Music: {allcanada} Shanahan: Players settling in with rules

OTTAWA – Four months into the job, NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan has handed out suspensions costing players more than $2 million in pay.

But he doesn't look at his job as solely laying down the hammer.

"I don't feel we're in the business of punishing," he said. "I hope we're in the business of changing behavior."

After 34 suspensions totaling 113 games, Shanahan said he was noticing players making smarter decisions on hits.

"I do believe players deserve more credit," he said. "We're not exactly where we want to be. We all know that. But in fairness, it's been four months with all these new changes to the rules."

Suspensions aren't up merely because Shanahan is a new sheriff making his mark. He was armed with stricter interpretations on boarding and head shots to protect players in vulnerable positions. That required a change of thinking.

"Before, you just finished your check," Calgary Flames All-Star Jarome Iginla said. "You didn't think too much about whether it was to the head or shoulder. … It has been a little bit of a learning curve, but I think players will catch on."

Philadelphia Flyers All-Star Claude Giroux thinks players are getting the point.

"You see a guy facing the boards, you're going to slow down a bit," he said.

One weapon in Shanahan's arsenal is video. As a player, Shanahan was a telegenic sort who did ESPN commercials. Now, he stands before a camera spelling out exactly why he suspended a player.

Despite that, he has faced criticism. Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis and Boston Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli have publicly disagreed with Shanahan's suspensions of their players.

In a session with news reporters during All-Star weekend, Shanahan said:

•He has made one or two mistakes but wouldn't go into details: "Imperfection? I admit that."

•He thought the Capitals' Alex Ovechkin might pull out of the All-Star Game if he were suspended but didn't allow that to affect his decision to hand down a three-game ban.

•He does factor injuries into his equation when deciding his sentence.

"The presence of an injury does not make a legal hit illegal," he said. "However, if there is an illegal hit, a lack of injury will not exonerate you. But the presence of an injury gets you more games."

•He has developed a sense of whether he has gotten through to a player.

"I've had hearings with players where there's been no suspension and we'll get off the phone and say, 'We're never going to hear from that guy again.' Just with a warning," he said. "I've also given out multi-game suspensions and we get off the phone and say, 'We'll see him again.' "

Shanahan must strike a balance because the league wants to preserve hockey's physicality. But if hits end up being down, he hopes the missing ones are those the NHL is trying to eliminate.

He cited what the Flyers told him about hard-hitting Zac Rinaldo.

"They instructed him, 'We know that you see 20 hits a game. … Pick the best three that you're most certain of,' " Shanahan said. "That's enough to be a physical, intimidating presence."

Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke says Shanahan has done "a hell of a job" with a difficult position. He knows because he was NHL disciplinarian during the 1990s.

He predicts players will adjust, saying he had cracked down on serious stick fouls and they're gone from the game.

"The same thing will happen here," Burke said. "This will never go away because so many of these are the result of a guy trying to make a legal body check and then something shifts at the last minute.

"This problem will never go away completely, but it will be diminished if Shanny keeps whacking these guys."

Repeat offenders beware

NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan says, "The one thing you don't want to be when you come before our department is a repeat offender." Some of the players who have been disciplined by Shanahan twice this season:

Player, team	First time	Second time

Andy Sutton, Edmonton	5 games for head hit	8 games for charging

Daniel Carcillo, Chicago	2 games for shoving player into boards	7 games for shoving player into boards

Rene Bourque Calgary	2 games for hit from behind	5 games for elbowing

Brad Marchand Boston	$2,500 fine for slew footing	5 games for clipping

Raffi Torres, Phoenix	$2,500 fine for elbowing	2 games for charging

Discipline by team

Players on all but Carolina, New Jersey, Ottawa and Vancouver have received a suspension or fine since preseason. Team-by-team breakdowns:

Team	Suspensions	Fines	Total

Anaheim	2	0	2

Boston	3	2	5

Buffalo	3	1	4

Calgary	3	1	4

Chicago	2	0	2

Colorado	1	0	1

Columbus	2	0	2

Dallas	1	0	1

Detroit	1	0	1

Edmonton	2	0	2

Florida	0	1	1

Los Angeles	1	2	3

Minnesota	1	0	1

Montreal	1	2	3

N.Y. Islanders	0	1	1

N.Y. Rangers	1	2	3

Nashville	1	1	2

Philadelphia	2	0	2

Phoenix	1	1	2

Pittsburgh	2	1	3

St. Louis	2	0	2

San Jose	0	2	2

Tampa Bay	0	1	1

Toronto	1	0	1

Washington	1	0	1

Winnipeg	0	1	1

Total	34	19	53