The NHL's Department of Player Safety announced Wednesday that New York Rangers' defenseman John Moore has been suspended for five games, without pay, for an illegal check to the head of Minnesota Wild Forward Erik Haula during Monday's game.
Moore will lose $51,859.75 in game checks during his five-game absence, and the money will go to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.
But, is five games long enough?
Moore is considered a repeat offender, according to the league. Just last season, in Game 5 of the playoffs, he put an eerily similar hit on Dale Weise of the Montreal Canadiens, which you can see here. He missed two games because of it.
Now, only 14 games into the newest NHL season, he's already done almost the exact same thing.
A repeat offender - and he'll only lose five games - three more than he received for his initial infraction. Five games out of an 82-game schedule.
Even with the sporting worlds increased focus on and sensitivity to head injuries and brain trauma, the NHL and the Players' Association chose not to get tougher on player safety penalties during the most recent collective bargaining agreement, according to Adam Proteau of The Hockey News.
Proteau suggests that serious suspensions and meaningful fines are the only way to really get a player's attention (like Moore).
"When Moore barrelled into Haula, who had just finished shooting the puck, he clearly had no fear of the consequences for what at best can be termed a borderline hit," Proteau wrote. "But imagine if he did. Imagine if he knew that, as the repeat offender that he was, he could be suspended for a minimum of 20 games. Having that knowledge in the back of his head might not have stopped him from making the same split-second decision, but who's to say it would have no effect? Players (and their families) would be acutely aware of the significant financial penalty they would pay, and there's every possibility their behavior would be modified and the likelihood of a repeat offense would decrease."
Without increased penalties, players like Moore may never feel enough worry over the potential repercussions to curb their aggression.
