Needs some pep, maybe a little red pepper or possibly some Tapatillo.

The NHL dropped the thunder hammer wrist slap slight tap on Chris Simon today. Simon did the most cowardly and vicious act possible, but hockey officials are still stuck in the mode of punishing the result, not the act. Since Ryan Hollweg was okay and was not seriously injured, he gets off light with a 25 game suspension.

The ban is the longest in terms of games missed in NHL history. Marty McSorley was suspended 23 games in February 2000 for knocking out Donald Brashear with a stick-swinging hit. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman stretched that punishment to one year, and McSorley never played in the league again.

Why not sack up and ban the guy for life, or a full season? If the NHL really wanted to send a message, and make sure to squash this kind of action, a 50 game minimum suspension is required. Why 50 games? Because that’s how many games Delmon Young was suspended for flinging his bat at an umpire. Let’s stop and think: flinging bat vs two-handed bash of the face, hmmm, not really all that tough to rank those in terms of severity. Until the NHL has the balls to suspend players for full seasons or longer stuff like this will keep happening more and more frequently, so good job Bettman, the NHL is being talked about again in the sports world… for all the wrong reasons.

In the offseason, Simon will be free to sign with whoever is willing to take him. At 35, maybe he won’t get another offer, but chances are he will. It’s a good bet Chris Simon will be in an NHL game next October and for that, the league should be ashamed.

This is not about Chris Simon, the man. This is about Chris Simon’s actions. Those actions say he shouldn’t step on the ice as an NHL player the rest of this season and all of next season. The league’s decision says he can. It’s too bad.

• NHL should be ashamed of Simon’s short suspension (The Sporting News)

• NHL slaps Simon with 25-game suspension (AP)