the guts to call it out!

We don’t want any ridiculous suspension calls being the difference-maker between making the Stanley Cup Final and falling short in the first round. It’s time for the Boston Bruins to make a stand too.