Hartsburg Beats Critics to the Punch

To read newspapers from coast to coast, watch TV highlight shows and listen to all-sports radio, you might think the NHL has flashed back to the wild, brawling days of the 1970s.

The talk around the league is about thuggery, paybacks and suspensions.

Duck defenseman Ruslan Salei’s shove in the back that injured Dallas center Mike Modano on Oct. 2 is only one of a number of plays that have prompted calls for cleaning up the game.

But is the NHL really returning to the bad old days of the Philadelphia Flyers’ notorious “Broad Street Bullies,” when it seemed every game had the potential for a free-for-all?

Duck Coach Craig Hartsburg doesn’t believe so.

“I think, obviously, there have been some incidents the league didn’t want to happen,” Hartsburg said. “But they happened. The league sent a message. The way they respond is important. We didn’t like their decisions [about suspending Salei for 10 games], but sometimes you have to bite your tongue and move on.”

What have increased gradually are the size and speed of the players, according to Hartsburg. He says the league doesn’t need to overhaul its rules.

“The league is better than it’s ever been,” he said. “The speed of the game is so much faster that there are going to be more violent collisions.”

Asked specifically about the Chicago Blackhawks, who have been accused of using particularly rough tactics, Hartsburg said:

“I don’t question their motives at all. Things happen from time to time, but I don’t think anybody in this league is trying to win by beating people up.”

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The Ducks did not practice Friday. They went 2-2-1-1 on their trip, getting six points of a possible 10.