Adam Proteau says that while Florida Panthers forward Nick Cousins wasn't suspended for recent hits, he must be aware of what's going on around him, and the NHL should take notice.
This writer has made it clear what they feel about supplemental discipline in hockey and in the NHL in particular. Every time a new collective bargaining agreement is consummated, the opportunity to implement more punitive (and thus, more effective) measures for player safety infringements passes. And that allows some NHL players to push the envelope with their on-ice behavior.
That’s what we saw last week when Florida Panthers forward Nick Cousins caught Arizona defenseman Juuso Valimaki up high in a collision; Cousins wound up boarded by Coyotes forward Jason Zucker, and Zucker was the only one suspended. That appeared to frustrate Hockey Night In Canada broadcaster and former Vancouver defenseman Kevin Bieksa, who compared Cousins’ reckless play to former teammate Raffi Torres.
“This is a trend with (Cousins), and he has done this numerous amount of times,” Bieksa said Saturday night. “Ramming a guy’s head into the boards… there is no place in the game for this.
“Somebody has to hammer (Cousins) from the (NHL Department of Player Safety) and put an end to these crappy hits because I hate them…(Cousins is) a rat to me, I’m sorry.”
Strong words, to be sure. You may think that comparing Cousins to Torres is over the top, but Cousins is drawing attention because of some of his hits. While Valimaki did drop to his knees while Cousins seemed to focus on the puck, he must be aware of what is happening in front of him on the ice whether his opponent fell or not.
And it would be one thing if this was the first such incident involving Cousins. In early December, Cousins laid into Columbus Blue Jackets D-man Erik Gudbranson, driving his head into the boards in a frightening exchange. Gudbranson replied immediately after the hit, going straight after Cousins and getting a one-game suspension for a fight later in the period.
The common factor in both those cases is Cousins. He only has five points for the Panthers’ offense, but he’s shown himself capable of getting under an opponent’s skin. That doesn’t mean he’s allowed to take liberties, though. The NHL Department of Player Safety should have him on their radar, and the next time he tries to pull off a dangerous hit, it should result in a suspension. He can’t be permitted to careen into players who’ve established their space close to the boards. Other players have figured out how to defend without continually hurting members of the other team, and the league needs to stop pretending Cousins bears no responsibility for his movements on the ice.
Raffi Torres earned the negative energy he eventually got from the league because he thought he could get away with pushing the envelope until the NHL finally stepped in and said enough is enough. The same message ought to be sent to Cousins now to a lesser extent.
Bieksa was right to call him out – and here’s hoping saner minds like his prevail. Stronger punishments will only help the player safety department maintain order and a safe workplace. And if it means sitting Cousins down for a few games, so be it.
Stay tuned Tuesday for video analysis.
