COLUMBUS, Ohio – Is it a case of letting the fox into the hen house, or a stroke of pure genius? George Parros has just been appointed the Head of the Department of Player Safety. Here is a guy who spent more time in the sin bin than out on the ice. With a record of 474 games played, 18 goals, 18 assists, 36 points, and a godlike walloping 1092 minutes in penalties, one must question the sense in which Gary Bettman 
appointed him in this position. Making George Parros the Head of the Department of Player Safety is as wise as a choice as throwing a recovering sex addict into a Las Vegas brothel.
With 1092 minutes in penalties one can argue that most of Parros’ penalties came from fighting, 150 fighting majors. What about other penalties. It is not impossible to say that Parros deliberately got penalties to instigate fights. However, none of the stats showed what penalties he received or a breakdown of them.
“George possesses one of the brightest and most innovative young minds in our game,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. “He has immersed himself in all aspects of Player Safety during the last 12 months and his selection to run this department not only will maintain the stability and consistency in decision-making that have been essential to the Department’s success but also will enable it to continue evolving in step with our game.”
The key words are “brightest and most innovative young minds in our game.” Parros is a Princeton graduate and is well educated. Chairman Mao was well educated and was a teacher before he ruled China with an iron fist. The point is that just because you went to the best schools, Princeton in Parros’ case, does not mean that you make the best decisions.
Parros was never fined or suspended during his time as a player. The argument can be made that a player like Parros knows what dirty play looks like.
“I know where that line is,” Parros said, via NHL.com. “I know how to protect my guys or intimidate, but not injure and hurt. And that’s what we’re looking for.”
Possibly, but can NHL players put their trust and more importantly their careers on a guy who was one of the most notorious goons in the game when he played? Brendan Shanahan was the first person to hold Parros’ title. Shanahan played twice as long and had twice the amount of penalty minutes as Parros with 2489 penalty minutes. That did very little to curb dangerous play in the league. Currently there are three people involved in the Department of Plater Safety; Parros, Stephane Quintal, and Chris Pronger all of which have a combined 4002 career penalty minutes. These guys sure as hell didn’t have other players safety when they smashed their faces in.
If the NHL expects to have a safer game, why hire a bunch of goons to head it? Parros replaces Quintal in the same position, will anything change? The probability of that is a 90% chance of snow in the Sahara Desert. Like mentioned before, it’s like sending recovering sex addicts into a brothel. That’s not good for anyone.
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