I think there is a HUGE difference between using racial slurs or personal or physical attacks against a player and simply being a hardass as a coach.
People like Carcillo are to me just trolling for attention, and really just make people tune out instead of paying attention to what is going on across hockey as a whole.
At the end of the day these coaches are trying to motivate and get 20 guys on the same page, while playing in the what amounts to the toughest league in the world. At some point you need a coach that knows how to push buttons and push players, and sometimes you need a player coach who teaches the game.
There are a lot of good people in the game, and I honestly feel that a big reason this stuff doesn't constantly get brought up is because most people who actually play at a high level agree that you NEED coaches who can push you.
I remember all the stories about Darryl, both here and in LA, and I think now suddenly trying to sling mud and hoping it sticks is a shame when there is ACTUAL abuse going on.
To me the bigger concern is players in minor hockey. Most of us can attest to the rampant abuse going on there, and both coaches and parents need to be held accountable.
As far as the NHL is concerned I have a hard time believing that there is much of any ACTUAL abuse going on.
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