Jeremy Roenick is no stranger to controversy, and his latest statements show that in the heat of the moment, people do things they shouldn’t regardless of the consequences.
James Neal was suspended for five games on Monday after he kneed Bruins forward Brad Marchand in the head during a chippy matchup on Saturday. Roenick discussed the suspension on NBC Sports on Monday night, and empathized with Neal’s position.
“If I was playing against a guy I did not like — Marchand is a guy that’s not very liked in the National Hockey League — I probably would have done the same thing,” he said.
Rules are rules, though, and Roenick also said that in the current era of hockey, there is no place for such dangerous plays.
“However, you cannot do this kind of act in a National Hockey League game, especially with all the concussions,” Roenick said. “I’m definitely surprised he only got five games. It was a deliberate knee to the head. Everybody saw it. I’m surprised he escaped a big one here.”
Check out the video below to hear Roenick discuss Neal’s suspension.
