Deep Blue Sea: Alex Burrows is a player’s safety nightmare

In last night’s match up between the New Jersey Devils and the Ottawa Senators, things got a little heated.

With ten minutes left in the second period, Senators forward Alex Burrows took on Devils forward Taylor Hall. Hall attempts to leave a scrum in front of the Senators’ net after it becomes dislodged. Burrows finds him and tackles him to the ice, punching his head repeatedly. Once Hall was leveled, Burrows began kneeing Hall’s head against the ice, with his skate blades flying in the air behind him.

You can see two angles of the play below:

pic.twitter.com/d1joTFyiBB

— John Smith (@HabsCorner) February 7, 2018

Closer look at the knee pic.twitter.com/836fZAeoxY

— John Smith (@HabsCorner) February 7, 2018

Burrows has been involved in controversy before, having been fined as a member of the Vancouver Canucks in 2010 for alleging that an official had it out for him when he was called for diving, interference, and unsportsmanlike conduct in a game against the Nashville Predators. He’s also no stranger to violence, having been investigated for striking a 19-year-old goaltender in the face during a summer league in 2009. He was suspended for three games in 2014 for an illegal check to the head of Alexei Emelin.

Ten years Hall’s senior, Burrows plays a style of hockey that has no place in the modern NHL, and frankly, never should have had a place in the sport. He’s lucky his skate blade didn’t catch anyone while he was kneeing Hall, because he certainly didn’t know where it was or who was near it. The play was reckless, dangerous, and disgusting.

Burrows waived his right to an in-person hearing, signalling a suspension of at least six games is coming. But with inconsistencies from the Department of Player Safety this year, it’s easy to say that it won’t be enough.

You can read more about it below, but first, here’s Sharks news and notes:

• What’s behind the Sharks’ defensive turnaround? | NBCS Bay Area
  If they can sustain their current defensive form, the Sharks’ hold on a playoff spot won’t feel nearly as tenuous…
• Rookie who almost signed with Sharks getting bigger opportunity with Avs | NBCS Bay Area
  Considering Kerfoot has 25 more points than the combination of O’Regan and Sorensen, it’s reasonable to wonder what could have been. If anything, though, Kerfoot’s relative success reiterates how much circumstances matter when developing players.
• NHL: Sharks are finding balance without Joe Thornton.
  The Avalanche are trying to get by with top-scorer Nathan MacKinnon sidelined by a shoulder injury.
• No MacKinnon, no problem as Avalanche top Sharks
  The Sharks completed their road trip with a 2-2-1 record with a 2-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche Tuesday.
• Winter Olympics preview: Bay Area athletes heading to South Korea – San Francisco Chronicle
  Meet the Olympians the Bay Area will be cheering on at the Winter Olympics, including Barracuda captain, John McCarthy./

And blood in the water around the league:

• Taylor Hall on getting kneed by Alex Burrows: ‘He kind of lost his mind’ – Sportsnet.ca
  Ottawa Senators forward Alexandre Burrows is no stranger to controversy, and his latest shenanigans could warrant a talking to from the NHL’s department of player safety.
• Burrows waives right to in-person hearing – Article – TSN
  Offering the in-person hearing allows for a suspension of six game or more.
• 2018 NHL Draft lottery odds: Coyotes, Sabres lead Rasmus Dahlin chase – SBNation.com
  Which teams will have the best odds in the 2018 NHL Draft Lottery? Let’s check in.
• 2018 NHL draft – Picks for all 31 teams
  The 2018 NHL draft will be held in Dallas, Texas on June 22 and 23 at the American Airlines Center. Here is an updated table of every team’s picks for the event.
• 3 things we learned in the NHL: Flower power returns to Pittsburgh – Sportsnet.ca
  It was Marc-Andre Fleury night in Pittsburgh but the Penguins spoiled his homecoming. Here are three things we learned in the NHL.
• NWHL finds creative ways to fill the talent pool in an Olympic year
  With many of the top NWHL stars participating in the Winter Olympics, teams aren’t fully relying on their own scouting to find players. A central scouting approach is in place to help distribute top players throughout the league.
• Kalamazoo Wings to wear Grateful Dead-inspired uniforms | Chris Creamer’s SportsLogos.Net News and Blog : New Logos and New Uniforms news, photos, and rumours
  The Kalamazoo Wings is the first team in minor-pro hockey to host a Grateful Dead night, which features the music and good vibes of a Dead show.
• Rising Stars : College Hockey News
  On Oct. 21, freshman forward Kohei Sato made his debut for New Hampshire against Colorado College, making him the first player born and raised in Japan to play Division I men’s hockey. The list then got a little longer Jan. 27, when his friend and fellow Tokyo native, Lake Superior forward Yuki Miura, played in his first NCAA game against Bowling Green.
• Check out this viz from Jason Paul, comparing where General Managers come from across different sport leagues. One of these things is not like the others:/

sneak peek at the pie charts for our research into the background of your favourite team’s general manager. Where do these guys come from?

Former pro players are in demand for NHL executive jobs; more so than their sister leagues. more to come.#NHL #NBA #MLB pic.twitter.com/gL4kbxlQRP

— Jason Paul (@WaveIntel) February 6, 2018