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I posted this elsewhere. I'm copying it to here.
QUOTE (from a member at the other board)
*why wont they just drop the gloves with eachother next time they face eachother?*
Mostly because Pronger has his gloves glued on. Last time he was involved in more than 2 fights in a season? Ten years ago...
But also, let's look at the victim in this, Ryan Kesler. Kesler also was the one who took the stick to the chops from Jesse Boulerice this year, resulting in JB sitting for 25 games. Before Pronger stomped Kesler, Kesler had a scissor lock on his legs. Before Boulerice slashed him, what had Kesler been doing? Who knows. The guy is a, pardon the term, "shit disturber" who will yap a lot, get away with a fewdirty acts here and there, and just generally stir the pot. Thanks to the instigator rule, Boulerice couldn't jump him and whale on him. Nor could Pronger. While both need to be held responsible for what they DID do, I think the league needs to take a bigger look at what's causing these players to snap as they have.
Look around at these monster suspensions we've seen in the past 15 years. Who were the victims of the suspension-causing hits? Mostly guys like Kesler who run around with borderline hits, tons of chirping, and won't answer to a challenge to a fight. Jarkko Ruutu fits in this category. Ryan Hollweg (at least he'll fight occasionally, but it doesn't outweigh his dirty hits). Donald Brashear's spot-picking and fighting only when he wants to (which in 1999-2005 was "rarely;" a fake glove drop and ignoring of two challenges are what led to Marty Mac's stickwork). Tie Domi on Ulf Samuelsson. Steve Moore. Tony Granato on Neil Wilkinson. Owen Nolan on Grant Marshall. The victims were all the grinder/disturber type, who get away with dirty play regularly. The suspended players are big boys. They can take care of themselves with the gloves off, there's no need to go doing anything with sticks. But they can't take retribution in the form of a fight because of things like the instigator rule being put in place.
Again, I'm not trying to excuse the actions of the suspended players at all. But the league needs to look also at the type of player involved in a lot of these in the role of the victim. In the past, that player gets beaten on with fists. The instigator rule has prevented it and now they get sticks instead of fists, which causes much more damage. And it's not just the major stick incidents that have increased. Look all around the league and even minor bits of dirty stickwork have become more prevalent over the past 15 years.
Li'l bit o' info on Prongs here. Both Pronger and Simon were suspended 7 different times by the league before their stomp to the leg of an unsuspecting player. Here's Pronger's list vs. Simon's list.
Suspension #1
In 1995, The league suspended Chris Pronger for four games after he hit Capitals forward Pat Peake in the throat with a stick during a Oct. 29 game at the Kiel Center. Peake suffered a fractured thyroid cartilage and missed four weeks at the time of the hit.
Suspension #2
In 1998, Chris Pronger was suspended for four games for slashing Phoenix's Jeremy Roenick on Dec. 17, 1998. Pronger drew a match penalty when he took a swing at Roenick's helmet. Colin Campbell, the NHL senior vice president and director of hockey operations, ruled that Pronger was attempting to injure Roenick in an "extremely reckless and dangerous manner."
Suspension #3
In 2001, Chris Pronger was suspended without pay for one game after leaving the bench and instigating a fight with the Kings' Kelly Buchberger during an Oct. 11, 2000 game. Blues winger Pavol Demitra suffered a broken nose when Buchberger hit him with an elbow during the second period. That hit provoked Pronger to leave the bench. (This is the incident I spoke of above: the rulebook says 10, Pronger got 1)
Suspension #4
In 2002, Chris Pronger received a two-game suspension without pay for cross-checking Stars forward Brenden Morrow in an April 3rd game. The suspension cost Pronger $231,707.32 in salary. The cross-check left Morrow bleeding near one of his eyes.
Suspension #5
In 2004, Chris Pronger was suspended one game without pay for kicking Calgary's Ville Nieminen during a March 14 game. Pronger kicked Nieminen with 9:23 gone in the first period, but there was no penalty on the play. The suspension came as St. Louis was making a late push for the playoffs. The Blues were later ousted in the first round.
Suspension #6
2007, Chris Pronger was suspended one game for his hit on Detroit's Tomas Holmstrom in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals on May 15th. Pronger and Rob Niedermayer drove Holmstrom into the glass from behind midway through the second period. The hit knocked off Holmstrom's helmet and left him on the ice with a cut to his forehead. Holmstrom did return to the game. Niedermayer received a five-minute boarding penalty and a game misconduct. Pronger was not penalized. Replays apparently showed Pronger hitting Holmstrom in the head with his elbows, leading the NHL to review the incident. Pronger later criticized the Canadian media's coverage of the incident.
Suspension #7
Again in 2007, Chris Pronger was suspended one game for his blow to the head of Ottawa's Dean McAmmond in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals. McAmmond was struck as he skated with the puck toward the Ducks net. He did a spin, fell backward, struck his head on the ice, and slid into the corner in the Anaheim zone at 2:01 of the third period. McAmmond was briefly knocked out and left the ice looking woozy after several minutes of on-ice attention.
Suspension #8
In 2008, Chris Pronger and Canucks forward Ryan Kesler got tangled up in the corner behind the Anaheim goal. Kesler, a hard forechecker, hit Pronger but ended up on his back, with Pronger's right foot between his legs. Pronger got his foot free, but video shows he took his foot and stepped hard on Kesler's left leg. Kesler was not injured, but he was adamant after the game that Pronger intentionally stepped on his calf. The NHL reviewed it, and no punishment was initally administered. The league got better, clearer video the next day, and on March 15, handed down the eight-game suspension, the longest of Pronger's career.
And now, Simon's list...
#1: 1994 preseason, attempted a slash at Dennis Vial and missed. The indefinite suspension following that match penalty was interrupted by the NHL lockout, and Simon was allowed to return when play resumed in January 1995.
#2: 1997, Alleged racial remarks (never proven) regarding the Oilers' Mike Grier. Grier received nothing for alleged remarks on Simon's Native heritage. Three games.
#3: 2000 playoffs, Cross-checked Peter Popovic of Pittsburgh. One playoff game.
#4: 2001, elbowed Anders Eriksson. Two games.
#5: 2004, cross-checked and jumped on Ruslan Fedotenko. Two games
#6: 2004, kneed Sergei Zubov. Two games.
#7: 2007, cross-checked Ryan Hollweg. 25 games.
#8: 2007, stomp on Jarkko Ruutu's leg. 30 games.
And as wrong as I think Simon has been for his actions, he has a point: How many players missed any playing time for anything caused by his actions? And then compare that to Pronger and his actions. 4 weeks for Pat Peake. How long were McAmmond and Holmstrom out (granted, with McAmmond's history of concussions, Pronger could have blown on him and he would have been out cold)?
And this is Pronger's second kicking incident! Simon had the book thrown at him for one. Martin Havlat has gotten away with it twice with next to nothing in terms of retribution from the league, except a couple total jokes of suspensions (two and five games for kicking at Eric Cairns and Hal Gill; had it been Cairns and Gill kicking at Havlat, they would have gotten the book thrown at them).
Gotta love the double standards this league continues to get away with.
*steps down off soapbox*
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