Montreal Canadiens
Canadiens Forward Mike Hoffman Calls Out Department Of Safety
Montreal Canadiens forward Mike Hoffman is not a happy camper.
The 33-year-old forward took to Instagram to discuss the recent one-game suspension of Boston Bruins forward A.J. Greer.
Hoffman, freshly decorated with a gnarly battle scar after the ridiculous cross-check by Greer during Thursday night’s matchup between the Canadiens and the Bruins, expressed his concern with the lack of consistency from the NHL’s Department Of Player Safety.
“I’ve gotten a two-game suspension for cross-checking a guy in the back of the helmet,” said a wound-muffled Hoffman. “A full-blown, intentional cross-check to the face? One game. Hmmm.”
TALK YOUR SHIT MIKE 🗣️🗣️🗣️ pic.twitter.com/cPaXmjUQrY
— Habs Fan TV (@habsfantv_) March 24, 2023
Hoffman’s message was clear: the standard has dropped in recent years, especially if we compare the decision made on Friday to the decision made in 2016 when Hoffman was suspended for two games after his cross-check rode up Logan Couture’s back and hit him in the helmet.
That’s not to say Hoffman did not deserve a suspension. If anything, the ruling at the time was a step toward erring on the side of caution when brain injuries were in play, putting an onus on player safety in a spot that oftentimes forgets about the well-being of its employees.
Greer’s cross-check, on the other hand, was about as blatant as it gets, leaving a trail of blood behind the Canadiens forward as he quickly exited the ice.
There was some tomfoolery prior to the faceoff, perhaps even a little kerfuffle, but there’s no justifying a blatant cross-check which resulted in an injury.
By handing down a one-game suspension, the Department of Player Safety deemed Greer’s attack three times less severe than accidentally spitting on an opponent, which carries a three-game suspension in the NHL.
Hoffman returned to the game in the third period sporting a full birdcage, and though he did not miss significant time, he clearly did not appreciate the lack of safety provided by the NHL’s Department Of Misnomers.
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Mike is totally right. That was a deliberate attempt to injure. Should have been a minimum of 5 games.
What Greer did to Hoffman was grotesque.
Hoffman certainly has a valid argument, and I can totally see his point of inconsistency, especially considering how Hoffman’s crosscheck on Couture’s head was more accidental by riding up the other Shark’s stick. If one wants to play devil’s advocate, with 7 years between his suspension and Greer’s you have different personnel in the DoPS, so expecting consistency is a little tough when so much time has passed between the 2 incidents. I’d like to see a more recent comparable to compare punishments levied by the league. Considering the damage to Hoffman’s face, and how bad it looks for the league with the highlights probably being show everywhere on sports shows in North America, you’d think the league would want to convey a strong message with a stiffer punishment. 🤷🏻♂️
Player safety, blatant cross check to the face one game is a joke. Not to mention the game before Sergachev slew foot to Anderson not even a penalty. Now he is our for the year.