8 games for intent to injure

I think it was Mario Lemieux or Wayne Gretzky that once said that the NHL is a "garage sport."  Goons like Pronger continue to run Wild and the drawing cards get "consumed" in the name of competitiveness...rules be damned.  How sad...hockey is such a great game, and yet it cannot ascend to a major sport category level in this country.   This, in spite of the dedication of many pockets of fans...remember the thousands of Sabres fans assembled in parking lots outside their sold out arena watching the playoff games on a video feed. 

The game will never progress with the management of the sport that condones and even endorses the double standards for punishment of offenses.  And let's be honest, the double standard with regard to the rules as the playoffs near.  They change the rules to make it a wide open, higher scoring game that lets the skill players shine...and then when the playoffs come along, the "old time hockey" rules return.

Would love to see hockey progress, but it has been agonizingly slow.  Consider that we are just now getting a game of the week on network TV...something I remember looking forward to as a kid over 50 years ago!

First of all, if pronger wanted to injure this player, he would have been able to do it. Since there was no injury, you can make the case that there was no intent to injure if you wanted to. Of course, no one other than Ducks fans likes Pronger, so i doubt anyone will make this case.

Pronger was 'fined' much more money than Simon. Simon got more games, but Pronger was 'fined' more money, much more.

Next, there wasn't even going to be ANY suspension, but the fact that the entire world hates Pronger made this an outcry. If this had been a person who was universally liked by everyone, i don't think there would have been as much of an outrcy from rival fans.

Libartist, could you BE any more of a homer? I mean seriously, first of all making the argument that because Kesler wasn't injured there was no intent is irrelevant.  Ruutu wasn't injured when Simon stomped on him and I'm pretty sure Simon could have injured Ruutu as well.  Hell, Hollweg wasn't really injured when he took the cross check to the face, so I don't think there was any intent there, right? 

Second, Pronger wasn't fined any money.  He is losing it in salary.  The fact that he is losing more salary in 8 games vs Simon's 30 goes to prove the point of everyone with half a brain- Chris Pronger is makes more money because he's a star player, hence he gets 8 games vs 30. 

Third, the reason there was not going to be ANY suspension is because Pronger stomped on Kesler behind the play when the referees, and even the TV cameras were not looking.  The suspension came after film of the incident surfaced and the NHL realized they could just give Pronger a hand job and send him on his way again.  The outcry was not because Pronger is hated, the outcry was because, now sit down for this one Libartist, HE STOMPED ON A PLAYER'S CALF WITH HIS SKATE BLADE!

So stop making excuses for him.  It was a heinous act from a player with a history of questionable judgment.  Plain and simple the punishment did not fit the crime, at least not given the precedent.  I think the only people that benefit from this ruling are the Ducks, their fans, and the players' emergency assistance fund.