One of the biggest agents in hockey is calling out the 'code' in hockey.
J.P. Barry, who represents Paul Byron under Creative Artists Agency (CAA), isn't thrilled about how his client was injured following a fight about Flordia's MacKenzie Weegar in the Habs and Panthers game on Tuesday.
The bout stemmed back to when Byron was suspended for three games back in January after he elevated himself and caught Weegar up high with a hit.
Speaking with TSN's Pierre LeBrun in The Athletic, Barry questioned one of hockey oldest unwritten that forces players to be accountable for their actions by dropping the mitts, or in hockey terms, "answering the bell."
"This wasn't a hockey fight," Barry said via a text message.
"Paul knew he had to deal with it then or likely later. Paul probably gives up five inches and 50 pounds to a very tough player - how is this the code?"
"Player Safety already gave Paul three games for an improper check and now the 'code' gets to give him several more?
"This exact situation is Exhibit A for re-examining our current rules for fighting. If the fight is patently retribution for something that happened long before this game was ever played, how is that allowed to occur without being addressed? These are the people that believe in the old 'code, it's time for Player Safety to be the new 'code.' What really matters is eliminating avoidable concussions wherever we can."
He was forced to leave the game and did not return. Byron will miss a crucial game on Thursday when the Habs face the Blue Jackets in Columbus in arguably the biggest game of the season for both clubs given where they stand in Eastern Conference Wild Card race.
