Hockey analyst comes to Jennifer Botterill's defense after facing heavy criticism on HNIC

Sportsnet has been bashed over the past couple of years for decisions surrounding its on-air product and movement of personnel. That trickles down to its analysts, too, as former Canadian Olympic Gold Medallist Jennifer Botterill finds herself amidst a new controversy. Botterill, herself a broadcaster, after a successful career in the league, got into it recently with fellow Sportsnet analyst Kevin Bieksa over an incident involving Montreal Canadiens players Juraj Slafkovsky, Arber Xhekaj, and Pittsburgh Penguins' Noel Acciari. The contentious hit started the spirited debate between the two analysts, showing just how different the two look at the physical side of the game.

It was late in a Canadiens-Penguins game where Acciari gave a headshot to young Canadiens forward Juraj Slafkovsky. In response, Xhekaj "The Sheriff" decided to square off with Acciari in defense of his teammate, a reaction that Bieksa wholly endorses as part of hockey's culture. Physical conflicts, he says, are part of the character that allows hockey players to police the ice. Botterill didn't share quite the same mentality, however, and proceeded to ensure she liked a more disciplinary and less violent type of game, even going so far as to get into a direct argument with Bieksa during the broadcast.

Botterill's response sparked very much debate among fans and analysts on which direction hockey was or should be, taking. While traditionalists like Bieksa believe fighting and on-ice policing are components that keep things orderly and respectful, others, like Botterill, believe such a reduction in violence will make the sport much safer for those players on the ice. Her candid comments fall in line with many hockey fans and officials alike who feel some sense of worth in placing boundaries on physicality, thus hoping the focus will then fall onto skill and speed rather than aggression. Many fans were very upset with her comments.

That was certainly reflected in the responses to Botterill's comments, as quite a few fans were on her for that opinion. Many fans of old-school hockey felt she went too far in saying the physical part of the game should be minimized. The fans love the confrontations, like the Xhekaj response to the Acciari hit, because that's what makes hockey so different and exciting. However, Botterill did get public support from some in the hockey community, including Ken Campbell of 'The Hockey News', who came to her defense and lashed out at much of the online blowback she got.

Hockey fighting and aggression stand on divided grounds as shown in disagreement by Jennifer Botterill and Kevin Bieksa. That speaks to the greater questions of which direction the NHL goes and how much physicality and skill a sport needs moving forward. Perhaps not everyone can agree with the anti-violence argument made by Botterill, but most can recognize that things are truly shifting within the hockey world. This is not the first time she has come under attack for what she says on a given subject, and with people holding such strong feelings on the matter, it will not be the last.