NHL DOPS: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Contents
The NHL’s Department of player safety (DOPS) has been under a lot of scrutiny lately. Some say they’re too lenient, others say they’re too harsh. We take a look at the good, the bad, and the ugly of the NHL’s DOPS.
1.The Good
NHL DOPS has been around for a little over a year now, and it’s fair to say that it’s had its share of good and bad moments. However, on balance, I think it’s fair to say that NHL DOPS has been mostly good for the game of hockey. Let’s take a look at some of the good things that NHL DOPS has done for the game of hockey.
First and foremost, NHL DOPS has helped to crack down on a lot of the dirty play that was starting to creep into the game. In particular, it has helped to cut down on head shots and blind-side hits, which was something that was becoming all too common in the NHL. As a result of NHL DOPS’ crackdown on these types of hits, we’ve seen a significant decrease in the number of concussions in the NHL over the past year. And that’s a very good thing.
Another positive impact of NHL DOPS has been its role in increasing player safety overall. By cracking down on dangerous hits and enforcing stricter penalties for them, NHL DOPS has made the game safer for everyone involved. And that can only be a good thing.
Finally, I think it’s fair to say that NHL DOPS has helped to increase scoring in the NHL. This may seem like a strange thing to say, but hear me out. One of the biggest problems with scoring in the NHL over the past few years has been power plays. teams have become far too adept at killing off penalties, which has resulted in fewer goals being scored overall. However, with NHL DOPS now enforcing stricter penalties for infractions, we’re seeing more Power play goals being scored than ever before. And that can only be a good thing for fans of high-scoring hockey games
2.The Bad
The NHL’s Division of Player Safety (DOPS) has been under scrutiny lately for its inconsistent rulings. From the outside looking in, it seems like they are making it up as they go along. Let’s take a closer look at some of the recent decisions that have been met with criticism.
3.The Ugly
National Hockey League’s Department of Player Safety (DOPS) has been a controversial topic amongst players, fans, and pundits since it was created in 2011. Many believe that the DOPS is biased towards certain players and teams, while others believe that it is an essential part of keeping the game safe.
The DOPS has been involved in some high-profile incidents, including the suspensions of Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith for high-sticking infractions, and the much-debated decision to suspend Tom Wilson for 20 games following a preseason hit on Oskar Sundqvist.
There are also those who believe that the DOPS does not do enough to protect players from dangerous hits, specifically hits to the head. These critics point to the fact that there have been several instances where players have been suspended for hits that did not appear to beintentional or malicious, but nonetheless caused serious injury.
The DOPS has come under fire from all sides, but there is no doubt that it has had a significant impact on the game of hockey. Whether that impact has been positive or negative is up for debate.
4.NHL DOPS: The Good
The NHL’s Department of Player Safety is often criticized for its rulings, but it has actually done a lot of good for the sport. Since its creation in 2011, the DOPS has helped to reduce concussions and other serious injuries in the NHL.
One of the most important ways that the DOPS has helped to improve player safety is by changing the way that hits to the head are punished. In the past, hits to the head were not penalized as severely as they are now, and as a result, players were often injured by them. The DOPS has changed this by instituting stricter penalties for hits to the head, which has helped to reduce concussions and other serious injuries.
In addition to reducing concussions and other serious injuries, the DOPS has also helped to improve player safety in other ways. For example, the DOPS was instrumental in changing the NHL’s stance on fighting. In the past, fighting was allowed in the NHL, but it was not penalized as severely as it is now. As a result of changes made by the DOPS, fighting is now penalized more severely, which has helped to reduce its frequency in NHL games
Overall, the NHL’s Department of Player Safety has done a lot of good for the sport of hockey. By changing the way that hits to the head are punished and increasing penalties for fighting, the DOPS has helped to make hockey a safer sport for everyone involved.
5.NHL DOPS: The Bad
What the NHL DOPS gets wrong is assigning blame for injuries. More specifically, they often don’t take into account who was at fault for an injury. It’s understandable that they can’t always do this, but it still happens too often.
One example is when DOPS suspend a player for an illegal check to the head, but the player who was checked didn’t have his head down and didn’t put himself in a dangerous position. In these cases, it’s not fair to suspend the player who made the hit, because he was just doing his job and trying to prevent a goal.
Another issue is when players are suspended for hits that are clean, but end up injuring the other player because they aren’t expecting it. This isn’t really the fault of the player who made the hit, but DOPS will still suspend him because he caused an injury.
Finally, there are times when players are given excessive suspensions for relatively minor infractions. This doesn’t happen often, but it’s still frustrating when it does.
6.NHL DOPS: The Ugly
The NHL’s Department of Player Safety (DOPS) is once again under fire. This time, it’s for their decision to not suspend Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov for his illegal check to the head of Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Markus Nutivaara.
The play in question occurred during the first period of Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs’ first round. Kucherov was chasing after puck when he hit Nutivaara in the head with his shoulder. The defenseman went down and did not return to the game.
After the hit, Kucherov was given a five minute major penalty and a game misconduct. He was also given a hearing with the NHL’s DOPS, but ultimately was not suspended.
This decision has been met with a lot of backlash, as many feel that Kucherov should have been given a suspension for his hit.
7.NHL DOPS: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
NHL DOPS: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
The NHL’s Department of Player Safety (DOPS) is tasked with protecting the league’s players from dangerous hits. But not all hits are created equal, and sometimes the DOPS can make decisions that leave fans scratching their heads. Here’s a look at some of the good, bad, and ugly decisions made by the DOPS.
The Good
One of the most controversial hits in recent memory was when Boston Bruins’ Zdeno Chara leveled Max Pacioretty of the Montreal Canadiens with a brutal hit into a stanchion. The hit left Pacioretty with a severe concussion and fractured vertebra. Many people thought Chara should have been suspended for the hit, but the DOPS ultimately decided that no suspension was warranted because Pacioretty had put himself in a dangerous position by veering into Chara’s path just before the hit. While it was certainly a close call, the DOPS ultimately made the right decision.
The Bad
In another controversial decision, the DOPS decided to suspend Washington Capitals’ Tom Wilson for four games after he delivered a high hit to St. Louis Blues’ Oskar Sundqvist. Wilson is no stranger to suspensions, but many people thought this particular suspension was too harsh given that Sundqvist didn’t suffer any serious injuries from the hit. The DOPS explained that they took Wilson’s past history of suspensions into account when making their decision, but many fans thought that four games was too much given the relatively minor nature of the hit.
The Ugly
One of the most controversial decisions in recent memory came when Edmonton Oilers’ Zack Kassian delivered a High stick to Calgary Flames’ Matthew Tkachuk. Tkachuk wasn’t seriously injured by the high stick, but Kassian was suspended for two games nonetheless. Many people thought this suspension was too light given that Kassian could have seriously injured Tkachuk if he had connected just a little bit higher on his stick swing.
8.NHL DOPS: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
In recent years the NHL’s Department of Player Safety (DOPS) has come under fire for a number of high-profile decisions that have been seen as inconsistent, or even just plain wrong.
The DOPS is tasked with doling out punishments for on-ice infractions that fall outside the scope of the NHL’s rulebook. This can include anything from fights to hits to dangerous eligibility, and everything in between.
If you thought 2018 was a bad year for DOPS decisions, just wait until you see what 2019 had in store. From suspensions that were too long, to those that were too short, to those that just didn’t make any sense at all – this year was truly a rollercoaster ride for the department.
Let’s take a look at some of the good, the bad, and the ugly decisions that came out of the NHL DOPS this year:
The Good:
One bright spot for DOPS this year was their decision to suspend Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson for twenty games. Wilson is no stranger to suspensions, but this one was particularly warranted given the severity of his hit on St. Louis Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist.
While twenty games is still on the lighter side given Wilson’s history, it was a step in the right direction and showed that DOPS is willing to hand out harsher punishments when necessary.
The Bad:
One of the biggest head-scratchers from this year came courtesy of Florida Panthers defenseman Mike Matheson. Matheson was suspended two games for what can only be described as an absolute vicious attack on Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson.
Pettersson was kneed in the head and driven into the ice by Matheson – an act that could have easily resulted in a much more serious injury than it did. For some inexplicable reason, DOPS saw fit to suspend Matheson for only two games – raising serious questions about their ability to properly assess dangerous plays.
The Ugly:
But by far, the worst decision from DOPS this year came in their handling of New York Islanders forward Anders Lee’s hit on Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce. In what can only be described as a textbook example of interference, Lee drove Pesce dangerously into the boards – causing him to leave the game with an upper-body injury.
Shockingly, DOPS opted not to suspend Lee at all – instead giving him a mere $2 500 fine. This decision was met with widespread criticism from fans and pundits alike, with many calling into question whether or not DOPS is truly capable of properly policing dangerous plays in today’s NHL.
9.NHL DOPS: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
NHL DOPS: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Since the NHL formed the Department of Player Safety (DOPS) in 2011, there have been many calls for reform. Some argue that the DOPS is too lenient on players, while others believe that it is too harsh. In this article, we will take a look at both sides of the argument and try to come to a conclusion about whether or not the DOPS is doing a good job.
Pro: The DOPS has been successful in reducing concussions and other serious injuries.
The DOPS was formed in large part because of the increase in concussions and other serious injuries suffered by NHL players In the 2011-12 season, there were 260 concussions reported, which was a 66% increase from the previous season. However, thanks to the work of the DOPS, that number has been reduced significantly. In the 2016-17 season there were only 171 concussions reported, which is a 35% decrease from the 2011-12 season. The DOPS has also been successful in reducing other serious injuries such as knee and shoulder injuries
Con: The DOPS is too lenient on players who commit dangerous hits.
Critics of the DOPS argue that it is too lenient on players who commit dangerous hits. They point to examples like Buffalo Sabres forward William Carrier, who was not suspended for his hit on St. Louis Blues forward Robert Thomas even though he received a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct for it. Critics argue that Carrier should have been suspended for at least one game for his hit, but he was only fined $5,000. They also argue that Zach Bogosian should have been suspended for his hit on Jesper Bratt even though he wasn’t even given a penalty for it.
10.NHL DOPS: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
The NHL’s Department of Player Safety (DOPS) has been under scrutiny lately. Fans and media members have been calling for changes to the way it operates, and some have even called for its abolishment.
In this article, we will take a look at the good, the bad, and the ugly of NHL DOPS. We will also offer some suggestions on how it could be improved.
The Good:
-NHL DOPS is responsible for issuing suspensions to players who break the rules.
-NHL DOPS has handed out some big suspensions in recent years including a 20-game ban for San Jose Sharks forward Raffi Torres.
-NHL DOPS is transparent in its process, releasing video and explanation for each suspension it hands down.
The Bad:
-NHL DOPS has been criticized for being inconsistent in its rulings.
-NHL DOPS has been accused of favoritism towards certain players and teams.
-NHL DOPS has been slow to adapt to new rules, such as the rule against blindside hits to the head.
The Ugly:
-NHL DOPS was slow to act on then-Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty’s elbowing incident with Dallas Stars forward Jamie Benn.
-NHL DOPS failed to suspend then-Boston Bruins forward Milan Lucic for his illegal hit on Columbus Blue Jackets defensemanJack Johnson.