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Got a question on rule clarification, comments on rule enforcements or some memorable NHL stories? Kerry wants to answer your emails at cmonref@tsn.ca. Hi Kerry, In the Bruins vs. Canadiens game in Boston on Saturday, Dale Weise and Gregory Campbell fought towards the end of the first period. As you can see in the video, Campbell changes lines and immediately engages in a fight. Why is this not considered to be an incident similar to John Scotts earlier this season? Thanks for all of the great stories and explanations! Parker A. Boston (but not a Bruins fan!) Parker, This situation was not at all similar to the two-game suspension that John Scott incurred under Rule 70.2. Scott made a legal line change but then skated in the opposite direction of the puck and play in a lengthy pursuit of Anaheim forward Tim Jackman for the purpose of instigating a fight. Jackman was not a willing participant and was quickly knocked to the ice by Scott who had crossed the ice in retaliation against Jackman who had just been released from the penalty box. Conversely, in the Bruins-Canadiens game on Saturday night, Gregory Campbell came onto the ice on a legal line change and extended a verbal invitation to Dale Weise as the Montreal player was passing by in close proximity to the Bruins bench. Weise immediately stopped pursing the puck and instead turned to face Campbell and threw down his stick and gloves in advance of the Boston player. Campbell then dropped his stick and gloves to respond in what can only be deemed at this point to be a mutually agreed upon fight between the two players. There is more to this than meets the eye as I will explain. The intense rivalry that exists between the Bruins and Canadiens dates all the way back to the Original Six team league. Following last seasons 7-game playoff series won by the Habs, the current crop of players doesnt need a history lesson to develop a dislike that borders on hatred for one another. They arent ready to shake hands and let bygones-be-bygones but instead prefer to come out hitting hard and fighting. Campbell is a great team guy and so is Dale Weise. Some might think that Campbell has taken it upon himself to step in this season on behalf of his teammate Milan Lucic to settle a score with Weise that almost boiled over in the handshake line following Game 7. Weise was listed as a healthy scratch in the first meeting this season between the two teams on October 16. Lucic is not the type of player that needs or would want anyone to fight his battles but I wouldnt discount the fact that other Bruins players might like a piece of Weise as well. This particular altercation between Campbell and Weise on Saturday night however was a carryover from their previous meeting on November 13 which Montreal won by a score of 5-1. From that game, Campbell had a score of his own to settle with Weise following a skirmish they had just 2:52 after the opening puck drop. In that game, Campbell had dumped the puck into the Habs zone from just outside the blue line and near the side boards. Weise finished a legal check just off the back portion of Campbells shoulder cap that caused the Bruins player to fall awkwardly into the boards. After getting back on his feet, Campbell skated toward Weise near the inside hash marks of the end zone face-off circle. Weise viewed this as an immediate threat and fired off his gloves and dropped Campbell with a solid right before the Bruins player had a chance to engage. Weise then landed a couple of more punches on the helmet of Campbell as the linesmen quickly separated the two players and before Campbell could even throw a punch. Campbell was certainly caught by surprise through the quick action demonstrated by Weise and appeared to express his dismay to Weise in the penalty box at the lack of usual fighter protocol or code normally extended prior to what should have been a mutually agreed upon fight. There didnt appear to be an opportunity to settle the score during the balance of that game on November 13. On Saturday night, fighter protocol was followed to the letter. A verbal invitation was extended by Campbell to Weise. Weise had the option to continue pursuing the puck and decline the invitation. Instead, the Montreal forward did the honorable thing when he accepted Campbells offering by stopping, turning and throwing down his stick and gloves first. As a result, Campbell was exonerated of being deemed the instigator of the fight and relieved of any supplementary discipline under Rule 70.2. There was considerable separation between the two combatants as they measured one another prior to engaging. One player didnt jump the other and neither player was caught off guard. In many respects, this mutually agreed upon fight between Campbell and Weise was very different than the attack John Scott launched following his legal line change against Tim Jackman. I hope that is how you now regard it as well, Parker. .com) - The Milwaukee Bucks will try to get another win on this homestand Thursday night when they welcome the Utah Jazz to the Bradley Center. . - Washington Redskins tight end Fred Davis said Wednesday hes "nodded off" during meetings, but he said its something every player does. http://www.hockeyoilersshop.com/bill-ranford-jersey/. He learned about pressure and expectations at the 2010 Games in his hometown of Vancouver. His next mission is to build on that experience at his next Olympic appearance in Sochi, where he plans to ride the momentum from the teams strong start to the season. . Minutes after the previously winless Colts got their first win, 27-13 over Tennessee, team vice chairman Bill Polian said the four-time league MVP will not play this season though he has begun throwing to teammates at the team complex. . - The Clippers have signed guard Dahntay Jones to a second 10-day contract.DENVER - Jarome Iginla felt a little more youthful on his 37th birthday even as he became the old man of the Colorado Avalanche. Hes energized by the challenge of not only trying to keep up with the likes of speedy forward Nathan MacKinnon, who is half Iginlas age, but also of helping this rising squad take another step in its growth. "I dont want to be arrogant, but I still believe I can be very good," said Iginla, who celebrated his birthday Tuesday by signing a three-year, $16 million deal with Colorado. "And this is a dynamic group. I think they work hard and theyre committed, and theyre just going to keep getting better and better." The Avs are coming off a season in which they tied a franchise record with 52 wins in Patrick Roys first year behind the bench and returned to the post-season for the first time since 2009-10. Among their top priorities in the off-season? Adding some grizzled veterans to the squad. First, the team picked up veteran forward Daniel Briere from Montreal for right wing P.A. Parenteau and a fifth-round pick in next years draft. Then, Colorado acquired defenceman Brad Stuart from the San Jose Sharks for a second-round pick in 2016 and a sixth-rounder in 2017. On Tuesday afternoon, shortly after losing fan favourite Paul Stastny in free agency — he signed a four-year, $28 million deal with division rival St. Louis — the Avs worked out a deal with Iginla. It wasnt a laborious task, especially given the friendship between Iginla and Avalanche Hall of Famer turned executive Joe Sakic. The two have been tight since their days with Team Canada and when Sakic made his pitch, Iginla intently listened. Then again, one of Iginlas kids is named Joe at least in part because of Sakic. "(Sakic) is a winner so it definitely had something to do with this," Iginla said. Iginla has played in 1,310 regular season games with Calgary, Pittsburgh and Boston. He had 30 goals in 78 games for the Bruins last season. "Jaromes track record speaks for itself," Sakic said. "He is one of the top goal scorers of all time, as well as a great leader. His additiion will bolster our offence.dddddddddddd" As for being the elder statesman of the team, Iginla just laughed. "I feel good," said Iginla, whos earned two Olympic gold medals with Canada. "As far as my game dropping off, I dont think it will. ... I dont come here expecting to do less." He joins a team that captured a surprise Central Division crown. The turnaround of the Avalanche led to quite a few post-season awards, too, with Roy taking home coach of the year, MacKinnon being named the top rookie and Ryan OReilly capturing the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy for gentlemanly play. Semyon Varlamov also was a finalist for outstanding goaltender, which went to Tuukka Rask of Boston. Sakic was hoping to return the nucleus for another run, but wasnt about to break the bank to make that happen. Sakic said two weeks ago the team had a salary structure in place, setting the financial bar in deals with Varlamov, Matt Duchene and captain Gabriel Landeskog. These days, Sakic is attempting to work out a long-term deal with OReilly, a restricted free agent who led the team with a career-high 28 goals in 2013-14. In the meantime, Sakic orchestrated a deal to add the 34-year-old Stuart in order to bring more tenacity to the Avalanches blue line. He was third on the Sharks in blocked shots (114) and hits (122) last season. Stuart may be called upon to mentor defenceman Nick Holden, who signed a three-year extension that runs through the 2017-18 season. Briere is another scorer who could help offset the loss of Stastny. Iginla likes the additions of Stuart and Briere. "Its kind of neat to join a new team, but also having other guys in the same boat and get to come in together," Iginla said. "Thats pretty cool." One of the enduring images in Avalanche history is Sakic passing the Stanley Cup over to Ray Bourque for him to hoist after their win in 2001. See Landeskog doing the same for Iginla one day? "Thats a hope," Iginla said. "These guys, theyre driven. I think there are lots of good things already happening." ___ AP Hockey Writer Larry Lage contributed. ' ' '