Bruins GM Puts NHL on Blast for Bennett vs. Marchand Saga
Following back-to-back losses in Games 3 and 4 featuring borderline-illegal and controversial actions performed by Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett, Boston Bruins GM
addressed the saga in front of the media on Monday, May 13.
The Bruins GM, however, was subtle when talking on Monday. He didn’t fall for the use of harsh words but implied the issues that the NHL has when assessing what happens on the ice and how officials aren’t held accountable enough.
“We’re not in a position to be criticizing the officials,” Sweeney told reporters on May 12, via NHL.com. “That’s standard protocol. We’ll get fined as a result of that, so there’s no intention on my point to be critical.
“The overall premise that I have is, to be perfectly honest with you. You (media members and reporters) should not be asking the coach after the game what they feel about officiating and what happens. You guys should really be focusing on what we didn’t do well enough in the course of the game to win a hockey game.
“Those questions should be directed at either the supervisors of officials, supervisors of the series, and/or the officials.”
Bruins’ Don Sweeney Discusses Sam Bennett’s Controversial Goal
Instead of blasting the NHL for not acting upon Sam Bennett’s actions in Game 3 (he sucker punched Brad Marchand) and Game 4 (he scored a controversial goal), Sweeney walked a thin line and instead told the media to ask the league why it doesn’t make officials available for explanations after games.
“You want full access or transparency? Then put the officials in front of the microphone to answer the questions,” Sweeney told reporters. “They’re the only ones that have the experience to be able to handle whatever interpretation they applied, Rule 69 in that case, to answer your question. That’s it…”
For context, according to NHL Rule 69.1, “If a defending player has been pushed, shoved, or fouled by an attacking player so as to cause the defending player to come into contact with his own goalkeeper, such contact shall be deemed contact initiated by the attacking player for purposes of this rule, and if necessary a penalty assessed to the attacking player and if a goal is scored it would be disallowed.”
Sweeney explained how the Bruins tried to overturn the call on the ice (ruled a legal goal) basing it on Bennett’s shove of Charlie Coyle, failing to do so.
“Clearly, we challenged it because of our interpretation,” Sweeney explained. “Don’t put out a statement, just stand in front and answer the questions. It’s as simple as that.”
When asked about his goal, Sam Bennet thought he would have scored no matter what. He didn’t think it would have mattered whether he pushed Coyle or not.
“I’m putting that puck in before Swayman’s going to be able to get over there, whether Coyle was on him or not. So, I think that’s the reason why it stood,” Bennett said after the game during an interview on TNT.
GM Don Sweeney Provides Brad Marchand Update
Speaking on Sunday after the Game 4 win over the Bruins, Bennett denied that he had tried to hit Marchand, let alone sucker-punched him in the head.
“People can have their opinions. I know it definitely wasn’t intentional,” Bennett said. “It’s unfortunate that he got hurt.”
Addressing Bennett’s action, Sweeney was once against subtle when doing so. He blamed how the NHL operates rather than their final decision of not suspending Bennett.
“The Department of Player Safety needs to make a statement on how they interpret that situation,” Sweeney said. “We’ve seen every angle you can possibly imagine. That’s their job, their responsibility to protect the players. We have to respect that, whatever their judgment is.”
Marchand was ruled out for Game 4, but there is a chance the Bruins captain makes a return in either Game 5 or Game 6. That will depend on how his situation and his “upper-body” injury evolve. It will also be critical for Boston to keep winning games to extend the series.
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