It was the chop heard around the world, at least the hockey world. Marty McSorley brazenly whacked Donald Brashear and brought back an old debate bigger than ever.
Dirty play is up, particularly targeting premier players.
Now, presumably, it will all be sorted out, not on the ice, but in court where the charge is assault with a hockey stick. McSorley's assault trial began Monday, with the prosecution showing video of the slashing incident last year. Thousands of people watched McSorley, then a Boston Bruin, slash the Vancouver Canucks' Donald Brashear over the head, knocking him to the ice where he lay for several minutes with a severe concussion. If McSorley is convicted, he could face up to 18 months in jail. Beyond the legal jeopardy for McSorley, experts say the case could have huge implications for the way the game is played at the professional level and who gets to make those calls.