And while we're debating intent...

In this messed up, topsy-turvy, screwy world of NHL suspensions and supplemental discipline, too much focus is placed on the intent of a hit rather than the result.

Polarizing opinions: It's time to ban head hits in hockey

Much buzz is being made about Sidney Crosby's return to the ice in full gear Monday, as well as the NHL's 5-step plan to finally address the concussion issue.

The NHL's plan ranges from softening the equipment to more padding around the rink, and creating a committee to do research. It's entirely a sham. Changing the equipment just means that players are going to find more ways to hurt people, and eventually the size and speed of the game is going to catch up to the changes that are made. You're just delaying the inevitable, until, one day, your five-point plan finally consists of what it should have been Monday:

Step 1: Ban all contact to the head.

Zdeno Chara nearly decapitates Max Pacioretty

Ouch.

Zdeno Chara was assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct for this hit on Max Pacioretty, but does that punishment fit the crime? Short answer, no. Let's look at the evidence from this season.

I have a confession regarding Matt Cooke

Everybody has that one shunned jersey in the back of their jersey closet, which collects dust as Phil Kessel collects his press clippings this season. You might have a jersey that was an ill-advised throwback to a favourite player who had no chance of lasting with the team. You might have a jersey with a name and number combination that has found its way onto Puck Daddy's Jersey Fouls page.

Rick Rypien has at least one Toronto Star writer on his side

In the defense of John Shorthouse and John Garrett, Canucks play-by-play guys, anybody who didn't have an eagle eye on Rick Rypien and the Wild fans in Section 116 at the XCel Energy Centre last night could have reasonably thought that the fan started something with Rick Rypien.



After it became apparent he wasn't, many intelligent, reasonable people, including (but not limited to) Barry Patchesky of Deadspin, Yankee Canuck of Nucks Misconduct, Nick Costonika of Yahoo! Sports, Greg Wyshynski of Puck Daddy, Jim Neveau of The Hockey Writers, and Jason Brough of the Kurtenblog pretty much said that Rypien was in the wrong.

Rick Rypien straight up assaulted a fan for heckling and mock-clapping and has since been suspended indefinitely, awaiting NHL disciplinarian Colin Campbell to administer his customary random punishment.

But one Toronto scribe, fresh off his public indictment of James Wisniewski, one who hates sports and entertainment so much that it's a wonder why he became a sportswriter, has jumped to the defense of Rick Rypien.

Preach, Damien:

"I find it fascinating that many who were willing to exonerate the Wiz feel Rypien should get hammered. Interesting standards."

"But if u let a guy off so easily for what Wiz did, how is grabbing a guy's shirt so bad, exactly?"

"All these tough guys who demand fighting in the game now suggest shirt-grabbing is assault."

"A minority of fans are jerks and pretend tough guys who love to abuse players from a distance. I don't feel any need to protect them."

"It's just this perception that all fans are innocents and deserve protection doesn't quite square with reality."

"It's kind of like Twitter. really. People can be so brave, so tough, so threatening from a distance under the veil of anonymity." [ed. note: I think he's referring to the fan being anonymous in this instance]

"So the Philly dude who fell into the box with Domi, he deserved to be protected? Domi shouldn't have touched him?"

"Fan safety? Really? You honestly believe that fan was in danger of anything?"

"All these folks so irate about Rypien must still be upset about Sundin getting only 1 game in '04 for throwing stick into stands."

I guess this means that if you go up to Damien Cox in public and grab his shirt and shake him viciously, he won't mind.

Although the one fan, who escaped unscatched, isn't making it any easier to like him as he is apparently ready to press charges the bottom line is that athletes shouldn't do that, in any sport. An arena shouldn't have to put guardrails everywhere players are within striking distance. Every now and then you get some douchebags like the fan in Detroit who ran onto the court to punch Ron Artest, but this instance wasn't that. Very likely the guy had a few beers, knows that it's dumb to pick a fight with Rick Rypien and mocked him a little because the score was 5-1 and Rypien looked like a goof going after Brad Staubitz.

Damien doesn't absolve Rypien of blame, but he does seem to give a heck of a lot to the fan. In Damien's world, the fans don't show up to sports games. They are too loud and noisy and you can't hear player chatter.