I don't know and won't presume to know everything that goes into decisions regarding suspensions. But a lot of fans seem to think they know, and some of those fans make ridiculous claims, meanwhile written policies from the DOPS, the NHL rulebook and the CBA are all available to be read.
For example, hearings involve an interview of the player "and his representatives" about the play in question, and then afterward a punishment is decided. And a player is considered by the DOPS to be a repeat offender based on the previous 18 months following the most recent incident. Being a repeat offender or not effects how much salary is forfeited.
And, technically the CBA is why a player gets punished with harsher penalties if they repeatedly violate rules. That distinction matters because it means the players themselves agreed to this, and DOPS is doing what they're supposed to do as part of that agreement. Even if, yes, there appear to be inconsistencies, and yes, the way things are handled are sometimes flawed.
Rempe has played less than 30 NHL games and has injured multiple players on hits. A few of those were arguably incidental, a few definitely were against the rules. He has definitely earned his reputation very, very fast.
Rempe's build is a bit of an anomaly, sure, but you don't have look far to find an example he could learn from. Rempe is listed as 6'9 currently, and Edstrom is listed as 6'8. Has Edstrom once thrown a hit like the ones that got Rempe in trouble? And Rempe has injured a few players without getting penalized too. Edstrom hasn't been as physical at times as he could or should be, but when he has, he's stayed within the rules. If he can, why can't Rempe?
My speculation is that a hit where a player is "shaken up" can be deemed an injury, and if that happens often, that alone could be considered a pattern. So that's how I would personally define it. When you earn a reputation and injure several players in such a short timeframe, it probably seems like grounds for stiffer punishment. I also would guess that Rempe's comments or conduct during his hearing was unhelpful to his cause.
Regardless of anyone's feelings on Rempe I think everyone agrees he has things he needs to learn. And if there's any purpose to a punishment from the league, it would be to get a player to fix whatever they're doing that is against the rules and might injure other players. Evidently, he hasn't learned yet, so he needs a harsher lesson... that's what he's getting.
For example, hearings involve an interview of the player "and his representatives" about the play in question, and then afterward a punishment is decided. And a player is considered by the DOPS to be a repeat offender based on the previous 18 months following the most recent incident. Being a repeat offender or not effects how much salary is forfeited.
And, technically the CBA is why a player gets punished with harsher penalties if they repeatedly violate rules. That distinction matters because it means the players themselves agreed to this, and DOPS is doing what they're supposed to do as part of that agreement. Even if, yes, there appear to be inconsistencies, and yes, the way things are handled are sometimes flawed.
Rempe has played less than 30 NHL games and has injured multiple players on hits. A few of those were arguably incidental, a few definitely were against the rules. He has definitely earned his reputation very, very fast.
Rempe's build is a bit of an anomaly, sure, but you don't have look far to find an example he could learn from. Rempe is listed as 6'9 currently, and Edstrom is listed as 6'8. Has Edstrom once thrown a hit like the ones that got Rempe in trouble? And Rempe has injured a few players without getting penalized too. Edstrom hasn't been as physical at times as he could or should be, but when he has, he's stayed within the rules. If he can, why can't Rempe?
My speculation is that a hit where a player is "shaken up" can be deemed an injury, and if that happens often, that alone could be considered a pattern. So that's how I would personally define it. When you earn a reputation and injure several players in such a short timeframe, it probably seems like grounds for stiffer punishment. I also would guess that Rempe's comments or conduct during his hearing was unhelpful to his cause.
Regardless of anyone's feelings on Rempe I think everyone agrees he has things he needs to learn. And if there's any purpose to a punishment from the league, it would be to get a player to fix whatever they're doing that is against the rules and might injure other players. Evidently, he hasn't learned yet, so he needs a harsher lesson... that's what he's getting.
