Zanzibar Buck-Buck McFate said:
Point 1 is irrelevant. As I stated above, pulling from Potvin's quote of the rule, he came off the bench during the altercation. The rule then reads "or" -- not "and" -- to start an altercation. If you do one or the other, you're suspended. He did the first.
But, and I realize you're not defending the rule exactly, doesn't this rule essentially make it so the best thing for Carlyle to do in this situation be responding to Rolston by engaging Scott with whoever he has can fight? Doesn't that just escalate things? If the league looks at what Clarkson did as being worse than what Scott did then aren't they essentially saying that if one team sends out a goon they other team is obligated to either A) send out a matching goon or B) stand by and watch as a goon picks a fight or throws a punch at whoever he can find?
I'm fine with the idea that coming off the bench
to fight should be strongly discouraged but someone coming off the bench to get an idiot like Scott in a headlock does not seem to be worth of a month of their season and, if anything, escalates the problem going forward.