A minimum punishment for Maxim

With all the focus on some recent high profile fights and brawls, the spotlight seems to have drifted off of some of the more dangerous aspects of the game, one of those key elements that once again has been give a pass by the NHL Justice Department is the hit from behind.

That particular scourge of hockey is something that has drilled into hockey players from the time they first play contact hockey, the operative phrase for many a minor hockey player, "if you seem your competitors numbers don't make the hit".

Lessons that some NHLers have yet to fully be understood it seems.
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The rather lenient punishment of a five game suspension given to Maxim Lapierre on Friday,  for just that infraction doesn't seem quite enough.

Particularly when considering the dangerous nature of a hit from behind and the fact that Lapierre is one of the more prolific of offenders on that particular call.

A quick review of some recent season's would find that the Lapierre (now with his fourth team with St. Louis) is  a player who it seems isn't particularly well respected around the league (and sometimes even within his own team's dressing room).

It's one thing to be considered a team's pest, the guy that gets under the skin of the opposing teams and draws penalties, however it's certainly something else to be reckless, which considering the nature of some of Lapierre's past hits from behind is the only thing one can think about his style of play.
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While the debate on fighting continues to rage, with everyone it seems offering an opinion pro or con, the need to protect vulnerable players, many of whom are not particularly inclined to fight in the first place has again not been addressed.

The hit from behind is something that the NHL can truly show some leadership on, longer suspensions would send the message that if the player's won't show respect, the league will ensure that the penalty fits the incident.

Friday, Brendan Shanahan had the opportunity to send a real message to the players that their safety is as it should be, the prime concern of the NHL, instead with but a five game sit out for Lapierre, the message again is muddled, something that unfortunately seems to repeat itself season after season.