FanSided

Chicago Blackhawks Fans Have A New Public Enemy In This Colorado Avalanche Player

By Todd Welter |
/ Patrick Smith/GettyImages
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The Chicago Blackhawks fan base has a new public enemy No. 1 in Josh Manson. The Colorado Avalanche defenseman took a cheap shot at Connor Bedard’s wrist.

Needless to say, the rookie phenom was not happy with Manson’s actions.

Thankfully Connor did not break his hand taking his frustrations out on that board. Even more important was Bedard’s wrist was not broken by such a useless move. There is a difference between trying to stop Bedard and make him uncomfortable and what Manson did. That's a slash to get Bedard physically out of the game.

Hey, Colorado Avalanche fans and the old-school fans think Bedard is being a baby because that’s hockey baby!

Although, I am sure if Jarred Tinordi whacked Nathan MacKinnon’s wrist like that, Avs fans would be losing their minds.

Manson now joins New Jersey Devils’ defenseman Brendan Smith on most Hawks fans' hate list. Smith is the player who broke Connor’s jaw with a vicious hit in early January. Although Nick Foligno defended Bedard’s honor when he exchanged hands with Smith later in that game. No one went after Manson. Maybe it is all this losing that is starting to drag on the team.

However, head coach Luke Richardson is confident Bedard will one day learn instead of punching a fixed object to just whack the player back.

At the end of the day, the NHL needs to start policing these cheap shots better, especially when it comes to the superstars.

You cannot grow the game with your best players on injured reserve. No one is paying to specifically see Manson play hockey. No one is trying to make Manson the face of the NHL.

People are paying to see Bedard, and the league is marketing him heavily. It must protect him better.

The hit that Smith delivered to Bedard when Connor broke his jaw is going to happen. Bedard needs to learn to keep his head on a swivel. Manson’s slash was unnecessary, and nothing more than "I am going to take a run at the top star."

To be fair, that is one reason gloves are still being dropped in the game. At the same time, defending the honor of your teammate in situations like that should no longer be a reason to fight. The league should be instructing the officials to watch out for stuff like that.

Don’t like it? Well, the NBA grew outrageously with Michael Jordan. I do not think any player is getting too upset now that they are getting paid big bucks and being treated like superstars.

Connor Bedard has the talent, charisma, and star power to lift the league to new heights. If that happens, a fourth defenseman like Manson should see a bump in pay.

Hockey players make less than the fourth-starting pitcher on most MLB teams. Some of that is the hard salary cap, a lot of that is because hockey still has not grown enough to be a true mainstream sport. Most casual sports fans could not name five hockey players. Do you want a higher salary cap so your team is no longer in salary cap crunches? Well, you need to grow the game’s popularity.

That is not going to happen when a defenseman past his prime is taking runs at a player who is a main attraction.

This is also not to say Bedard should be the only player getting referee protection.

MacKinnon, Crosby, Auston Matthews, and Connor McDavid should get the same treatment. These are the superstars the league needs to showcase much like the NBA did with Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Dr. J, and Michael Jordan in the 1980s.

Much like the NBA later learned, you cannot reach the highest heights of popularity if you are letting the Detroit Pistons throw them around.

If you want enforcers back like Marty McSorley protected Wayne Gretzky back, that is not going to happen. Teams want skill and speed in their top six. Yes, you want grit, but the player's special skill cannot be his haymaker anymore.

The NHL has a headliner in Connor Bedard. It is time they make sure a bit player like Mason does not try to take him out of the game.

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