Air Canada, one of the NHL's largest financial corporate backers, is threatening to withdraw its sponsorship if the league doesn't take "immediate" and "serious" action on headshots, QMI Agency has learned.
In a strongly worded letter addressed to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman on Wednesday, Denis Vandal, Air Canada's director of marketing/communications, expressed concern over recent incidents of headshots and concussions.
The letter came in the wake of Tuesday night's controversial hit by Boston Bruins defenceman Zdeno Chara on Montreal Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty at the Bell Centre. Following a telephone hearing Wednesday with NHL VP Mike Murphy, there was no punishment for Chara.
"We are contacting you (Wednesday) to voice our concern over (Tuesday night's) incident involving Max Pacioretty and Zdeno Chara at the Bell Centre in Montreal," wrote Vandal. "This is following several other incidents involving career-threatening and life-threatening headshots in the NHL recently."
Vandal noted the controversial issue is becoming bad for Air Canada's brand.
"From a corporate social responsibility standpoint, it is becoming increasingly difficult to associate our brand with sports events which could lead to serious and irresponsible accidents; action must be taken by the NHL before we are encountered with a fatality.
"Unless the NHL takes immediate action with serious suspension to the players in question to curtail these life-threatening injuries, Air Canada will withdraw its sponsorship of hockey."
Not only does Air Canada own the naming rights to Toronto's Air Canada Centre, it's believed they're a major corporate sponsor behind all six Canadian teams. Air Canada's head office is also located in Montreal.
Vandal copied all six Canadian NHL governors with his letter.
"As a strong supporter and sponsor of NHL Hockey in Canada and several U.S. cities, Air Canada is very concerned with the state of hockey today," Vandal noted.
"While we support countless sports, arts and community events, we are having difficulty rationalizing our sponsorship of hockey unless the NHL takes responsibily to protect both the players and the integrity of the game."
Vandel isn't the only one concerned.
NHL GMs will meet next week in Boca Raton, Fla. to discuss headshots. They're trying to find a solution to cut down on the number of concussions and bring more respect to the game.
Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby, the NHL's poster boy, hasn't played in more than two months after suffering a concussion in the Winter Classic on Jan. 1.
A league source said several teams were upset Chara wasn't suspended. The Bruins carry a lot of weight at the league level -- owner Jeremy Jacobs is the chairman of the board.
Murphy wrote in his explanation for letting Chara off that he couldn't find sufficient evidence to call the incident intentional.
"After a thorough review of the video, I can find no basis to impose supplemental discipline. This hit resulted from a play that evolved and then happened very quickly -- with both players skating in the same direction and with Chara attempting to angle his opponent into the boards," said Murphy.
"I could not find any evidence to suggest that, beyond this being a correct call for interference, that Chara targeted the head of his opponent, left his feet or delivered the check in any other manner that could be deemed to be dangerous.
"This was a hockey play that resulted in an injury because of the player colliding with the stanchion and then the ice surface."
