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Lemieux says NHL ‘failed’ in discipline of Isles
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo
Pittsburgh Penguins co-owner and NHL Hall of Fame center Mario Lemieux, second from left, is joined by Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Fame running back Franco Harris, left, and Sidney Crosby, right, for a ceremonial puck drop before the NHL Winter Classic outdoor hockey game against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Pittsburgh Saturday, Jan. 1, 2011. The Capitals won 3-1.
Associated Press
NEW YORK
Pittsburgh Penguins owner Mario Lemieux said the NHL failed in its punishment of the New York Islanders following a fight-filled game between the teams — and went so far as to question whether he wanted to stay in the league.
Lemieux, who had a Hockey Hall of Fame playing career with the Penguins, issued a statement Sunday in which he bashed the league’s handling of the aftermath of Friday night’s 9-3 Islanders victory in which there were 346 penalty minutes, 10 ejections, 15 fighting majors and 20 misconducts.
“Hockey is a tough, physical game, and it always should be. But what happened Friday night on Long Island wasn’t hockey. It was a travesty,” Lemieux said. “It was painful to watch the game I love turn into a sideshow like that.”
The NHL suspended New York forwards Trevor Gillies for nine games and Matt Martin for four and hit the team with a $100,000 fine late Saturday night, saying the Islanders “must bear some responsibility for their failure to control their players.”
Lemieux, who bought the Penguins out of bankruptcy in 1999 and ended his playing career during the 2005-06 season, said the sanctions weren’t nearly enough.
“The NHL had a chance to send a clear and strong message that those kinds of actions are unacceptable and embarrassing to the sport. It failed,” he said. “We, as a league, must do a better job of protecting the integrity of the game and the safety of our players. We must make it clear that those kinds of actions will not be tolerated and will be met with meaningful disciplinary action.
“If the events relating to Friday night reflect the state of the league, I need to rethink whether I want to be a part of it.”
The NHL stood by the punishments handed out by league disciplinarian Colin Campbell.
“We are entirely comfortable with how Friday night’s events were handled,” NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said in a statement. “We have no other response to Mr. Lemieux’s statement.”
Pittsburgh forward Eric Godard was the only member of the Penguins’ organization to be punished by the NHL. He received an automatic 10-game suspension because he left the bench to join a fight between New York’s Micheal Haley and Penguins goalie Brent Johnson.
The two major brawls Friday night were sparked by Martin and Gillies.
The first broke out in the second period when Martin jumped Max Talbot from behind near center ice and started a fight, presumably in retaliation for an unpenalized hit delivered by Talbot on Feb. 2 against Islanders forward Blake Comeau, who hasn’t played since because of a concussion.
During the third period, Gillies charged after Penguins forward Eric Tangradi and hit him high with an elbow before landing several punches. From the tunnel leading to the Islanders dressing room, Gillies then taunted Tangradi.