The concussion lawsuit brought against the NHL by former players is a massive headache for the league, which seems weirdly poetic. That headache got a bit bigger when the judge presiding over the lawsuit made public nearly 300 documents from the case, including multiple emails between NHL executives and reporters.
The Globe and Mail did us all a great service by , giving fans, bloggers, and reporters a treasure trove of material to peruse.
There are but the guy who comes out looking the worst is Colin Campbell. From for the hit that ended his career to seemingly taking advice from both and on suspensions, this is not a good look.
The emails between Campbell and McKenzie are particularly enlightening. The two talk like old friends, discussing their kids鈥� hockey careers (Campbell consistently refers to his son as 鈥淕regory鈥�; never 鈥淕reg鈥�), and whatever other hockey topics cross their minds. Or rather, whatever hockey topics on which McKenzie wants the inside scoop. Their buddy-buddy relationship certainly casts a different light on how during his last email scandal.
Perhaps the most interesting topic covered by Campbell and McKenzie is fighting. Campbell apparently isn鈥檛 a big fan.
That wasn鈥檛 the case in 2007, when emails with Brian Burke and NBC suggest he wasn鈥檛 opposed to fighting at that time. , 鈥淚 love fighting...If anything this debate 鈥榗leanses鈥� our game and provides us with the defense that we did 鈥榓sk the question鈥�.鈥�
This suggests that the only reason the NHL talked about fighting was to show that they were talking about fighting.
To NBC, in regards to comments made by Brett Hull, Campbell goes off:
At least, at least have him talk to me before he says I and Gary want to get rid of fighting. Not the case at all. He can't assume. I like the fact he has the balls (or is nuts) to say what he feels but UNLIKE Charles Barkley, he does not do his homework or is just plain dumb.
But something changes in 2008 in correspondence with McKenzie. When 21-year-old senior hockey player Don Sanderson , hitting his head, falling into a coma, and eventually dying from his injuries, McKenzie and Campbell .
Well, sort of sober. Campbell immediately thought of his son and references a fight against then-Canuck Shane O鈥橞rien where his helmet came off:
鈥淕regory had to fight that idiot O'Brian (sic) last night and Gregory's helmet came off. (Kesler was being a dick with Gregory and some Panthers so when Gregory went back at him OBrian (sic) came yapping. Gregory used to get into it with him when he was with Tampa). This scares me with the Helmets coming off.鈥�
Campbell then said, 鈥淚 guess if I had real balls I would go public and go hard but I won鈥檛.鈥�
In other words, he鈥檚 afraid. He recognizes the dangers of fighting but won鈥檛 do anything to protect the players鈥攅ven when one of those players is his own son.
A month later, , Campbell went even further: 鈥淚 am thinking of coming out and saying it鈥檚 time...to get rid of fighting...or at least take major steps to reduce it.鈥�
Can you imagine if Campbell, the Senior Vice President and of the NHL and Director of Hockey Operations, responsible for the safety of players, had come out in early 2009 and said that the NHL needed to get rid of fighting? It would have been bold, brave, and potentially revolutionary.
Campbell wasn鈥檛 that bold: 鈥淚 will need my bosse鈥檚 (sic) ok but thinking strongly of it.鈥� Apparently Gary Bettman didn't give the "ok", if Campbell ever asked for it.
He goes on to say that his own experience fighting as a player didn鈥檛 mean he enjoyed it: 鈥淚 hated fighting...had to do it though...particularly in the 70鈥檚 but it is stupid.鈥�
鈥淕et rid of fighting,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t is stupid,鈥� he says. But how much has really changed?
The NHL eventually did put into place a minor penalty for players removing their helmets before a fight. In 2013. It took didn鈥檛 take long for the players to make a mockery of the new rule. Krys Barch and Brett Gallant helpfully . Aaron Volpatti and Kevan Miller . A few days later, Mark Fraser and Travis Moen so they would both receive off-setting penalties. Now, nobody seems to care if a helmet comes off in a fight.
To be fair to Campbell, fighting has dropped since 2009, though it鈥檚 unclear whether it鈥檚 a result of rule changes or it happening organically as teams gradually recognize the need to have 18 skaters who can legitimately play the game. But even though he had the opportunity to take the lead in speaking out against fighting and didn鈥檛 take it, he also had the opportunity to follow someone else: Brendan Shanahan.
Shanahan comes out looking best from these emails, showing a progressive approach to the game and an actual desire to make changes rather than just show the appearance of wanting to maybe, possibly consider making changes.
In September, 2011, Shanahan :
We all know that we've talked about a time where we impose stiffer penalties for fighting so I wouldn't see this so much as reactionary but more opportunistic that the timing is right to get the support to finally say enough.
...
Fighting (like slashing) is NOT legal. There is a penalty. Unlike fighting however, teams don't employ "slashers" for that simple role. We could work out the details but maybe it's time to propose increases the penalty for fighting. If you fight, you get kicked out.
"It's only a matter of time before the CHL and other feeder leagues do it. Let's be first. I believe it's the right thing to do.
While we don鈥檛 see Campbell鈥檚 or Bettman鈥檚 response to this, we do see what Campbell has to say when . Shanahan says, 鈥淚 believe that fighting as a tool or strategy is leaving the game of hockey and we can either lead or follow.鈥�
Campbell pushes back: 鈥淣ot so sure how drastic we take that lead if that is what your (sic) suggesting.鈥�
Colin Campbell in 2007/08: If I had real balls, I鈥檇 get rid of fighting.
Colin Campbell in 2012: Let鈥檚 not get too hasty about getting rid of fighting!
Colin Campbell is a coward.聽
