Sunday Editorial: Former Anaheim Ducks player Nick Boynton torches NHL.
In part one of a two-part series in reaction to former Anaheim Ducks player Nick Boynton’s recent flaming of the league, we’ll look at NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and his legacy.
Fans love to boo NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. But he’s actually been great for the growth of the league, especially in non-traditional hockey markets like Anaheim. But there’s an area where the boos are completely justified.
A couple of weeks ago, former Anaheim Duck defenseman Nick Boynton wrote a lengthy article in The Players’ Tribune. In it, he spoke pretty bluntly about what really happens in the NHL.
Coaches tell players to get on the ice and fight…check. Players spend their time worrying about what will happen to them…oh yeah. Players try to hurt each other…yep. Former players suffer greatly after their careers are over…you know it.
After the deaths, DEATHS, of many of his friends, Boynton is speaking out about head injuries. It doesn’t hurt that he has suffered himself since he joined the league in 2000, and he doesn’t feel like he has anything left to lose. He decided to open up to the world.
After reading Boynton’s article, one must wonder about Gary Bettman. What responsibility does he have? Is he culpable for the injuries? Why is he in full denial that hockey causes serious long-term problems? And what should his legacy be?
Bettman’s Legacy
I have a horribly-kept secret. I am actually a fan of Gary Bettman. It’s not a popular stance. But hear me out.
Before Bettman, the NHL was a bit of a joke on a national scale. Let’s remember, Gary Bettman has been the commissioner of the NHL since 1993 His tenure has seen teams added in non-traditional hockey markets like Miami, Dallas, Raleigh, Nashville, Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Anaheim (Atlanta gets a pass).
Does it make sense that fans from these markets boo Bettman relentlessly as though they are Canadian purists? Without Bettman, we’d all be wearing black and silver to hockey games in SoCal. That’s reason enough to be his fan.
Bettman has overseen changes to the league, including a salary cap and revenue sharing system, that allows teams like the Anaheim Ducks to compete every year. Consider this, all of the Bettman-added sunbelt teams listed above have been to the Stanley Cup Final at least once except the Coyotes. Phoenix only made it as far as the conference final.
Three of those teams have already won the Stanley Cup. I don’t know about you, but that warm night in 2007 is still one of the highlights of my life. We have Bettman to thank for that, at least partially.
Nick Boynton’s Beef
Nick Boynton has something he wants you to know. He didn’t like fighting. He also said he had little choice. Playing hockey was the only career he’d ever had. So when the coach called his name, he did what he had to do to keep his job.
When Boynton joined the league in 2000, there wasn’t much known about the long-term effects of repeated concussions. By the time he retired in 2011, it was pretty clear concussions were a major problem. That was the year David Steckel put Sidney Crosby out for the rest of the season, plus 20 games the following season, with a shoulder to the head in the Winter Classic. That was also the year former Mighty Ducks superstar Paul Kariya was forced to retire as a result of repeated concussions.
Boynton has spent much of his adult life addicted and mentally ill. He believes the repeated head injuries are to blame. It’s hard to argue with him. Just look at the carnage around him. Bob Probert, Derek Boogaard, and former Duck Steve Montador are allegedly just some of the fatal victims of the league’s and the NHL Players’ Association’s failure to police head shots.
Who Else Is With Boynton?
As it turns out, Nick Boynton has a lot of company. In fact, over 100 former NHL players have joined a lawsuit filed in Minnesota against the league on this matter. And right now, the judge is deciding whether the case will be a class action lawsuit or if each former player will have to take on the league on their own.
We don’t know how the lawsuit(s) will turn out. But if you watch the following video from KSTP’s (Minneapolis, MN) investigation, you’ll see Bettman and the league don’t look very good in making their argument that there is no proof hockey causes long-term health problems for players as a result of repeated head trauma.
Consider this: The National Football League admitted football and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) were linked over two years ago. That fact alone makes Bettman look like a caveman on this issue.
What Will History Look Like?
If you look back twenty years ago, you’ll see the NHL was a very different place. New players were told to, “keep your head up.” They were admonished not to, “watch your passes.” In other words, head injuries were the fault of the player who was hit.
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Today we all know what a dirty hit looks like. It often still looks like a shot to the head. The player who dishes out the hit is the offender.
Now let’s fast forward twenty years. Does anyone think Gary Bettman will be on the right side of history as it’s related to head injuries? Don’t all put your hands up at once. Of course not! Anyone who has ever laced ’em up knows those shots to the head have major and long-lasting effects.
Going Forward
The crazy thing is last week it was announced Bettman would be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in November as a builder. His legacy is relatively strong outside of this one issue. But his legacy will be tainted if he doesn’t come clean on the effects of hits to the head soon.
Next: Fixing the Ducks Power Play
Bettman is on the wrong side of history on this one and everyone knows it. Heck, Bettman is always the smartest guy in the room. He knows he’s on the wrong side of history too. If he doesn’t do something to protect our heroes on the ice, I’ll be joining in the chorus of boos every time I see him.