The NHL gets tough

It looks like the NHL's trend toward getting tougher toward thugs is continuing, and that's good to see. New York Islander Chris Simon's cheap shot hit (above) on New York Ranger Ryan Hollweg last week was inexcusable and yet another ugly incident for the league.

However, the lengthy suspension that Simon received erases a great deal of ill will.

Simon will sit out the Islanders' last 15 regular season games, and all of the playoffs. If the Islanders play less than 10 games in the playoffs, Simon will sit the first 10 games of next season.

Colin Campbell, the league's Director of Hockey Operations, said in a statement announcing the suspension, "The National Hockey League will not accept the use of a stick in the manner and fashion in which Mr. Simon used his on Thursday night."

Nice job, Colin. Campbell gets criticized a great deal (some deserved), but rarely gets praise for getting something right, and this is one of those times.