Page 22 - ARUBA TODAY

A22 sports
Thursday 26 april 2018
Amid bevy of head shots, NHL attempts to explain rationale

By STEPHEN WHYNO said he hit Vegas forward
AP Hockey Writer William Carrier’s shoul-
Drew Doughty watched der first before his head in
other playoff games this Game 1. Kings coach John
season and couldn’t be- Stevens added: “As long as
lieve that George Parros, I’m on the earth, I’m going
the NHL’s discipline czar, to agree to disagree with
had suspended him for a that decision.”
head shot. The league video empha-
“I saw four hits last night sized that an illegal check
that deserved more than to the head concerns a
that,” the Los Angeles Kings player’s head being the
defenseman said. main point of contact, not
Doughty’s one-game sus- the first point of contact.
pension was the first of sev- Based on experience, the
eral in the first round for a league said, a player’s
hit to the head of an op- head snapping back on
ponent. Toronto’s Nazem these kinds of hits indicates
Kadri got three games significant head contact.
and Winnipeg’s Josh Mor- Los Angeles general man-
rissey and Nashville’s Ryan ager Rob Blake, who
Hartman got one game In this April 12, 2018, file photo, Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara (33) shoves Toronto Maple worked under Brendan
each. Washington’s Tom Leafs center Nazem Kadri (43) to retaliate for his late hit on Boston Bruins center Tommy Wingels Shanahan in the depart-
Wilson and Tampa Bay’s Ni- (57), bottom left, as Maple Leafs center Mitchell Marner (16) starts to get up during the third period ment of player safety from
kita Kucherov were among of Game 1 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series, in Boston. 2010-2013, said it’s a tough
those who got off without Associated Press job while at the same time
significant punishment. difference between legal to determine if a line was transparency in the form of reiterating the organiza-
The criticism, from Colum- and illegal can be a mat- crossed. The NHL, too, is still videos detailing the reasons tion was unhappy with the
bus to Colorado and from ter of inches in a sport that facing a federal class-ac- for suspending a player. suspension of Doughty. Co-
New Jersey to Los Angeles, moves fast.” tion concussion lawsuit filed “Sometimes we get ac- lumbus GM Jarmo Keka-
was loud enough that the Discontent over the goalie by former players alleging it cused of splitting hairs, but lainen was upset forward
NHL’s department of player interference rule has been failed to warn them about that’s exactly what they Josh Anderson was eject-
safety put out a video last grabbing headlines for the health risks associated have to do,” Bettman said. ed from Game 1 against
week explaining its reason- weeks, but the head shot with head injuries. “I think he’s reached the Washington for boarding
ing for suspending Doughty discussion carries far more Meeting with Associated appropriate conclusion Michal Kempny and called
and Hartman but not Kuch- serious implications for a Press Sports Editors last when it’s been a hockey a hit to the head of Alexan-
erov or Predators center league still grappling with week, NHL Commissioner play that doesn’t tran- der Wennberg from Wash-
Ryan Johansen. how best to protect its play- Gary Bettman insisted there scend the rules and I think ington’s Tom Wilson that
“The illegal check to the ers. What’s acceptable was nothing new about he’s been appropriately got only a minor penalty
head rule is often misun- has evolved from the early the subject. Asked about punitive in cases where it “dangerous.”
derstood or misstated,” days of hockey through player safety, Bettman said warranted it. There’s never Wilson was not given a
the league said in the vid- Scott Stevens’ then-legal Parros is off to good start in going to be a shortage of hearing or suspended.
eo. “Illegal checks to the crushing blow on Eric Lin- the former enforcer’s first critics of what they do.” Wennberg missed Games
head and legal full body dros in 2000 to today, season as vice president Doughty, a finalist for 2, 3 and 4 and the hit was
hits often look similar at where checks to the head of player safety. He said he the Norris Trophy as the not included in the NHL’s
first glance because the are parsed frame-by-frame is proud of player safety’s league’s top defenseman, explanation video.q

Djokovic loses to 140th-ranked Klizan; Nadal advances

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — ing,” said Klizan, who had third round. The top-ranked
While Novak Djokovic strug- never beaten Djokovic in Spaniard has won 38 con-
gles, Rafael Nadal keeps four previous matches. “I secutive sets on clay, ex-
impressing. know that he didn’t play tending his own record.
Djokovic lost again on top tennis but a win is a win He has won 32 of his last 33
Wednesday, this time fall- and I’m happy to be in the matches on the surface, in-
ing to 140th-ranked Martin third round. I always play cluding 15 straight.
Klizan 6-2, 1-6, 6-3 in the good tennis in Barcelona, Nadal will next face Guiller-
second round of the Barce- I’m just enjoying it.” mo Garcia Lopez of Spain,
lona Open. Djokovic decided to play who defeated Kei Nishikori
Nadal, however, won in Barcelona after losing to after the Japanese player
again. He beat Roberto Dominic Thiem in the third retired because of an in-
Carballes Baena 6-4, 6-4 for round of the Monte Carlo jury.
his 10th win in 11 ATP Tour Masters. He also lost in the Nadal needs to win his 11th
matches this season. second round in Miami and Barcelona title this week to
Djokovic is trying to return Novak Djokovic serves to Martin Klizan during the Barcelona in Indian Wells, and failed retain his No. 1 ranking.
to form after a lingering Open tennis tournament in Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, April to advance past the last 16 Earlier, second-seeded
right elbow injury. He hasn’t 25, 2018. at the Australian Open. Grigor Dimitrov defeated
made it past the last 16 in Associated Press Nadal, coming off his 11th Gilles Simon of France 6-2,
five tournaments this year. Klizan but rebounded to 4-3, allowing the Slovak to Monte Carlo title, trailed 6-1, while third-seeded
The 12th-ranked Serb got force a third set. He was serve out for the victory. early in his match but Thiem beat qualifier Jaume
off to a slow start against then broken while trailing “It’s a great feeling, amaz- closed it out to reach the Munar 7-6 (8), 6-1.q