In a Columbus-Day moment of intensity, New York Islanders’ defenceman James Wisniewski decided it would be OK to make an unbelievably obscene and inappropriate gesture to pesky Rangers’ forward Sean Avery.
Defenceman James Wisniewski, seen here at practice, was completely out of line when he made an obscene gesture during an NHL game on Monday
I’m not going to specify what the gesture was, and I haven’t posted a video of it here (you can get that yourself off YouTube). The reason I haven’t done those things is because Wisniewski’s actions are not appropriate for this website. And they are not appropriate for the NHL arena, either. There is absolutely no excuse for what Wisniewski did – and it should be dealt with severely by the NHL.
For some reason, athletes today seem to think it’s fine to do whatever pops into their mind during the course of a game. Hitting a defenceless or prone opponent happens far too frequently. Just ask Jason Pominville how he enjoyed yesterday’s encounter with Nik Hjalmarsson. But here’s what’s really bothering me. Since the Wisniewski/Avery incident yesterday, I have heard way too many members of the media explaining Wisniewski’s actions as less offensive because they happened after the whistle – outside the playing of the game. That’s crazy!
When an NHL player steps in an arena, anywhere, he is representing the league. Period. There is no discussion. And, on the ice, from the opening whistle to the final buzzer, that representation is magnified. The NHL cannot have its representatives doing things like Wisniewski did yesterday. What if you had been at that Islanders’ game with your 10-year old son or daughter? What about with your grandmother? NHL fans should not have to witness a purposeful action from the ice surface that will make them feel uncomfortable.
It's not known what Sean Avery did or said to provoke Wisniewski's gesture, but it's irrellevant
It’s totally ironic that Wisniewski’s gesture was aimed at NHL bad boy Sean Avery. Avery, himself, was suspended in December 2008 for making derogatory comments about then-Flames’ defenceman Dion Phaneuf and his girlfriend, Elisha Cuthbert. Avery was representing the league by doing an interview. He was suspended. He should have been suspended.
In today’s game, NHL players often are allowed to go over the line. I say “allowed” because the NHL could stop it instantly if it wanted to stop it. Players have been allowed to use profanity on the ice, toward the opposition and toward officials, forever. Years ago, I saw an un-aired videotape of players wearing microphones in an NHL game. It made me sick to my stomach. The league has done little to abate that practice. Now, Wisniewski has taken that disgusting behaviour to a new level.
If the NHL does not act, and act strongly, it will simply be another escalated step toward the inappropriate way players deal with opponents. Don Cherry often says that, years ago, players respected opponents. Treated them the way they should be treated.
Sorry, Don, but those days are now long gone…and I don’t like it either.
Hi Bigmouth,
The real irony is people seem outraged at this gesture but don’t react to the dirty hits that keep happening. Mimicing a bedroom act shows poor taste and offensive but it’s way more offensive and harmful to end a guy’s career or cause him a concussion with an over-the-top blind side hit. Buffalo goalie R. Miller is right. And I wish more players were speaking out.
I just don’t know when this hitting crap is going to stop. I’d rather see a couple guys duke it out … at least that seems fair and more a ‘legitimate’ part of the game than career ending boarding (even if a guy’s head is down).
There’s only one way illegal hitting is going to stop. It’s like bullying in the schoolyard. Unless the teachers or principal step in, nothing is going to change. NHL works the same way. Unless the league puts its foot down mightily, the bullies will not stop the dirty hits. And the league is lesser for it.