Blackhawks' Carcillo under NHL's watchful eye
Daniel Carcillo could have celebrated his 30th birthday on the ice last week in Los Angeles.
He could have played against one of his former teams (Los Angeles Kings) at Staples Center and maybe even helped the Blackhawks avoid a third-period letdown in a 4-3 loss.
Instead, Carcillo watched in street clothes. He served the fourth game of a six-game suspension for injuring Winnipeg forward Mathieu Perreault on Jan. 16 with a late cross-check during a loss at United Center.
Carcillo served the final two games over the weekend and could return to the lineup Tuesday in Minnesota, but he knows his leash is even shorter now. After nine suspensions and three fines in his nine-year NHL career, Carcillo is a marked man to the NHL's department of player safety.
"I think they're watching everybody," he said a day after injuring Perreault. "But you don't like to see guys get hurt, especially skilled guys. It's what the league wants is to see those guys out there.
"We don't want guys going after (Patrick Kane) and them. I don't really like to speak on that too much, but I mean, you guys obviously know my reputation."
He was referring to reporters, but they're not the only people familiar with Carcillo's reputation. Some label him hard to play against; many others call him dirty.
Either way, Carcillo is more than just a repeat offender. His actions are scrutinized closer than almost any other player, and the latest incident doesn't dim that spotlight. It merely begs the question: Can he still fill the enforcer role adequately?
It will take a lot of restraint on his part, especially in games when the level of physicality is high.
"I think you've got to look at the time and the way the game's being officiated," Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said. "There's a mental part of it, where strategically you've got to know how you have to play, where you make the right contribution.
"But intensity and playing hard is part of it, so we've got make sure that being smart is part of the bigger equation."
Carcillo isn't a typical tough guy. He can skate better than most enforcer types and can contribute offensively. He will fight, but he's no heavyweight titleholder. His type of enforcement also has involved illegal hits and stick-related incidents like the kind he doled out to Perreault's left arm.
The way he describes it, that's all just part of his job description.
"You always want to be able to make certain guys in this room feel comfortable, for them to go out and play their game and use their skill," Carcillo said. "So from that standpoint you don't necessarily need to go out and beat up 15 guys a year (in fights).
"You just kind of have a bit of a reputation of unpredictability, and other guys just need to know that if something does happen like that there'll be an answer."
Likewise, Carcillo needs to know there will be an answer from the NHL if he takes it too far. That's one reason Quenneville would like the Hawks to spread the policing among more players.
"We've got to make sure we all bring a little bit of that to the table, but the game has changed," Quenneville said. "Whether it's the enforcer or the tough guy, the one-dimensional tough guy, it's tough to have that role and job description in today's game.
"So I think by committee that's basically how the majority of teams are approaching it now. That's kind of the evolution of the fighters in the game."