As his 30-year-old NHL officiating career ended last April, Kerry Fraser left the game known for three things: the 1828 261 regular season and playoff games he worked from 1980-2010; his inappropriate high-stick on Wayne Gretzky during the 1993 Western Conference finals (ok, usually only in Toronto); and of course the beautiful flowing mane which at the end of the day was covered in 2006.

While promoting his book, “Final Call”, which this month, Fraser sounded on the new regulations of the NHL headshot. in an interview with the French site CKAC Sports, the League Fraser called for a criminal offence, a headshot (via Google translate): 

“The day after each contest, where a blow will be brought to a head, everybody has an opinion on the decision of the arbitrator. This was a criminal, he would have turned off, it was a valid move?Everybody has an opinion.

“Why keep the door open? if the competition really wanted to resolve this issue, it would be a blow to the hea, (d) more powerful and eliminate unilaterally constant.” 

Fraser continued to spend on which of the two infringements that in his view, should have punished last season (again, Google Translate):

“Last year we saw Marian Hossa (notes) [of the Chicago Blackhawks] and Alex Ovechkin (notes) [of the Washington Capitals] get preferential treatment when they, too, beaten sneaky applied.

“Ovechkin, a player who has already more than once, reprimanded gets preferential treatment because of his star status.When I saw the rate provided by Hossa (Dan Hamhuis (notes)) on television, I thought it makes no sense.For me it was a game and deportation of at least five games suspension, but Hossa has not been suspended. How is it that Matt Cooke (notes) [no penalty] has received for his hit on Marc Savard (notes) and the next player [was] five games?Cooke could easily have hit the body, but he chose him hit in the head.This is not to understand anything.There is no coherence. the system simply does not.”

Star treatment, however, is something that we in any sport, but usually a criminal or error calls. but the point will be hammered home time and time again Fraser: the lack of coherence in the process of additional discipline. There is no rhyme or reason for why Player-X two games and player Y of free of charge for a similar incident else gets. sometimes there is an explanation of why the decision was made, sometimes is not there.

It will be interesting to see how the new head shot policy with respect to additional discipline at the beginning of this season. it was the subject during meetings of genetically modified and in March of this year as soon as the first incident, all eyes will be on Colin Campbell to see how he responds when the season as the coherence of the penalty.

You have to wonder if Fraser are opened and this month, expressed feelings while the NHL was the signing of his salary. a man with Fraser’s term of Office in the competition must can be somewhat of an impact, but it seems that if he, its concern fell fell on deaf ears.

Related: Alex Ovechkin, then Hamhuis, Matt Cooke, Marian Hossa, Marc Savard, Pittsburgh Penguins, Pittsburgh Penguins, goons and Pugilism

 

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