The Athletic Hockey Show: Why the NHL’s Suspension Problem Isn’t Going Away

Date: March 23, 2026
Hosts: Max Bultman, Mark Lazarus
Guest: Aaron Portsline (The Athletic, Blue Jackets beat writer)

Episode Overview

This episode zeroes in on the NHL's ongoing issues with suspensions—why dangerous hits persist, the rationale behind short suspension lengths, and the challenges to meaningful reform. The hosts debate recent contentious cases (A.J. Greer’s hit on Connor Zary, Radko Gudas on Auston Matthews), the role and limits of the Department of Player Safety (DPS), and systemic barriers within the league and NHLPA. Later, Aaron Portsline joins to discuss the Columbus Blue Jackets' dramatic turnaround, the key roles of new coach Rick Bowness, goalie Jet Greaves, and other standouts, and the broader playoff stakes for several clubs as the regular season nears its conclusion.

Main Discussion: The NHL’s Suspension Dilemma

Current Suspension Controversies

• Recent incident: A.J. Greer's three-game suspension for the boarding of Connor Zary with parallels to other high-profile cases, including Matthews and Gudas.
• Common frustration: Star players, injured players, and playoff timing are all seen as factors that affect supplemental discipline—undermining fairness and deterrence.

“Nothing is going to change with the kind of punishments they’re doling out. And the Greer suspension is, is absolutely laughable... That was such a violent and dangerous hit and to get only three regular season games for that, I don’t know what we’re doing here.”
—Mark Lazarus (03:33)

The Precedent Problem and League Inertia

• Precedent vs. Progress:
  • Max Bultman: The need for a documented precedent is often cited for suspension length.
  • Mark Lazarus: The problem is that past precedents are already too lenient and just perpetuate old mistakes.

“Why, just because they screwed up three years ago and they screwed up two years ago and they screwed up yesterday, do we have to screw up today?”
—Mark Lazarus (04:42)

The Role of the NHLPA and Internal Barriers

• Conflict of Interest:
  The union represents both the victim and perpetrator, making tough, player-friendly disciplinary reforms nearly impossible.

“The union is representing both the victim and the perpetrator here. Right. It’s a, it’s a flawed system.”
—Mark Lazarus (06:03)

Consistency, Appearance vs. Reality

• Suspension types and lengths:
  • Consistently too lenient, argues Lazarus.
  • Many similar incidents yield similar (and insufficient) penalties—e.g., two or three games for dangerous boarding, even with repeat offenders.

“No, I always laugh when people say that it’s not consistent because it is because they always underdo it.”
—Mark Lazarus (08:32)

Severity, Impact, and What Would Actually Change Behavior

• Key insight: Players won’t alter their approach unless penalties are dramatically stiffer—think 10+ games for dangerous head/board hits.
• Example: The elimination of bench-clearing brawls via severe, automatic suspensions.

“If you get dramatic with this, we can get headshots out of the game... That’s the only way you do it. And this league is never going to do it and the union’s never going to go for it.”
—Mark Lazarus (13:24)

Reform Obstacles

• CBA negotiations:
  • Real reform may only come through collective bargaining.
  • The same logic that curbed bench brawls could, in theory, greatly reduce dangerous hits if the will existed.

“Maybe this is something that needs to be negotiated into the next CBA.”
—Mark Lazarus (13:12)

Results vs. Intent

• Penalizing the Act, Not the Injury:
  • Suspension should target the hit’s danger, not only result.
  • Current system too focused on whether the victim is injured, ignoring dangerous intent.

“We need to start legislating the hit, not the result of the hit. It’s got to be the intention and the act...”
—Mark Lazarus (14:45)

Notable Quotes & Key Timestamps

• [02:58] — “Is it a dirty hit? Is it something we’re trying to get out of the game?... If we want to get it out of the game, it’s got to be better than this.” —Mark Lazarus
• [07:58] — “It looks worse. Yeah. It’s probably not as dangerous because the board in some way is actually bracing and he’s not going to crumple his neck in that way, but it looks worse...” —Max Bultman
• [12:40] — “The only way you’re going to actually affect change... is to really knock him down for an eighth of the season, a tenth of the season.” —Mark Lazarus

Columbus Blue Jackets: Surprising Surge and Key Figures

Guest: Aaron Portsline (Blue Jackets beat writer)

The Rick Bowness Effect

• Turnaround since January:
  • Blue Jackets leapfrogged from dead last to a playoff spot, posting an 18-3-4 run since Bowness was hired [19:37].
  • Key changes: Clear communication, demanding engaged defensive play, which paradoxically boosted offense and goaltending.
  • Bonus’s style: Similar principles to coaches like Ken Hitchcock and John Tortorella but delivered in a more ‘congenial,’ modern way—resonating with young players.

“It started with communication... He has like this default smile. And I think guys like Marchenko and Fantilli, certainly, is a guy that’s really upped his play defensively. There are others...”
—Aaron Portsline (21:36)

The Jet Greaves Story

• Unexpected star:
  • Undrafted, worked up through the ECHL and AHL. Each time the franchise set new challenges, he rose above expectations and became a dependable NHL netminder [24:00–26:31].
  • The organization’s skepticism actually allowed him to develop at a natural pace, which is rare for promising goalies.

“Every little thing they’ve put in front of him, he’s not only met, but exceeded.”
—Aaron Portsline (24:19)

Charlie Coyle’s Impact

• Center depth:
  • Never missed playoffs in 14 years.
  • Has stabilized and elevated the third line’s effectiveness at both ends, driving special teams improvement and providing critical leadership [27:46–30:23].

“He is a luxury as a third line center. And one of the things that that probably isn’t appreciated enough in Columbus is that this organization for 25 years has never had enough depth at center.”
—Aaron Portsline (27:46)

Zach Werenski and Awards Talk

• Norris Trophy buzz:
  • Built off last year’s runner-up performance; even better this year. Narrative and visibility (e.g., at Olympics) help his case.
  • Norris (best defenseman) is often a ‘narrative’ award, and Werenski’s moment may be now.

“It’s always whose turn is it? It always feels like that’s what we’re doing. And not only is it Werenski’s turn, but he also deserves it.”
—Mark Lazarus (33:06)

Rick Bowness for Jack Adams?

• Realistic?
  • Few have won Coach of the Year in a partial season, but if the Jackets keep their spot, it’s possible—especially given Bowness’s reputation and popularity among broadcasters [who vote] [33:36].

The NHL Playoff Race: High Stakes & Team-by-Team Outlook

Playoff Stakes in Focus

• Detroit Red Wings:

  • Locked in a tense battle for a playoff spot after falling out due to the Blue Jackets’ rise. Consequences of their aggressive trades (e.g., trading their first-round pick) loom large.

• Florida Panthers/Chicago Blackhawks:

  • Panthers’ traded pick is top 10 protected; the outcome will hugely influence both franchises’ futures ([41:00–43:14]).
  • “Stanley Cup contenders don’t get to add top 10 picks.”

• Pittsburgh Penguins:

  • Surprisingly fighting for home ice and a playoff berth despite skepticism and injuries—a validation of their retool-and-compete model ([43:29–44:58]).

• Tank vs. Retool:

  • Will Pittsburgh’s and Boston's seasons end the era of long, multi-year teardowns?

• Western Conference—Colorado, Dallas, Minnesota:

  • Race for the Central Division lead; avoiding a brutal match-up is seen as crucial for Cup hopes ([50:27–53:09]).

“If Dallas can get that top seed and play some garbage team from the Pacific Division... that is a huge advantage because that first round matchup... is going to be an absolute knockdown, drag-out war.”
—Mark Lazarus (51:37)

• Minnesota Wild:

  • Arrow is up, but another first-round exit would dishearten a patient fan base [52:28–55:50].

• Edmonton Oilers:

  • Still “win a series or disaster” stakes for McDavid and Co. [55:50–57:26].

Memorable Moments & Quotes (with Timestamps)

• “...we need to start legislating the hit, not the result of the hit. It’s gotta be the intention and the act.” —Mark Lazarus (14:45)
• On Blue Jackets' transformation:
  “They’ve turned it around... It started with communication. It started with [Bowness] demanding more engaged defensive play—which is the sexy answer. But that resulted in more offense, and life is better for the goalies...”
  —Aaron Portsline (19:37)
• On Pittsburgh: “They found a way to kind of get younger, better, more strategically positioned for the future and not sacrifice the present. I’m floored by what a good job Kyle Dubas has done.”
  —Max Bultman (44:29)
• On the playoff system’s chaos:
  “The NHL first round, the Stanley Cup playoffs first round, is so far and away the best round... because of this kind of matchup that we get, because the series go longer, because it’s unfair, it makes for better entertainment.”
  —Mark Lazarus (55:00)

Segment Guide (Timestamps)

• [02:00–13:23] — NHL suspension inconsistencies: A.J. Greer, Gudas/Matthews, and big-picture system flaws
• [13:24–15:45] — Can the CBA, precedent, or forceful penalties actually move the needle?
• [15:45–16:51] — Matt Rempe, reputation suspensions, and rare severe penalties
• [19:06–36:48] — Blue Jackets turnaround: coaching, goaltending, center depth, and awards talk (w/ Aaron Portsline)
• [39:57–48:50] — What’s at stake: Playoff races, Panthers/Blackhawks pick, Red Wings’ dilemma
• [50:27–57:48] — Stakes for Western Conference powers, Wild fan despair, Edmonton’s pressure

Final Takeaways

• NHL’s suspension problem is, at root, systemic: cultural inertia, labor politics, and self-imposed legal restrictions mean little will change without major CBA reform.
• Dissonance between what’s fair and what’s “precedent” continues to frustrate players, teams, and fans alike.
• On-ice, the Blue Jackets’ turnaround, the playoff race chaos (East and Central), and pending off-season reckonings all signal a league in rapid, sometimes baffling evolution.

For a full appreciation of this nuanced debate—smart, critical, but always hockey-loving—this episode is a highly recommended listen.