NHL director of hockey operations Colin Campbell spoke to reporters after Monday’s competition committee meeting in New York, in which coach’s challenges and other league matters were discussed and debated.
One highlight from Campbell’s media availability was his comments on embellishment, which he believes is “out of control.”
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The issue of embellishing and diving has become a focal point in the 2014 Stanley Cup playoffs. Many teams have been guilty of embellishing to draw penalties over the last two months, including the Boston Bruins, but the team that has drawn the most criticism and complaints has been the Montreal Canadiens.
Canadiens forward Tomas Plekanec embellished several times during the Eastern Conference final and was caught in Game 5. His penalty gave the New York Rangers a power play, which they capitalized on to tie the score.
It’s encouraging that the league realizes embellishing is a genuine concern and offending players should be punished, but handing out fines to players — most of whom make over $1 million annually — is far from the solution. To fully erase embellishment from the game, more penalties need to be called, and suspensions should be given to repeat offenders.
Here’s a recap of the topics addressed in the competition committee meeting.
Photo and GIF via Twitter/@MyRegularFace
