Lesson Learned: A Brief Look at NHL Discipline

However, the lesson is not that Lucic did nothing wrong, the lesson is that if you play for an "important" team, and tell Shanny that you didn't mean to do it, that matters. If you play for a nothing team, and you say you didn't mean to, it no longer matters.

Video and discussion after the jump.

First, let's look at the Bouchard incident again:

Clearly, Calvert raises Bouchard's stick into his own face, right? Shanahan says that doesn't matter. It was a reckless act and it caused injury, thus suspension, even if there was no intent. Here's the video from Shanahan to refresh your memory (See the 45 second to 1:05 mark for your evidence of that):

Now, the Lucic hit on Miller:

(Video from Puck daddy)

Lucic's way out? This, from Pro Hockey Talk:

So, Lucic didn't mean to charge another player (forget that Miller is a goalie, it doesn't matter), cause an injury and knock a player out for an indefinite time. Sure he didn't. Still, in the Bouchard video, Shanahan makes it clear that a reckless act that results in injury is grounds for suspension, regardless of intent.

Time to pull the Wheel of Justice out of storage.

(Image courtesy of Hockey Joe) - Maybe it's time to superimpose Shanahan's face.