In addition to being generally awful at their jobs, the people running the NHL also are hyper-sensitive to criticism.
That's one volatile mix right there. Endless vicious circle.
One official from the Department of Player Safety a couple years ago popped off on Twitter at ordinary fans, once even singling out Pittsburgh fans as "whining" more than those in other cities. I won't name him here since he's since been public about an ongoing battle with clinical depression -- a richly commendable decision, and I mean that from the heart -- but the feeling at the time was that he was describing the consensus within the department, so I'm comfortable mentioning this in context. He clearly wasn't the only one who felt that way about the Penguins' fans.
Now, add to that legacy this hilarious-if-it-weren't-real six-minute video issued by the Department late Monday night:
Before tapping that play button, please pause for full appreciation of the video's title: 'DOPS on unavoidable head contact.'
Remember that culture I was describing in the column from Washington in which the NHL's disciplinary people have long leaned toward sympathy for the aggressor rather than the victim?
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