So much for zero tolerance

[Curious Boy]

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik got off easy compared to Erik Cole. Orpik, who delivered a hit from behind that knocked out Cole for the rest of the regular season, was suspended for three games without pay by the NHL on Monday.

In Saturday's game against Carolina, Orpik was assessed a boarding major and game misconduct for hitting Cole from behind. On Sunday, Cole was diagnosed with a compression fracture in a vertebra in his neck.

"While it is apparent that there was no deliberate intent to injure on this play, Mr. Orpik's careless hit on his opponent resulted in a serious injury," NHL executive vice president of hockey operations Colin Campbell said.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=2357095

Broken vertabra = 3 game suspension, forfeit $9,948.99 in salary.
2 broken vertabra = 20 game suspension, forfeit $500,000 in salary
The Canucks organization was fined $250,000

Campbell says there was no deliberate intent to injure, but I disagree. When you run a guy into the boards with your stick on his number, you've got intent.

I guess the Bertuzzi incident was more hype than action. Moore was a fourth liner, who wasn't missed when the playoffs began. Earlier in the game, Cole had scored a pair of goals, his 29th and 30th goals of the season, to go with 30 assists, and a plus-20 rating. Instead of chasing him in open ice, Orpik lined him up against the boards. What if Bert had done that with Moore? Would it have been forgotten as a big hit in the corner? Just a part of the game? Bert gooned a guy in open ice at 8:51 of period 3 in a 5-0 game. Orpik hit Cole when it was 6-5 'Canes leading Pens.

I like watching the game within the game, when guys get hit & remember who hit them for later. It's often what leads to the final score.