Jamal Mayers #22 of the Chicago Blackhawks controls the puck against the Pittsburgh Penguins during a preseason game at the United Center on September 30, 2011 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
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(CBS) As a 16-year veteran of the NHL, Jamal Mayers signed with the Chicago Blackhawks during the 2011 off season for one reason: to win a Stanley Cup.
He believed in the group of young players that make up Chicago’s core – a group that has already provided one Stanley Cup to the city of Chicago.
“That’s the reason why I signed here,” Mayers told The Boers and Bernstein Show on Monday. “Obviously we’ve got a great nucleus, a young nucleus that’s already proven how to win. I think this group is hungry again this year.”
LISTEN: Jamal Mayers on The Boers and Bernstein Show
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During his time in the NHL, Mayers has seen his fair share of rule changes, but as the league continues to crack down on how players can hit, he fears hockey will lose what makes it special.
“(Brendan Shanahan, the league’s head disciplinarian) is in a tough position,” Mayers said. “Obviously, he’s trying to set a precedent and protect the players, but I think it’s a slippery slope, because that’s one thing that makes our game unique. It’s just high-speed, and we do hit so hard.
“As they try to shape the rules and redefine what is acceptable, they gotta be careful. I think it’s easy to suspend all these guys now, but you can’t go backwards. Once you set that precedent, you gotta go forward forever.”
