Shanaban Has Lost Control

Brendan Shanahan is ruining hockey. Maybe not intentionally, but "Shanny" has almost brought the NHL to its knees.


Shanahan replaced Colin Campbell on June 1st, 2011, and for good reason. Campbell was exposed as a horrific leader who ruled unjustly, and after 13 seasons it was time for the NHL to make a change.


Enter Brendan Shanahan, who was known throughout his 22 year playing career for being a physical guy who was more than willing to drop the gloves.


At the time, he seemed like a great replacement for Campbell.


Immediately, he implemented a new way of handing out suspensions. Each ruling is now accompanied by Shanahan's view of the play, the play itself, and key points as to whether it violated NHL rules and regulations.


In the beginning of the season, Shanahan came down hard on offenders, especially when it came to blows to the upper body. James Wisnewski and Jody Shelley alone were given a combined 22 game suspension in the preseason, which eventually carried over into the Regular Season.


Although harsh, Shanhan set a precedent as to how he would do his job. 

He sent a strong message to players around the league: screw up, and expect a phone call from me.

Yet as the season progress, "Shanaban" as he is commonly referred to as, has swayed from his hard, early season demeanor.

If it was not evident earlier, all parties have noticed it come playoff time.

The Nashville Predators defeated the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 in Game 1 of their playoff series. Yet it was what happened after the game was what should have gotten Nashville Defenseman Shea Weber in more trouble than he was. 

After a puck came Weber's way in the corner, Henrik Zetterberg laid a clean hit on him from behind. However, Weber took exception and punched Zetterberg in the back of the head before driving his skull into the glass, a blow which dropped the Red Wings star to the ice.

Shea Weber's conduct was shameful and embarrassing, but the most disgraceful part was when Brendan Shanhan fined Weber a measly $2,500. 

The fine handed down to Weber is .0003% of his salary this season (he is making $7.5 million). What Weber did was by no means a hockey play and was well deserving of a one game suspension. However, he was most likely able to get off scott free because Zetterberg was not injured on the play.

If Shanahan wanted to redeem himself, it would have came in Game 2 between the Ottawa Senators and the New York Rangers. In the 1st period, Senators Matt Carkner skated at the Rangers Brian Boyle with only one thought: revenge. Boyle punched Carkner's teammate Erik Karlsson, and Carkner was out to return the favor.

He charged at Boyle, held him up against the glass, and began raining down punches on Boyle, who was unwilling to fight. Carkner was able to land at least seven clean shots on Boyle, one of which dropped him to the ice.

Later in the same game, the Rangers Carl Hagelin delivered and elbow to the head of the Senators Daniel Alfredsson. The hit forced Alfredsson out of the game, and he is out for at least Game 3.

Shanahan had a chance to get this right, and he blew it up.

In his typical monotone I-am-reading-straight-off-a-teleprompter voice, Shanahan described Hagelin's hit as a target to the head, and mentioned Alfredsson was forced to leave the game. Even with Hagelin's spotless record, he was given a 3 game suspension.

In the next video, described what he saw in reference to the egregious actions taken by Adam Carkner. He explained how Boyle was an "unwilling combatant", and how Carkner had done something very similar in 2009. However, Shanahan pointed out Boyle was unhurt and only gave Carkner a one game suspension. 

In attempting to get this right, Shanahan totally got this one wrong. He has gone about giving his suspension based on injury suffered. What he does not understand is that suspensions should be given due to the malicious intent of the hit, not the injury caused from that hit. 

Brian Boyle wanted a fight by no means, and Carkner gets off almost clean because Boyle suffered no major injury. Shanahan showed video evidence of Carkner doing almost the identical thing, but essentially let him off for a warning. Neither time was Matt Carkner trying to make a "hockey play", but rather inflict pain on the opponent.

When talking about physical play, Shanahan was quoted as saying.  “It’s a very difficult and fine balance to keep that in the game, to allow players to play on their toes, but at the same time for them to know what they can and can’t do.”

Yet Shanahan has made the fine line between legal and illegal hits even hazier.


In this new era, players penalties seem as though they could range from a slap on the wrist to castration. 


All the progress he attempted to make in the beginning of the season has weened down to practically nothing.


If he is incapable of governing correctly, than he should not waste our time any longer. 

Shanahan has two choices: step it up, or step down at the end of the year.