CASST - Transparency

The Problem
The issue here seems pretty obvious - all the hockey-related disciplinary decisions are made by:

1. Reviewing Precedence (Good!)
2. Consulting various "Hockey" people :(
3. Comparing each situation against a set of pre-determined criteria (GREAT!!, depending on the criteria)

The Rant
Go read this article.  I'll wait.  (Did you see the paragraphs in the article that sounded like real leadership?  It makes you want to work for Garth Snow, doesn't it?)

Look at the comments from the NHL Senior Vice President and Director of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell:

• "I think we've been fairly kind"  He didn't say that.  He couldn't have.  Couldn't.
• "We considered a lot of numbers."  Really?  If you had a Disciplinary Book, this would have been thought about under controlled conditions, not in a rush against the clock or with the press breathing down your neck.
• "It might be a lack of respect among a couple of players," he said, "but that's always been the case throughout the history of the game. ... You've got players who aren't able to cap it when they should. And that's why the league will always have a discipline department."  Isn't it his job to fix that?  If you remove the player's only method of policing (with the Instigator Penalty), then you have to perform very strict policing and suspensions.
• "all over the map"  I didn't expect you to make my point for me.  Thanks!

See the problem yet?  OK, let me show you what my mind tells me is wrong:

A couple of people are sitting in a room making these decisions based on what will make them the most money with the smallest amount of "crap" being stirred up.  Its a form of Kleptocracy.  It is where evil can be born.


Have you ever felt that the NHL suspensions are unfair and you can't understand WHY a particular decision was made?  Its because the NHL is more concerned with making money than with what is the right decision.  What they are missing is that making the right decisions leads to making money.




How to Implement
To improve the NHL, the process of handing out suspensions must change.  This change must become more open and transparent.  Here is the quick rundown of how to do it:

1. Most importantly, acknowledge that precedents set prior to the new system do not necessarily apply to future suspensions.
2. Building on previous posts, the NHL has to publish a Discipline book and make it publicly available.  If the book is created properly, everything else becomes easy.
3. Compare incidents that are under review against the book.
4. Publish the findings, with clear explanations about how criteria are met or not met.
5. Hold a press conference to field questions from the press about the decision.
6. Store the findings online in a publicly available repository for future reference and reporting.