NHL not likely to put its reputation on the line

globeandmail.com: NHL not likely to put its reputation on the line:

Thus, the choice for the league is going to come down to this: Does it reinstate him, as both Tocchet and the Coyotes so desperately want, on the grounds that he was mostly guilty of stupidity and poor judgment? Or does it ban him from the game indefinitely, fearing that the merest hint of gambling — even if it involved sports other than hockey — would call into question the integrity of the league?

Okay, what's going to make the league look more stupid -- letting Tocchet back into the game, or trying to make a statement that the league won't tolerate gambling, when it was working with a casino in Pittsburgh on arena funding, allows the canadian lotteries to do sports betting on NHL games in NHL cities, and has actively talked about the possibility of moving a team to Las Vegas.

Tocchet made a mistake. Got stupid. Got caught. Is doing his probation.

If one really wants to start talking about comparative legal problems, Mark Bell was convicted of a felony DUI and is going to serve six months in prison -- and hasn't been suspended at all. And Rick Tocchet has been suspended since this broke, isn't seeing any jail time, never accepted a bet on hockey -- and may be banned for life.

Doesn't this just seem a bit of a double standard? If Mark Bell can play, why can't Rick Tocchet coach? And no, I"m not recommending they suspend Bell instead...

Comments

[The Forechecker]

You know what might be a creative solution? Offering a short-term (1 to 2 years) position to Tocchet within the NHL to help develop and monitor standards of conduct to help prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.

Particularly in light of the NBA ref scandal and a possible franchise in Las Vegas, the NHL might be well advised to consult with the gaming industry (which faces these issues every day) on how best to get ahead of the curve. For a guy like Tocchet, it could be a path towards working himself back into the league's good graces.

Besides, for those who wish to see Tocchet pay dearly for his crimes, forcing him to watch the Coyotes play every night might be considered cruel and unusual punishment.