Lemieux outlines proposal for fines
Share with others:
BOCA RATON, Fla. -- It turns out that while critics were whaling away at Mario Lemieux, the Penguins owner and Hall of Famer was busy crafting a proposal that might help silence his detractors.
Lemieux earlier this month sent a letter to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman outlining a tiered set of automatic fines that he would like to see the league levy against teams whose players are suspended.
The fines -- ranging from $50,000 to $1 million and doubling for repeat offenders -- would make teams "accountable for the actions of their players," Lemieux wrote. "We propose instituting a policy of automatically fining a team when one of its players is suspended -- with the amount of the fine based on the length of the suspension. This should serve as a disincentive for teams as well as players to employ these kinds of tactics."
- Matchup: Penguins at Ottawa Senators, 7:38 p.m. today, Scotiabank Place.
- TV/Radio: FSN Pittsburgh, WXDX-FM (105.9).
- Probable goaltenders: Marc-Andre Fleury for Penguins. Craig Anderson for Senators.
- Penguins: Are 2-1 against Senators, including 3-1 loss Dec. 26 in Ottawa. ... D Kris Letang has just one point, an assist, in past 11 games. ... Have allowed one goal in past 16 short-handed situations.
- Senators: Have gone 11-18-5 at home. ... C Jason Spezza has six goals, 16 assists in his past 18 games. ... Are being outscored, 81-48, in third period.
- Hidden stat: Penguins are 14-10-5 in 29 games C Sidney Crosby has missed because of a concussion.
Lemieux's letter was sent nearly a month after he issued a scathing statement criticizing the league for, in his view, not handing out sufficient punishment in the aftermath of a 9-3 Penguins loss to the New York Islanders in which 346 penalty minutes were assessed. The Penguins' Eric Godard was suspended for 10 games for leaving the bench in an altercation. The Islanders' Trevor Gillies was suspended nine games for elbowing Eric Tangradi, and Matt Martin was suspended four games for a hit from behind on Max Talbot of the Penguins.
The Islanders also were fined $100,000.
The NHL barely reacted to Lemieux's statement, with officials saying only that it was comfortable with the discipline the Islanders received.
Lemieux was denounced in some quarters for chastising the NHL but not commenting further or offering a solution. He was also labeled a hypocrite because he employs hard-hitting winger Matt Cooke, who is considered one of the league's dirtier players.
First Published March 15, 2011 12:00 am
