George Parros' role in player safety remains stain on NHL

When it comes to the NHL's on-ice product and the people in positions of power, there may not be a more disastrous, embarrassing and, quite frankly, damaging person than George Parros, the head of the league's Department of Player Safety. 

Parros joined the department prior to the 2016-17 season, and was then promoted to the head of the department a year later for the start of the 2017-18 season. 

His job is to evaluate potentially illegal hits, hand out suspensions and fines and try to make the game safer for the players on the ice by reducing the number of illegal hits. There is a special emphasis on hits to the head. 

Early on in Parros' tenure, there was at least some consistency to the whole thing and a sense that egregious hits and repeat offenders would be dealt with harshly.

There were 10-game bans for players like Rado Gudas, a notorious repeat offender. Tom Wilson of the Washington Capitals was suspended for 20 games for repeated illegal hits to the head that significantly injured opponents. 

But over the past few years there has been a steep decline across the board when it comes to league discipline. It applies to consistency, the number of suspensions, the severity of suspensions and even the way repeat offenders have been handled.

This week produced more staggering examples of the department's madness.

No suspension for Florida Panthers Sandis Vilmanis is just tip of iceberg

During Wednesday's Boston Bruins-Panthers game, Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy had to be helped off the ice after he was on the receiving end of what looked to be a blatant elbow to the head from Vilmanis. 

It was the type of hit that even Panthers fans had to look at and say, "that is not good." 

This is the play.