The Hockey File

I’ve heard of some bizarre hockey injuries- Brian Leetch breaking his ankle stepping out of a cab, the entire Ottawa Senators team getting the flu on the same night (coincidentally against the Toronto Maple Leafs, who have made them sick more often than not), Erik Johnson throwing out his knees horsing around on a golf cart and Patrick Kane deciding a cab driver needed a beatdown for daring to refuse to provide Kane twenty cents. However, it all pales in comparison to accusations that Philadelphia Flyers forward Scott Hartnell bit Pittsburgh Penguins defenceman Kris Letang on the finger during a late-game scrum in the Flyers’ 5-4 loss to Pittsburgh Thursday night.

If you watch the video- posted below- you'll see Letang and Hartnell engaged but you can't get a good look at them to really see if Hartnell found Letang's hand delicious. Did Hartnell chomp at Letang? You decide:

I've watched it as closely as I can and can't conclude there's a chomp. I do know one thing though- if the NHL really wants to cut down on these "scrums" they may want to think about doling out automatic suspensions just for accumulating too many penalty minutes over a series of games. Then players might think twice about these scrums because it will penalize them- unlike the way it is now where a penalty assessed in this very instance is meaningless because the game is over and the player starts with a new slate the next game anyway. Just a thought.

-DG

# posted by Vicendum : 12:34 AM