The general consensus is no.

The NHL handed out the longest suspension in league history today when they suspended Chris Simon of the New York Islanders for thirty games. A few longer suspensions — including a lifetime ban — have been handed out before, but not in the NHL. And this isn’t the first time that “enforcer” Chris Simon has been sent away from the ice either.

This time around, Simon first tripped and then stepped on the ankle of Jarkko Ruutu with his skate. It’s clear enough that this was a blatant attempt to injure, and while Ruutu isn’t the cleanest player in the league either, Chris Simon is just plain dirty. Absolutely despicable. It’s almost beside the point that Jarkko managed to walk it off and continue to play, because if Simon’s skate blade dug a little deeper and perhaps a little higher, Ruutu’s Achilles tendon could have been cut. That’s not good.

It’s also clear enough that Chris Simon simply does not learn. He has a horrible issue with anger management, seeing how this is the eighth suspension of his career. In fact, he got a 25-game suspension earlier this year. What the hell is wrong with this guy?

A 30-game suspension simply is not enough to deter the 35-year-old (soon to be 36). The Islanders are already bottom-feeding in their division, so they don’t need this bad press to go with it either. I’m almost inclined to say that the NHL should have ended Chris Simon’s season and mandate some sort of anger management class.

Jesse Boulerice got 25 games earlier this season. Whether Boulerice’s act or Simon’s act was worse is up to debate, but when you consider that Chris Simon is a repeat offender with a mean streak, something had to be done. The league should have made an example of him. Thirty games? That’s a drop in the bucket. Who will want Chris Simon now? He’s not even an effective enforcer anymore.

Oh, and in case you didn’t see the Simon-Ruutu incident, here’s a clip from YouTube.