24 hours later and there's still no decision on Marchand appeal: Bergeron backs up his winger
It's been 24 hours since Bruins winger Brad Marchand had his appeal hearing with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and still no decision has been announced. The feisty winger has already served 3 of the 6 games that he had been suspended for, and by all appearances, he will serve another tonight while his teammates play in Long Island.
Marchand very publicly criticized the length of his suspension, stating that the NHL was punishing the player's history and not the act itself. Marchand threw a punch at Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry and high-sticked him in the mask on the way off the ice in the final 30 seconds of a Bruins/Pens game on February 8th.
The 33-year-old was not the only Bruin to speak up about the length of the ban, as captain Patrice Bergeron also chimed in
"I understand [that Marchand] has got a history. I understand all that. Maybe it is a suspendable play because of that. But that being said, I don't think it is a six-game suspension. That's what would be my argument, you look around the league and I don't think the same type of plays have had that stiff of a punishment,"
the B's captain concluded.
We saw a similar situation unfold earlier this season when Toronto Maple Leafs forward Jason Spezza was issued a 6-game suspension for a predatory hit on Winnipeg's Neal Pionk. Spezza, too, had already served 4 games of his 6-game suspension by the time the league got around to completing the appeal process.
If you ask me, the NHLPA should be looking for an amendment to be made in the current CBA that would outline a more efficient appeal process for suspensions. I'm all for making the game safer for everyone, but in the case of what had occurred with Marchand and Jarry, it's pretty easy to see that the intent was never to cause injury.
