Whenever the dirtiest plays in hockey history are discussed, New York Islanders fans malign Dale Hunter’s hit on Pierre Turgeon. True, Hunter hit Turgeon from behind, without warning, as Turgeon raised his arms to celebrate a decisive playoff goal. True, Hunter separated Turgeon’s shoulder, earning a (then record setting) 21-game suspension. Regardless, Caps fans will no longer have to listen quietly as Long Island residents insult our good name.

That’s because Islander Chris Simon has now passed Hunter on any reasonable list of dirty plays. Simon kicked the legs out from under Pittsburgh’s Jarkko Ruutu, and then, while the latter was down, stomped on his foot. This was especially dangerous because Simon, a hockey player, was wearing ice skates at the time. Ice skates work by cutting into ice with sharp steel blades. Skates are dangerous even without a person standing in them. Ruutu was not injured, but by all logic he should have been, and we are totally not just saying that because he plays for the Penguins.

Before anyone calls New York to taunt that special someone, the irony of the situation is that Simon was once a Capital. The Caps traded for both Hunter and Simon precisely because they are two of the meanest players in league history. Washington gave up on Simon only after a hand injury kept him from fighting for a couple years. Do they regret that move now? We’re sure they’re just kicking themselves.

Today the NHL is expected to announce its decision on how to punish Simon. In the meantime, the Islanders have given him time off to seek professional counseling. This is a reasonable course of action. Simon has already been suspended once in 2007 for hitting another player in the face with the handle of his hockey stick. Hopefully his doctors will be able to shed some light on some possible causes for his unreasonable aggression.