I was truly heartened last night to learn the NHL, in a rare display of prudence and wisdom, chose to suspend Washington winger Tom Wilson three games for his brutal, jaw-breaking hit on Penguins forward Zach Aston-Reese. For once, the lords of discipline got it right.
Still, you could almost sense their reluctance to do so…after all, Wilson is an All-Canadian Boy who hails from Toronto…where hockey’s old-school values are defended and trumpeted with a quasi-religious fervor.
Indeed, it was former Maple Leafs owner Conn Smythe who famously stated, “If you can’t beat ‘em in the alley, you can’t beat ‘em on the ice,” perfectly capturing Canada’s attitude toward its national sport.