Sitting Duck

Well, well, well, it looks like Chris Pronger has been suspended after all. The NHL brass has handed him an - wait for it - eight game suspension for stomping on Ryan Kesler's leg.

Wow. Can somebody say double standard?

On the one hand, you could say that at least the NHL did something, but isn't 8 games a little light considering what they gave Chris Simon? Hmm...8 games vs. 30 games. No wonder Simon is angry.

Sure, the situations are a little different. The Simon/Ruutu incident happened at the bench and Simon basically knocked Ruutu to the ice and stomped on his foot. The Pronger/Kesler incident happened on the ice after Kesler fell to the ice and Pronger stomped on his leg. The common factors here are that (1) both are dirty players and (2) both stomped on their victims leg.

I wanted to see Pronger gone for at least the remainder of the regular season and into the playoffs, but he'll be back for the last game of the season.

I wonder, did the NHL not suspend Pronger for any longer because they think of him as a superstar that should be with his team as they enter the post-season? Did Burke call up Campbell and say, "Don't you dare take away our captain for the playoffs!!!"

Think about it. How many people are looking at the Ducks and saying that they could repeat as champions? How many new fans does Anaheim have? How many people like the rough and tough game that the Ducks play?

Meanwhile, you have players like Chris Simon looking at the situation and wondering why he was treated so harshly for basically the same incident. Was it because he has less talent? Or is it something deeper...I don't think you could blame Simon for wondering if racism was involved.

People always talk about karma, that 'what goes around, comes around,' but will it ever come around for Pronger?