Chris Pronger on Auston Matthews hit, future of NHL Player Safety

Chris Pronger has a unique perspective on NHL player safety. In hockey disciplinary terms, he is like a prisoner who eventually became the warden in the prison.

“As a player I was suspended eight times. I got a call [from the NHL] I think, maybe 12 times. This was a big number. It was in double digits,” he told ESPN last week.

During his Hockey Hall of Fame career, Pronger was suspended for slashing, high sticking, leaving the bench to fight, headbutting, kicking, and perhaps most notoriously, stepping on Vancouver’s Ryan Kesler with his skate, which earned him an eight-game suspension.

But in 2014, Pronger was appointed by the NHL’s Department of Player Safety as one of several voices to provide opinion on potential suspensions and fines, a position he held for nearly three years. he was still under contract philadelphia flyers At the time, despite last playing in the 2011–12 season. He recused himself from situations involving the Flyers and later the Arizona Coyotes when his contract was traded there.

He has seen the NHL’s disciplinary process from both sides of the table – a process that has come under major scrutiny from fans, media, agents and some current players this season after some controversial decisions.

“The players and fans deserve better. Player Safety Department should be suspended” said Judd Moldaver, executive vice president of The Team Agency auston matthews‘Agent, later anaheim‘S Radko Gudas Was Given a five game suspension to end toronto Star’s season ends with a hit to the knee.

“If every time there’s a suspension, everyone complains about it, well, why don’t we take a look at the process and figure out if there’s a better way to make sure both parties are happy? Because it seems like there’s a lot of frustration out there.” edmonton star connor mcdavid Gudaz said after the hearing.

We asked Pronger for his thoughts on the past, present and future of player safety in the NHL, as the former star defenseman is promoting “Earned: The True Cost of Greatness from One of Hockey’s Fiercest Competitors,” his new book set for release on April 14.

You worked in the NHL’s player safety department for three years. As a player, what surprised you most about how discipline is set after being on the other end?

This process had changed to a great extent. Initially it was run by Brian Burke. Then Colin Campbell did it. Then Brendan Shanahan went in and established the Department of Player Safety. Stephen Quintal was the chief when I worked there. Then George and I left [Parros] Took charge after working shoulder to shoulder with him for a year.

when i went through it [Player Safety] Process [as a player]I’m going to call it “disorganized” because back then it was more of a “feel” and situation than being a standard. I’m pretty sure the CBA didn’t say anything about supplemental discipline and it didn’t even say what a suspension would look like. So when I reached out to NHL Player Safety, there was a process in place now.

Obviously, things were constantly changing, especially rule 48 And hits him on the head. In my three years in the Player Safety Department, the rules, including the wording, changed a few times. What was legal, what was not. When I was playing five years ago there were some hits that I showed as legal hits in player safety meetings. And then literally the next year, when they changed the guidelines, it was now an illegal hit.

But when I got there, it was just about understanding the norms. Seeing each drama from a different perspective. Given… I’m not going to say a flaw, but an unintended consequence. Look at Auston Matthews’ hit.

where Radko Gudas was suspended five games for a knee injury, ending Matthews’ season.

I was sitting in the fifth row at that game and watched that hit right in front of me. And the moment I saw [Matthews] Don’t shoot the puck and then don’t pull it back, I said, “It’s going to be bad.”

I guarantee you, if there was a camera in my face, people would be like, “Man, this guy is sick.” I literally started laughing, because I knew what happened and how it happened. And then there was a reaction from the Leafs, and Gudas looked around, “Who’s coming after me? Nobody?” So people would be looking at me like, “Were you happy this guy got hurt?”

It actually had nothing to do with Auston Matthews. It was more just the situation and the situation and knowing, again, who is on the ice, knowing that Radko Gudas is there, knowing that he’s going to try to finish his check. When I saw it live I said, “This is not good.” But I looked at it again from the side and I said, “Okay, I see what Gudas is doing there.”

When you’re defending, you say, “I just have to have a bite.” How does Gudas defend, how many times have we seen guys try to cut through the ice and he’s there to smoke them out? He won’t get even a piece of you. So knowing she’s the one, do you really want to fake that shot and try to pull her into the middle of your backside?

And that doesn’t mean it’s Auston Matthews’ fault. It’s totally on Gudas, but it’s not a AJ Greer hit on Connor Zari, which was dirty. It was a hockey game, and the Greer hit was no hockey game. It’s dirty to push someone into the board when you’re five feet away.

You mentioned earlier that NHL discipline ran on “feel” before the player safety department set a strict precedent. I think the injury to Matthews – who is one of the best players in the world – made some people wonder whether that should have had a greater impact on the severity of the loss for Toronto? Do you feel like they were light on the Gudas? Do you think it would sometimes be OK to go by “feel” versus precedent, depending on the injured player?

The problem is: that’s not going to happen. And the reason that hasn’t happened is because the NHLPA is on both sides of the ledger. They are defending the victim and the attacker.

In the case of Gudas, I think people don’t realize that when they hear “repeat offender” they don’t know that it’s only about the money. [they lose]. A serial offender is someone who does the same thing over and over again, like Rafi Torres, who we once gave a 40-game suspension to.

Me, Radko Gudas, some of these other guys who have been suspended six, seven, eight times… we sprayed the infield. I never had anything like this [suspension] twice. I was suspended several times, but I was not a serial offender. Just because I’ve been suspended doesn’t mean you extend my suspension [next time]Because it wasn’t for the same thing.

Sometimes it’s luck. Sometimes you see a guy get hit from behind and it’s incredibly nasty but there are no injuries. So therefore, no one is crazy. There was no commotion as the player got up and skated away. So if you’re only suspending for results, not action, where is that taking us?

Owners do not want their players to be suspended. From owners to managers, from leagues to PAs, there’s a balancing act of how many games will send a message. Well, I’ll be honest with you: Any time I was suspended it wasn’t like, “This is going to change the way I play.” I’ll still hit hard with my stick. I’m still going to crosscheck. I’m still going to kill dudes.

You said owners, GMs, the NHL, the NHLPA don’t want a long suspension. Is this why this does not happen? No appetite for it?

Not only that, but let’s come out and say we’re going to be tough [certain] Crime. And then the first thing that’s going to happen is that it’s going to be a star player. [that commits one]. And they’re going to be like, “Oh, great. We don’t want to do that.” Sidney Crosbygoing to kill someone or McLean Celebrini Or Connor McDavid. I mean, look at McDavid’s suspension last year. He is still angry. He’s still upset that he got three games.

That’s why we don’t like it when a star player is suspended. So now we will have two sets of rules? One is for the guys who work hard and you need on your team, let’s call them your bottom six, and then we’re going to make another set of rules for the top six and star players? This is the balancing act that is constantly happening within you.

Some decisions recently have really made fans angry – Radko Gudas on Auston Matthews, AJ Greer on Connor Zary. What do you think about the calls for George Parros to step down as player safety chief?

I know when I was there, if both sides were angry, you did your job.

Everyone knows this is a thankless job. This is difficult work. You will never be able to make anyone happy. And if you can walk away from a supplemental discipline hearing and the PA is angry at you, both teams are angry at you, the players are angry at you, you’re probably getting it right because both parties feel like they’re getting screwed.

Ultimately, it’s up to George and if he thinks this supplement rises to the level of discipline. And then once that happens, you go back to precedent. This is what we have given in the past, this is where we are and this is where we will move forward from. It’s not going to go much higher than it has in the past because that’s precedent and the NHLPA will limit you to that.

How responsible is the NHLPA for keeping suspensions down?

If players are complaining I’ll tell you the same thing I said [former Ducks star] When Ryan Getzlaf called me into the player safety department: “Talk to the PA. I don’t talk to them. You’re in the PA. Tell them this is what you want.”

If they want a strict suspension, they need to negotiate with the union. As long as they don’t, it doesn’t matter, because you can only do what is stated in the CBA. Which most people do not understand and cannot understand.

How would you improve the player safety process?

I think if they need to do a better job regarding PR. Just explaining how the process works. I know he’s done a little bit of work in the past, but I think he needs to show what he’s capable of night in and night out. Once a year is not enough because not everyone sees those things. And if it’s on social media, the algorithm gives it to 7% of people.

Do you think they should film the hearing and release it?

No, because it’s private. People don’t need to know, because sometimes they’re in there talking about personal things or talking about mentality, talking about whatever. I mean, it’s nobody’s business.

There is a new book called “Arjit” about your sports career and entrepreneurial life. Why did you decide to write it?

I was asked many times to write a book and the time was not right. Maybe I too was not ready. I wanted to help people understand that their lives can get better, but they have to take ownership. All those things that I learned early on when you go through adversity and you go through struggle, leaning into adversity and being uncomfortable. And we hear people say this all the time, but no one does it more than athletes.

When you look at success, adversity, mastery, I think a lot of people look at successful people – they see a trophy and a championship, and they always forget about the hard times. I tell you how many times people come up to me and say, “Oh, it was easy for you. You’re big.” I’m sorry. Are you kidding me? It was not easy. Obviously, you don’t know my story.

Note: Some answers were edited for clarity and length.