NHLPA picks wrong fight, Sabre saver and more notes

When Steve Moore's neck was broken by a Todd Bertuzzi sucker punch in 2004, both the NHL and law enforcement took action. AP

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The swift and terse reaction of the NHL Players' Association to the 15-game suspension handed to Toronto winger Mark Bell wasn't entirely unexpected. Even as it struggles to reinvent itself in this post-Saskin period of peace and prosperity, the union has to appear as though it still has claws. But is the defense of a convicted felon really the fight they want to pick, especially in this climate?

In a statement credited to associate counsel Ian Penny, the union suggested that Bell, who pleaded no contest to drunken driving and hit-and-run charges in California last month, would suffer enough at the hands of the legal system: "Bell faces incarceration at the conclusion of the season and has already been suspended without pay as a result of his placement in Stage 2 of the NHL/NHLPA Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health program (SABH). There is no legitimate purpose served by the league adding a substantial disciplinary suspension to the severe sanctions that have already been imposed."

No legitimate purpose? As Seth Meyer and Amy Poehler would say, "Really?!?"

The guy is going to jail on a felony rap. Isn't that reason enough for a suspension?

If there's one trait the union has always shared with the league, it's the grim determination that the sport can police it's own. One guy skates up behind another and splits his skull open with a stick? No worries. We'll handle it ourselves. But if these same guys bristle at the possibility of intervention by the authorities after an on-ice incident, they can't sit back and allow that same outside justice to be the only response to a serious off-ice event.

More to the point, hockey isn't operating in a vacuum. In a summer filled with incidents and scandals on and off the field that have beaten down the passion of even the most ardent sports fan, the paying public is demanding accountability. Fans no longer require athletes to be looked upon as role models, but they do expect them to be held to higher standards due to the privilege of playing professional sports. The other major leagues have revoked that privilege in response to a variety of transgressions. It would be a public relations disaster for the sport if the NHL was seen as being less diligent -- a disaster that would only gain momentum as Bell began and finished his sentence after this season.

And given the partnership for prosperity that currently exists between the league and the PA, doesn't it behoove the union and its members to ensure that anything that damages their product -- such as a headline-generating troublemaker -- be dealt with swiftly and appropriately? That's exactly what commissioner Gary Bettman has done with this suspension, and the response from all corners should be: Good for him.

So maybe this Cold War-era rebuke from the NHLPA was just reflex. But rather than rely on their old ways, the union should look forward to a more sensible approach. It obviously wants to show its members that it'll be their wingman in times of trouble, but there are better means of accomplishing that goal. Consider: "The membership of the NHLPA is united in its commitment to Bell, and to ensuring that he receives any and all possible support to get his life in order and expedite his return to the game."

Seems to me that would have been the smart thing to do, and maybe even a preferred course of action for the players who recognize the value in maintaining the integrity of their product. But the PA is in a tough spot as it attempts to re-invent itself. It still doesn't know what it wants to become. But this much should be obvious: Going back to the Goodenow-esque ways of antagonizing the league just for the sake of antagonizing it is a step in the wrong direction.

Slap Shots

• Heading into the draft, Jakub Voracek was regarded as the most NHL-ready player of the 2007 class. Looks like he may get a chance to prove it. The Jackets reportedly are toying with the idea of using Nikolai Zherdev as their second-line center, which conceivably opens up a spot for Voracek as one of his wingers.

• Dallas fans who were mortified by the uterus-inspired third jersey worn by the team a couple years ago might find themselves longing for the return of that miserable cloth once they get a look at the new uniforms the team debuted on Friday afternoon. The white road version is reasonable enough, but the home jersey, with its basic black design, the word Dallas emblazoned simply in block letters and the player number on the front may be the worst NHL jersey since the Anaheim Ducks Wild Wing third from a few years ago.

• The Bruins, looking for a bit more offensive punch up front, parachuted free agent Glen Metropolit into camp on Wednesday. The 33-year-old center had 14 goals and 33 points with the Thrashers and Blues last season, and could carve out a role as a third-line checker. But the fact that he comes in on a tryout -- rather than armed with a deal -- suggests that Boston's Plan A is to give David Krejci every chance to make the squad. A second-round pick in 2004, Krejci was Providence's most reliable offensive weapon last season. The B's could use that pop, as well as his physical edge, on the third line.

Joni Pitkanen was a defensive liability in Philly last season, but may be what the doctor ordered for the stricken Sabres. Jim Rogash/WireImage

• If the Oilers are going to move a defenseman before the season -- and with a surplus of experienced hands on deck at the moment, that seems likely -- Joni Pitkanen could be the man on the move. Edmonton's glaring need is top-six scoring help, and moving the inexperienced Denis Grebeshkov or Ladislav Smid won't fill that particular hole. With just one year remaining on a contract that comes with a $2.4 million cap hit, Pitkanen's highly moveable, even though he is coming off a season in which he was minus-25 with the Flyers. One possible partner: the Sabres. They'd make for strange bedfellows after Kevin Lowe's offer sheet to Thomas Vanek infuriated Darcy Regier, but Buffalo may be in the market for blueliner after learning on Thursday that Teppo Numminen needs heart surgery and will be lost for an undetermined period. The Sabres won't rush into anything until they better understand Numminen's status, but they have to be looking at options beyond farmhands Nathan Paetsch or Mike Card. Another possibility: free agent Danny Markov.

• Looking for yet another training camp darkhorse? Keep an eye on Montreal defenseman Ryan O'Byrne. With free-agent acquisition Patrice Brisebois sidelined indefinitely by a groin injury, the third-rounder from 2003 should get a long look over the next couple weeks. A hulking 6-5, 210-pounder, O'Byrne brings a physical element that would be a natural complement to Montreal's smallish forward corp. A natural right sider, his ability to switch comfortably to the left may be all that separates him from an NHL job.