Air Canada threatens NHL over headshots

[dagger]

http://slam.canoe.ca...9/17558356.html

Air Canada threatens NHL over headshots

By BRUCE GARRIOCH, QMI Agency

SUNRISE, Fla. -- Air Canada, one of the NHL's largest financial corporate backers, is threatening to withdraw its sponsorship if the league doesn't take "immediate" and "serious" action on headshots, QMI Agency has learned.

In a strongly worded letter addressed to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman on Wednesday, Denis Vandal, Air Canada's director of marketing/communications, expressed concern over recent incidents of headshots and concussions.

The letter came in the wake of Tuesday night's controversial hit by Boston Bruins defenceman Zdeno Chara on Montreal Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty at the Bell Centre. Following a telephone hearing Wednesday with NHL VP Mike Murphy, there was no punishment for Chara.

"We are contacting you (Wednesday) to voice our concern over (Tuesday night's) incident involving Max Pacioretty and Zdeno Chara at the Bell Centre in Montreal," wrote Vandal. "This is following several other incidents involving career-threatening and life-threatening headshots in the NHL recently."

Vandal noted the controversial issue is becoming bad for Air Canada's brand.

"From a corporate social responsibility standpoint, it is becoming increasingly difficult to associate our brand with sports events which could lead to serious and irresponsible accidents; action must be taken by the NHL before we are encountered with a fatality.

"Unless the NHL takes immediate action with serious suspension to the players in question to curtail these life-threatening injuries, Air Canada will withdraw its sponsorship of hockey."

Not only does Air Canada own the naming rights to Toronto's Air Canada Centre, it's believed they're a major corporate sponsor behind all six Canadian teams. Air Canada's head office is also located in Montreal.

Vandal copied all six Canadian NHL governors with his letter.

"As a strong supporter and sponsor of NHL Hockey in Canada and several U.S. cities, Air Canada is very concerned with the state of hockey today," Vandal noted.

"While we support countless sports, arts and community events, we are having difficulty rationalizing our sponsorship of hockey unless the NHL takes responsibily to protect both the players and the integrity of the game."

Vandel isn't the only one concerned.

NHL GMs will meet next week in Boca Raton, Fla. to discuss headshots. They're trying to find a solution to cut down on the number of concussions and bring more respect to the game.

Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby, the NHL's poster boy, hasn't played in more than two months after suffering a concussion in the Winter Classic on Jan. 1.

A league source said several teams were upset Chara wasn't suspended. The Bruins carry a lot of weight at the league level -- owner Jeremy Jacobs is the chairman of the board.

Murphy wrote in his explanation for letting Chara off that he couldn't find sufficient evidence to call the incident intentional.

"After a thorough review of the video, I can find no basis to impose supplemental discipline. This hit resulted from a play that evolved and then happened very quickly -- with both players skating in the same direction and with Chara attempting to angle his opponent into the boards," said Murphy.

"I could not find any evidence to suggest that, beyond this being a correct call for interference, that Chara targeted the head of his opponent, left his feet or delivered the check in any other manner that could be deemed to be dangerous.

"This was a hockey play that resulted in an injury because of the player colliding with the stanchion and then the ice surface."

[CanadaEH]

Good for Air Canada.

[ModerateChop]

Air Canada, one of the NHL's largest financial corporate backers

Does anyone know how much they actually spend on this ?

[Fido]

Is the only reason that Air Canada is complaining now....because it was a Montreal player that is the latest on to get hurt?

[internet]

I think it is remarkable that AC stands up to the NHL.

As an Elite - I have to say I'm a little bit prouder to associate myself with the Air Canada brand right now.

[Don Hudson]

I think it is remarkable that AC stands up to the NHL.

As an Elite - I have to say I'm a little bit prouder to associate myself with the Air Canada brand right now.

internet;

Yes, I completely agree with you.

In fact, I think there are a lot of AEF members here who have always been proud to associate themselves with Air Canada as employees, active and retired, and who now have even more reason to be proud of their employer. This is the right thing to do and the right action to take. This is one issue that needs a firm stand.

On both sides, management and labour, the NHL has demontrated that it will not deal with this issue.

Change comes from the oddest places sometimes.

Don

[GDR]

Boy, I sure don't want this to become a habit Don but we're on the same side of a discussion again.

Good post Buddy

Greg

[Moon The Loon]

I think it is remarkable that AC stands up to the NHL.

As an Elite - I have to say I'm a little bit prouder to associate myself with the Air Canada brand right now.

Welcome, and Bravo internet for your entry into this forum with such a proud post. Kudos to your employer for standing up the the thugs that run the NHL. I wonder if any significant American sponsors will also step up to the plate. (Yeah, I know - wrong sport)

[FLARE]

I have had my moments with AC but this letter from Mr Vandal is hopefully the beginning of the end of this madness in hockey. I highly support their action. With or without intent to hurt, automatic suspension of 10 games (or whatever amount) is required.

Good on you Air Canada.

[Don Hudson]

Boy, I sure don't want this to become a habit Don but we're on the same side of a discussion again.

Good post Buddy

Greg

No worries Greg, we can argue over the quality of the beer at Mary's. Of course, there's risk of agreement there too!

best,

Don

[GDR]

One other thought on this. The league and the owner of the arena should be held liable for a rink that has a partition right at the edge of the ice service as it was in this case. Just plain stupid!!

[Don Hudson]

One other thought on this. The league and the owner of the arena should be held liable for a rink that has a partition right at the edge of the ice service as it was in this case. Just plain stupid!!

Hi Greg,

Understand what you're saying. The focus in such a solution is, however, the rink and rink's owner, not the game, which would not change because it wouldn't have to. So, at what point do we "cocoon" the game? At what point will the NHL address the kind of goon-stupidity that, to my eye, timed the shouldered hit intentionally to take a player directly into the vertical edge of the structure rather than waiting one second longer for a "good" hit?

That kind of structure exists in all rinks, even where kids play. The players and coaches are instinctively aware of the hazard and act accordingly. The open door to the players' box is the same risk but as far as I know, no player (kid or adult) has been shouldered into the open door. Yet.

The netting at the two ends was installed because a young fan was killed by a stray puck. The installation makes sense, just like the head-gear and pads for the players, (some of us here have watched hockey when no helmets were worn...) But at some point, the players, the Association, and the leadership of the NHL must address the problem. The structure into which this player forced his opponent has never been "used" for such purpose before and now it has, and the NHL is justifying their inaction this time, by using that very argument...that "it was the building that did it..." What's next?

The owners know that fighting, hitting and other forms of violence sells tickets. For hockey, which hires its "enforcers" specifically for this reason, (those who end up over time as the expendable, highly-paid collateral damage of hockey...), raises the expectation of fights, like car crashes at races, broken faces in MMA and every reality television program etc. Such strategies are a big part of grabbing the attention of the increasingly distracted and fickle consumer in very tight sports markets. It is always in the end, the gate receipts that count.

But I think you've hit on one thing at least: AC sees an increasingly public (and therefore financial) downside to their association with the NHL. Whoever saw this is very smart; their name is on the rink in Toronto and that too is a risk and they are doing the right thing for a number of very good reasons. Like I say, such allies come from the oddest places.

Gee, did we just disagree?...

Don

Edited to remove double quote

[Innuendo]

(some of us here have watched hockey when no helmets were worn...)

Was the rate of concussion events then any different from what we are seeing today I wonder?

Or was it just not as publicised? Given the apparent difference in protection afforded by a helmet

seems to me that the curve is going the wrong way in terms of concussions occurring.

Too much "Goonery" aided and abetted by "Rock "em Sock'em" neanderthals.

The last game I watched right through was during the Olympics. Just don't find the rest of it interesting.

I'm guessing that some in AC might be coming to a similar conclusion.

It will probably take other sponsors coming to the same conclusion to get a change in thinking but if anything will do it, that will.

To paraphrase Yogi, "If the people don't come, you can't stop 'em.

[chockalicious]

No disrespect to AC on this but you have tro wonder if this happens if the incident in question happens in Detroit instead of Montreal.

Regardless there is nothing wrong with putting your money where your mouth is.

[GDR]

Hi Don

The only thing that I kinda disagree with is that I don't think that he was deliberately checked into the post. I think that it just happened to be there.

I agree with the rest however. I was just pointing out that the design of the rink should be improved so that a player can't run into a post like that whether it is from being checked or not.

I don't disagree with the idea of cleaning up the game. I see it as being two separate issues.I think we would agree that in many ways we've made a great game into something that has far to much in common with "Roller Derby".

By the way there ahve been incidents of players getting checked into the door.

I think we're still in agreement. Where have I gone wrong?

Greg

[dagger]

No disrespect to AC on this but you have tro wonder if this happens if the incident in question happens in Detroit instead of Montreal.

Regardless there is nothing wrong with putting your money where your mouth is.

Actually Detroit might be a bad example since the Wings have a large Canadian following across the river. Now, Dallas or Phoenix, maybe so, but then the media coverage in Canada of both this incident, and headshots and concussions in general, has been pretty intense.

[Specs]

Being the cynic, I find it hard to believe any corporation would i) care, or ii) let their concerns leak out to the press.

NHL sponsorship is a huge high profile, high visibility marketing vehicle that no company would just recklessly abandon but AC has unequivocally stated they will walk away from all of that if things don't change. If the league does nothing and AC continues with their sponsorship then the AC brand will be sadly diminished if their sponsorship continues.

So why risk such a public spectacle and ultimatum? Something has to be happenning behind the scenes here to ensure AC is not humiliated.

[FLARE]

I just heard an interesting bit of information on this incident. Apparently, the NHL video used to review the incident came from the Boston TV feed (no-ice level angle) and not from the local Montreal network RDS. RDS Sport had a camera at ice level near the penalty bench. That angle clearly shows Chara pushing Pacciorety on the post. As well, Pacciorety commented on his blog that he finds odd that NHL never tried to get his version of the event.

Jeff Molson has requested that all other 29 owners join him in acting right away to stop this nonsense.

The Quebec government has requested a criminal investigation.It is now underway. For the life of me, I can't understand why the NHL is not getting it.

Air Canada you are doing the right thing.

[J.O.]

I was pleasantly surprised to hear the news of Air Canada's letter to the NHL this morning. As it happens, I was in the Air Canada training centre in YYZ today and I had a chance to discuss this with several employees. Every one of them feels that their company is taking the right tack on this issue, and I agree completely. It's also important to know that Air Canada did not release this to the media. Their letter was leaked by someone who had access to it.

What's really amazing is Gary Bettman's response to Air Canada. The man clearly doesn't get it. The Luddites rule.

[CanadaEH]

Maybe AC doesn't want to be associated with the Leafs?

[CanadaEH]

Bettman basically told AC to go away if it doesn't want to associate itself with the NHL. Interesting.

[Specs]

Of course he will. Corporations don't suffer moral dilemmas and there isn't a chance in he## any other sponsors would walk away from their sponsorships.

And besides - what choice does Bettman have in his response after the memo went public. Kowtow to AC? If AC's position was fully endorsed by the execs and the BoD there then the issue should have been properly addressed in the backrooms. AC will likely come out of this with egg on their face.

[proview]

Although I respect all these opinions, the business case is that no airline wants to be associated in the public mind with things that go really fast and smash into hard things at high speed.

[Specs]

Wonder how Bettman might respond if Viagra threatened to pull their adds from YUL and YOW.

[Innuendo]

From CBC News Website:

Bettman called the injury to Pacioretty horrific, but said it's part of the game.

Part of the game??? Sort of like disposable Gladiators at the colosseum I suppose.

He also suggested the league can find new sponsors if an old one pulls out.

Maybe Tiger Woods can give him some hints.

Not impressed.