The NHL this summer "has its plate more than a little full with off-ice issues that will require more than a little deft stickhandling" by Commissioner Gary Bettman, according to Scott Burnside of ESPN.com. The NHL has already "decided that there will be no further sanctions" against former Kings C Jarret Stoll, who was "charged with felony cocaine possession after being caught with drugs at a Las Vegas resort pool in April." The league is waiting for Kings D Slava Voynov to "complete his sentence after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor domestic abuse charge relating to an incident involving his wife last October." Meanwhile, the NHL is aware of the information the Kings used in "deciding to terminate the contract" of C Mike Richards "after an incident at the Canada/U.S. border earlier this summer." The league also is "awaiting the resolution of the case" involving Sabres C Ryan O'Reilly, who "responded to being awarded the richest contract in team history by allegedly drunkenly driving a vintage pickup truck into a Tim Hortons coffee shop near London, Ontario." The league's decisions as to "whether or not further sanctions are imposed will be impacted by what broader message will be sent." Bettman "most certainly possesses the power to punish those who don't conform to the league's idea of correct behavior when it comes to disciplining his constituents." But it is "one thing to have the power and another to know when and how to use it." Bettman has to know that "whatever sanctions he imposes on Voynov, for instance, will stand as a benchmark for other potential domestic abuse issues" (ESPN.com, 7/22).
