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Got a question on rule clarification, comments on rule enforcements or some memorable NHL stories? Kerry wants to answer your emails at cmonref@tsn.ca. Kerry, As many have mentioned, Dan Carcillo can get three, 10 or 20 games for hitting linesman Scott Driscoll on Thursday night. Why such a range of suspendable games in the NHL rule book? Also, have you ever been hit by a player like Driscoll was last night? Or did someone come close? Jason,Markham, ON Jason: Its unacceptable and intolerable for a player, under any circumstance, to deliberately apply physical force in any manner against an official! Daniel Carcillo subjected himself to an automatic suspension under rule 40 when he crossed the line and clipped linesman Scott Driscoll with his elbow. Rule 40 is very specific and unique in that it provides authority for the referee (officials) to impose a player suspension; including a varied range of game numbers. The history of this rule is also unique and was implemented following a hard line taken by the NHLOA in 1982, when players that physically abused an official were given a mere slap on the wrist by the League. This is how it all transpired and as I documented in my book, The Final Call. In my second year in the league, there was more than a growing concern that player violence and disrespect against on-ice officials had escalated beyond anything that could be tolerated by the members of the NHLOA. Referee Andy Van Hellemond was the most high-profile target of player abuse, having been crosschecked in the back by Barclay Plager of the St. Louis Blues and then punched in the chest by Paul Holmgren of the Flyers. Van Hellemond, along with Dave Newell, president of the NHLOA, and legal counsel Jim Beatty, pulled NHL president John Ziegler away from the annual office Christmas party in Montreal on Dec. 23, 1981 in an attempt to convey how serious our concerns were. It was felt that if stronger suspensions were imposed, players would refrain from what had been taking place. The league seemed to prefer the status quo. Beatty then wrote a letter to the NHL, which he released to the media, advising that, because the officials feared that their safety was not being adequately provided for (as the league was obligated to do under the CBA) we would begin "working to rule." The letter clarified what that meant: if a fight broke out, the referee and two linesmen would retreat to the safety of the officials crease by the penalty box. When the combatants had finished fighting, they were to make their way to the penalty box and take their respective seats, at which time the referee would assess the appropriate penalties. This "work to rule" lasted one weekend only and quickly got the attention of the league. In my game in Winnipeg that weekend, Jets tough guy Bryan Maxwell fought an opponent behind the net under the big picture of the Queen. I blew my whistle and the linesmen and I went to the officials crease and waited. The punches eventually slow as the players looked for the officials to step in. When that didnt happen, they stopped fighting, picked up their gloves and sticks, and, obeying the commands of my waving arm, took their places in the penalty box for five minutes. By the time the weekend was over, the NHL agreed to act, and, to the satisfaction of the NHLOA, a "blue-ribbon committee" was created to discuss and implement changes. The panel consisted of general managers, coaches, referees, NHL executives and NHLPA Executive Director Alan Eagleson. The group was given the task of fashioning a rule change to take effect, subject to the board of governors approval, at the beginning of the 1982-83 season. Before the current season finished and the panel got to craft a new rule, Van Hellemond was punched again. This time, Terry OReilly hit him with a wicked right cross to the side of the head during a playoff game against the Quebec Nordiques on April 25 (OReilly was suspended for the first 10 games of the next season and fined $500). After its deliberations, the blue-ribbon committee put forward a tough policy known as Rule 67. This rule called for an automatic 20-game suspension for any player who, "deliberately strikes, or who deliberately applies physical force in any manner against an official." It also specified an automatic three-game suspension for any player who "physically demeans" an official or who "deliberately applies physical force" to an official while being restrained during a fight with an opposing player. In both of these cases, the penalty and automatic suspension were to be imposed by the referee immediately after the game, and the player had no right of appeal! Conventional wisdom at the time was that due to the severity of the consequences there would never be another case of physical abuse against an official. That was until the night before Halloween 1983 when Tom Lysiak was playing for Chicago against Harford and he was ejected from a faceoff by linesman Ron Foyt. After the puck was dropped Lysiak skated through the faceoff circle and deliberately tripped Foyt from behind. The referee in the game, Dave Newell, suspended Lysiak for 20 games. All hell broke loose. Lysiak went to court and got a temporary injunction. Ultimately, the suspension stuck. Unfortunately, Ron Foyt was terminated at the end of the following season, in what many of us considered a case of retribution over the Lysiak affair. The rule evolved into what we now know as rule 40 to differentiate between varying degrees of physical abuse applied toward an official (There was wide gap between 20 and three games). Following the Lysiak court injunction, an appeal process was also added to provide the player with his "day in court." In this case, if Daniel Carcillo is suspended under rule 40 by the officials working the game Thursday night in NY, the League will hold a conference call with the NHLPA to review the Referees application of this rule, and will refrain from issuing public comment affirming the Referees application of Rule 40 until that call is complete. The player (or the officials) may request the Commissioner to review, subject to the provisions of this rule, the penalty imposed by the Referees (Must be filed in writing within 72 hours following notification of the penalty). A hearing will be conducted by the Commissioner on an expedited basis before the second game missed by the player due to the automatic suspension. For Category lll offenses only, the Commissioner may conduct the hearing by telephone. For Category I and ll offenses, the hearing shall be conducted in person. After any review, the Commissioner shall issue an order that: (i) sustaining the minimum suspension, or (ii) increasing the number of games within the category, or (iii) changing to a lower category, or (iv) changing to a lower category and increasing the number of games within this category, or (v) in the case of a Category lll suspension only, reducing the number of games of the suspension. Note rule 40.6 provides that in the event that the player has committed more than one offense under this rule, in addition to the penalties already imposed under this offense, his case shall be referred to the Commissioner of the League for consideration of supplementary disciplinary action. This would be Daniel Carcillos second violation of physical abuse of an official and while that would not have been taken into account by the officials last night, Commissioner Gary Bettman should already have this case moved to his desk. This column is already very lengthy Jason, so I will save player attacks that I personally endured for another time! Tiger Williams Jersey . Thats how the Ravens won when Ryan was their defensive co-ordinator from 2005-08, and that is precisely the formula Baltimore used to beat Ryans New York Jets on Sunday. Auston Matthews Jersey . Sterling was banned for life and fined US$2.5 million by the NBA on Tuesday for racist comments the league says he made in a recorded conversation. Nash, who plays for the rival L.A. Lakers, spoke as a representative of current NBA players at a press conference assembled by Sacramento mayor and National Basketball Players Association adviser Kevin Johnson. http://www.officialmapleleafspro.com/John-tavares-maple-leafs-jersey/ .J. - Henrik Lundqvist has done more than set a couple of franchise records for the New York Rangers this week. Felix Potvin Jersey . Quarterback Drew Willy appeared to injure his throwing hand on the third last play of practice Thursday. Doug Gilmour Jersey .com) - On a night the Bulls played without Derrick Rose, it was time for Pau Gasol to take charge.BOSTON - After going to overtime in four straight games, the Boston Bruins needed much less time to take care of the New Jersey Devils.Milan Lucic scored a pair of goals, and backup Niklas Svedberg earned his second NHL shutout behind three periods of stifling Boston defence as the Bruins beat the Devils 3-0 on Thursday night.We were skating well and we were playing with a lot of urgency and a lot of jump right from the start, Boston captain Zdeno Chara said. I thought we controlled the play and made some solid, strong plays. We got a lead like we wanted and put a lot of shots on the net and created a lot of offensive zone time for us.Boston spent so much time at the other end of the ice that Svedberg faced only 14 shots. Boston held New Jersey to three in the opening period and four in the second, three coming on a late power play that did nothing to spark the Devils.David Krejci and Torey Krug assisted on Lucics power-play goal with 1:12 left in the first as Chara provided a screen. Carl Soderberg added an unassisted goal 8:31 into the second for the only scoring until Lucic tapped in an empty-netter with 12 seconds remaining.Patrice Bergeron, who scored the winner Wednesday in Bostons overtime victory at Pittsburgh, passed the puck to Lucic as they skated in alone on the empty net.Were trying to build from the momentum that we created from last night, Bergeron said. I thought that right away we had a strong game. We limited their chances and their shots on net and I thought we had a lot of good looks andd good chances.ddddddddddddergeron and Chris Kelly assisted on the final goal. It was the 700th career game for both.Cory Schneider, who grew up outside of Boston and played at Boston College, made 41 saves and kept the Devils within range despite their lack of offence.We got outworked for one thing for a period of time there, Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello said. We just couldnt get anything done. You have to get shots. We didnt get shots.Svedberg made his first start since a 6-2 loss at Columbus on Dec. 27, and didnt get much of a challenge.New Jersey followed its three-shot first period by stumbling through the second. The Devils had just one shot in the period until Michael Ryder was stopped by Svedberg while being taken down by Daniel Paille with 5:17 left. New Jersey went on its only power play of the game, but continued to struggle offensively.Schneider was sharp early in the third and stopped Soderberg twice from the slot to keep the Devils within two goals. Boston had 11 shots in the first eight minutes of the period.I think 40-plus saves speaks for itself, Lamoriello said. Hes been playing extremely well, and tonight was no different.NOTES: New Jersey LW Mike Cammalleri also played in his 700th NHL game. ... Boston LW Loui Eriksson was out with an upper-body injury. He missed his first game of the season. ... The Bruins 43 shots were two shy of their season high recorded in a 5-2 win over Detroit on Dec. 29. That was Bostons last game not to go into overtime before Thursday. ' ' '