OTTAWA -- That line in yesterday's newspaper, noting the first suspension of Chris Pronger's National Hockey League career for slashing Pat Peake of the Washington Capitals? That was Brian Burke doing the suspending. The same Brian Burke who was the NHL's czar of discipline before Colin Campbell got the job. The same Brian Burke who drafted Pronger into the NHL in his days as the Hartford Whalers' general manager. The same Brian Burke who landed Pronger in that monumental trade with the Edmonton Oilers last summer.
So the one thing you could be sure of was that the Anaheim Ducks knew exactly what they were getting in Pronger when they sacrificed two young players and three draft choices to get him.
The pluses: A unique combination of size and skill, exceptional stamina, an edgy style, good hockey sense and an ability to be quarterback of the power play.
The minuses: A wavering commitment to discipline and a temper that he can't always keep under control, especially if things don't go his way.
More Stories
In the end, the only thing that matters for teams making these sorts of deals is if the pluses ultimately outweigh the minuses, then they're happy with the results.
That's the thing about a 30-team NHL as opposed to the pre-1967 era, when jobs were at a premium and even the star players could never get complacent about their spots on the roster. There are more flawed players and you just have to learn to live with whatever their shortcomings are.
It wasn't always that way, a point that the legendary Dickie Moore made a few days ago as part of the NHL's salute to the Montreal Canadiens' dynasty teams of 1955 to 1960. Moore told the story of spending 10 days in hospital after suffering a concussion. After he was released, his doctor advised him to wear a protective helmet, information he passed along to coach Toe Blake. According to Moore, Blake told him that if he wore a helmet, he wouldn't play.
Moore played, without the helmet, and explained his decision by saying that players of his generation were afraid to spend any amount of time out of the lineup because there were 20 others lining up to take their spots.
Pronger need not worry about someone taking his spot. He can play a good long time, make a lot of money and then pick and choose when to stop. And at his level, a skilled 6-foot-6 defender 15 years into his career, it is a difficult thing for him to ponder playing any differently.
Pronger said as much on Sunday when asked whether he would make any adjustments in his game.
"I don't think I can, for me to be the type of player I can be," Pronger answered. "Obviously, it's a fine line and getting finer every year. We have to make subtle adjustments, but I don't think I can make wholesale changes."
Later, on roughly the same subject matter, Pronger said, "I've got to play with a certain edge and certain style to be effective and to play at the highest level I can and I don't think I can change that."
What makes Pronger so effective (and what made him attractive to the Ducks) is that blend of skill and menace. If he played any differently, would he still be Chris Pronger? Eric Lindros broke into the NHL playing much the same style - it was the combination of size and skill that made him so attractive coming out of junior. When the concussions started and Lindros had to change and evolve as a player, his effectiveness diminished, to the point where he is now a journeyman NHL player.
For their part, the Ducks aren't even going to try to change him.
When asked to assess Pronger's play, coach Randy Carlyle said: "I'm not unhappy with Chris Pronger. The positives that Chris Pronger brings far outweigh any of the negatives."
Last night, the Ducks took to the ice without Pronger, out for a game with a suspension, as well as Chris Kunitz, who injured his abdomen, and Shawn Thornton, who was a healthy scratch. Three new bodies drew in - defenceman Joe DiPenta and forwards Joe Motzko and Ryan Carter. Scott Niedermayer, François Beauchemin and Sean O'Donnell were expected to pick up all or most of Pronger's minutes and the hope was that they'd get the same result as they did in the previous round, against the Detroit Red Wings, when Pronger was suspended for a hit on Tomas Holmstrom.
If they could do it again, they would be up 3-1 in the best-of-seven series with three chances to wrap it up. If they didn't, it would be 2-2 and they would be going home, with Pronger returning for tomorrow's fifth game.
Last year, without Pronger, the Ducks exited the playoffs in the conference final. This year, with Pronger, they're two wins away from a Stanley Cup championship. In the risk-to-reward ratio that governs any NHL transaction, that's considered a reasonable return on their eyes-wide-open investment in the big fellow Pronger.
