It's *still* a great day for hockey!! ~ The 2009-2010 NHL Thread

[deltask8er]

GM's recommend penalty for (some) hits to the head: (http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=313303)

It's about freaking time.

I guess Matt Cooke is taking advantage of the current rules in the meantime. :(

And guess what? Pittsburgh will be in Boston Thursday :shuffle: . If I were Matt Cooke, I'd be more worried what someone in Boston might want to do to me OFF the ice (hotel staff, restaurants, everyday pedestrians... :lynch: ) than during the game.

Savard likely out for season

http://www.boston.com/sports/hockey/bruins/extras/bruins_blog/2010/03/savard_likely_o.html

http://www.boston.com/sports/hockey/articles/2010/03/14/in_savard_case_league_shows_its_own_blind_side/

And a goalie sitting on a bench during a game in Russia was violently assaulted by a fan :eek: :yikes: .

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Video-Fan-attacks-KHL-goalie-with-stick-on-team

[professordeb]

Ovie gets a two game suspension - for pushing a player too hard into the boards.
I understand Ovechkin is a repeat offender, but so is Cooke. Why susupend one and not the other? Why was one a penalty and not the other?
I'm with Don Cherry on this one, Cooke could have been called for an intent to injure match penalty. I think the penalties are there - they just need to be interpreted and applied.

[KHenry14]

professordeb, the Ovie incident is just another in the ongoing issue with the officiating that the NHL has. From game to game, from referee to referee, the calls are widely inconsistant. Just last Sunday I was at the Kings/Predator game in LA, and there wasn't a single penalty called in the last two periods save two fighting penalties which were no brainers. This despite many obvious calls that should have gone against each team. Why is that? And then you will see a game with a ton of ticky tact calls that go against teams? Is it too much to ask that the games have some consistancy? But typcial Bettman, as far as he's concerned there isn't an issue with the officiating in the league. :rolleyes:

[AshleyN]

Ovie gets a two game suspension - for pushing a player too hard into the boards.
I understand Ovechkin is a repeat offender, but so is Cooke. Why susupend one and not the other? Why was one a penalty and not the other?As dirty and vicious as the Cooke hit was, there's no rule that prevents a player from hitting a guy in the head with their shoulder. There should be, and there most likely will be soon, but there isn't one right now. I'm sure the NHL wanted to suspend him, if only for the PR stuff it would have prevented, but it's kind of hard to suspend someone for what was technically a legal hit. I'd be willing to bet that the same hit next year (when the new rule will hopefully be in effect) would get at least ten games.

On the other hand, there are rules against both hitting from behind and boarding. Ovechkin deserved his suspension. I don't think he's an intentionally dirty player, but he is a reckless one and he's got a history of plays like that one. Pushing someone from behind a few feet away from the boards like that is a really dangerous play and he really needs to stop doing it.

EDIT: This article pretty much sums it up for me. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/blogs/globe-on-hockey/controversy-where-there-should-be-none/article1501608/)

[deltask8er]

Reminds me of what Penguins sportscaster Mike Lange said years ago: "Why don't they match the suspension with the length of the injury? If a player cannot play for two weeks, neither can the player who caused the injury."

Oh, and btw, Versus is back on DirecTV :cheer:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Versus-DirecTV-deal-done-satellite-fans-get-th

[wickedwitch]

Only in the NHL would the person deciding the suspensions have a son who is playing the team of the potential suspended player the next day.

[professordeb]

As dirty and vicious as the Cooke hit was, there's no rule that prevents a player from hitting a guy in the head with their shoulder. There should be, and there most likely will be soon, but there isn't one right now. I'm sure the NHL wanted to suspend him, if only for the PR stuff it would have prevented, but it's kind of hard to suspend someone for what was technically a legal hit. I'd be willing to bet that the same hit next year (when the new rule will hopefully be in effect) would get at least ten games.

On the other hand, there are rules against both hitting from behind and boarding. Ovechkin deserved his suspension. I don't think he's an intentionally dirty player, but he is a reckless one and he's got a history of plays like that one. Pushing someone from behind a few feet away from the boards like that is a really dangerous play and he really needs to stop doing it.

EDIT: This article pretty much sums it up for me. (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/blogs/globe-on-hockey/controversy-where-there-should-be-none/article1501608/)
Ashley, there is a penalty that could have been called. It's known as a match penalty and it would be called under the heading of deliberate intent to injure.

Here's the wording right from the NHL site

Rule 21 - Match Penalties

21.1 Match Penalty - A match penalty involves the suspension of a player or goalkeeper for the balance of the game and the offender shall be ordered to the dressing room immediately.

A match penalty shall be imposed on any player or goalkeeper who deliberately attempts to injure an opponent in any manner.

A match penalty shall be imposed on a player or goalkeeper who deliberately injures an opponent in any manner.

The on-ice officials COULD have used this as a call, but it would seem no one thought it worthy of a penalty at all.

[AshleyN]

Is there any precedent for calling intent to injure on a technically legal hit? Seems like something that would be hard to prove. If they had tried to suspend him for that, couldn't he have appealed for precisely that reason?

Like I said, I thought it was vicious and dirty, and I hope the NHL does fast-track the rule change on blindside hits like they're talking about. I just don't know that you can suspend someone for a hit that at this point still falls within the rules, and as was also virtually identical to a play that went unpunished earlier this very season (Mike Richards on David Booth).

I will admit however that I may have actually laughed out loud when Colin Campbell used "consistency" as one of his reasons for not suspending Cooke, considering his usual "Wheel of Justice" method of handing out discipline.


Since I love to link, and since I love DownGoesBrown, this (http://www.downgoesbrown.com/2010/03/no-suspension-for-cooke-nhl-gets-it.html) kind of sums up what I'm trying to say. This in particular stands out for me:
I don't know about you, but I don't trust this league to start handing out suspensions based on intent. They have enough trouble handing out suspensions for obvious violations -- imagine what they'd do with some room for interpretation. I'd rather see them have clear rules with clear consequences. When it comes to head shots, they don't have that today.

...

That's where the outrage should be. Not that they didn't find a reason to suspend Matt Cooke for a hit that was clean according to the rules; but because they have a set of rules that actually allow blindside hits aimed directly to the head in the first place.

[deltask8er]

Decided to take advantage of the NHL Center Ice package and watched a western conference game: Canucks vs. Ducks. Very entertaining. George Parros must feel protected by his gigantic mustache when he fights (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAFI5AtPWdg) :lol: .

And congratulations to Teemu! :cheer:

His first goal, which came in the second period with the Ducks enjoying a two-man advantage, was the 602nd of his career, breaking a tie with Jari Kurri and moving him into 17th place all-time.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2010/04/ducks-fall-to-canucks-in-shootout.html

Season ticket holder's view of the historic goal :cool:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZz746eT4X8

[AragornElessar]

Yes, many Congrats to Teemu!! He's apparantly one of the really nice guys in the NHL, just from all I've heard over the years, and so happy for him. :)

Sigh...For the first time in I don't know when, I'm looking at neither one of my teams in Post Season Play. The Leafs I've gotten used to, but the Flames!?!

I'll still watch of course, but the first few rounds won't be the same this year. :(

[piano18]

Oilers clinch last place :respec:

:lol:

[NeilJLeonard]

Oilers clinch last place :respec:

:lol:
And, the Florida Panthers will miss the play-offs for the 9th straight season...:(

NJL (...a league record, I believe...:mad:...)

[bobalina77]

Sigh...For the first time in I don't know when, I'm looking at neither one of my teams in Post Season Play. The Leafs I've gotten used to, but the Flames!?!

Canucks lost last night but boyfriend was okay with it because it knocked Calgary out. He is NOT a Flames fan. He had a hard time cheering for Iginla at the Olympics :lol:

[NancyNC]

Gary Bettman is coming to Raleigh tomorrow for a press conference re: future NHL All-Star games. Please oh please let this mean that we are getting the All-Star game here soon!!! :respec:

[deltask8er]

Gary Bettman is coming to Raleigh tomorrow for a press conference re: future NHL All-Star games. Please oh please let this mean that we are getting the All-Star game here soon!!! :respec:

I'll so be there if true :cheer:

This, below, however, I will not be able to afford to attend (partially thanks to my I'm an NHL slut tour (http://classic.kodakgallery.com/photos-by-karen/skating) last year, which consisted of a Florida Panthers home game and 3 Penguins playoff games in 3 different cities)

The league commonly does not reveal the Winter Classic site until after the Stanley Cup playoffs, but league officials and the Penguins have not denied speculation the game will be played in the Steelers' stadium. Penguins president David Morehouse began lobbying for the game in discussions with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman months ago.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/nhl/2010-03-28-winter-classic-pittsburgh_N.htm

That would be :smokin: and :cold: simultaneously.