Enforcer should get a major penalty

Campbell, remember, reviewed the hit at the time and considered it for possible supplemental discipline. He said he didn’t like the hit, but in the end he also said the league’s rulebook didn’t give him the muscle or leeway to do anything more than wag a finger of admonishment at Cooke.

Must have killed Campbell, the NHL’s senior executive vice president of hockey operations, not to be able to stick up for Boston’s “little fake artist,’’ don’t you think? Maybe. Maybe not. But in a job that demands clarity and integrity, Campbell’s words now have him backed into a corner.

“We expect the league to be fair to us,’’ said Boston general manager Peter Chiarelli, choosing his words carefully. “I think we’ve been treated fairly.’’

To no one’s surprise, the league’s corner office stuck up for Campbell, who no doubt shaped his opinion about Savard when the two of them were with the Rangers, Campbell as coach and Savard as forward/faker. Deputy commissioner Bill Daly yesterday noted to tsn.ca that to question Campbell’s integrity “at all times and in every decision’’ would be “way off base and just factually wrong.’’

True, a man can have opinions, and strong ones, and still be professional and rule judiciously. He just has to be smart enough to keep those opinions private. Campbell shared his opinions privately, and he’s now being hanged publicly. Another hard lesson learned about e-mail and the Internet. He should have been smart enough to know those risks before he hit the send button.

But the bigger mistake, really, was for Campbell to be sharing his opinion with anyone in the first place. His words look sophomoric and petty, and given his job, it leaves open the question of whether he is vindictive. Not good. His words are out there now, and forever, and forever his intentions, opinions, and prejudices will be questioned.