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As for the All-Star hockey being boring? I supose you also think that Olympic hockey & the World Juniors is boring & sissy too, because that's what real hockey is ment to be - skilled players being allowed to play without fear of some goon taking their head off when they're not looking!
The NHL is a farce compared to what's been played the past 2 weeks out west.

Look the NHL has problems selling tickets as it is. I don't mind Olympic hockey, it's great for what it is, I can appreciate it, but most Americans won't. If you turn the NHL into that it won't sell tickets and it won't get any ratings on TV (not that it gets ratings now anyway). You can talk about PURE hockey all you want, when the NHL switches to that they will go instantly bankrupt. I hope players enjoy playing their pure hockey for free or in Europe, because that's what will happen. North American professional hockey is not European hockey in the same way that European football is not American football. The two are not the same. Most players NHL players understand this and are willing to take the pay raise and play in the NHL with the harder play. If they didn't think it was worth the risk they would stay in Europe and play that kind of hockey. Unfortunately European hockey does not appeal to American taste much the way soccer does not ignite our passions. Just saying.

When you go on strike for the big money, you better be ready to make the plays that come with those big bucks.

Instead of looking for the other hockey thread....

What's the deal with the Flamers? Are they really THAT bad or are the Bs THAT good? The Bs have been mashing their opponents lately 9-0, 7-0, 6-0, I think. And the Flames have been tanking it big time. The Flames have become a hockey movie where a senior rec team is forced play a pro season somehow. I think the Bs are on track to repeat and the Shames on track to trading Iggy to the Leafs. lol.

As for the actual topic...a scale down on some of the equipment, go back to wooden sticks, I think putting the red-line back in will force some guys to slow down. Whatever. Don't matter as the NHL will come up with something that no one likes anyway.

Khornholio wrote:Instead of looking for the other hockey thread....

What's the deal with the Flamers? Are they really THAT bad or are the Bs THAT good? The Bs have been mashing their opponents lately 9-0, 7-0, 6-0, I think. And the Flames have been tanking it big time. The Flames have become a hockey movie where a senior rec team is forced play a pro season somehow. I think the Bs are on track to repeat and the Shames on track to trading Iggy to the Leafs. lol.

As for the actual topic...a scale down on some of the equipment, go back to wooden sticks, I think putting the red-line back in will force some guys to slow down. Whatever. Don't matter as the NHL will come up with something that no one likes anyway.

The Flames have a few threats and a goalie who's either epic-awsome or epic-fail. It's simply a case that overall the team just isn't that good. The Oilers at least have tanked enough to earn some decent draft picks and they're looking pretty good as they will only improve as those young guys adapt and learn more of the NHL style of play.

As for Iggy going to Toronto? Nah, he'd take the spotlight away from St.Kessel who's only taken what, 3 seasons to finally preform decently?! (and who has yet to actually have a decent game against the top teams like the Bruins, Wings or Canucks!)

The Flames are done. The lockout killed them. As for the Oilers, every year since they magically went to the final and crapped the bed in game 7, everyone thinks they're on the verge of being awesome again because of their draft picks. Not this year. They had a couple games there a couple of months back that had them in top 3, but they blew it. Lamentably, hockey in Alberta is sucking now. Everyone in Saskatchewan is probably watching the Jets as they are actually in the playoff picture.

Khornholio wrote:The Flames are done. The lockout killed them.

Um.. WHAT "Lockout"?
The NBA had one but afaik hockey isn't looking at a new CBA for at least 2 years.

The season that wasn't back in 2004-2005. They needed to build on their cup run success, but without that season, they went back to being terrible. They probably would've been terrible if they had had the season, but it really took the wind out of their sails. That and Sutter becoming the GM. He did OK as a coach, but the whole Mike Keenan and Jim Playfair associate part-time coach stuff, cutting Theo Fleury for Elmer Fudd Conroy, etc. Madness. Even if they find someway to back into the playoffs, they'd be out in 5 or 6 games.

Ok Here is what I think the NHL should be looking at stopping....
Players eating huge plates of heavy Pancakes!

Really... How many players have to suffer possibly career ending back injuries from this practice?

CT GAMER wrote:

chaos0xomega wrote:

rodgers37 wrote:I want to start watching Ice Hockey, who should I follow?

You want to be a New Jersey Devils fan. Come, join the Devils Legion!

Might want to watch the game tonight fist before making that committment...

Follow your home team first and foremost, THEN pick another team if you feel the need.

CT GAMER wrote:

filbert wrote:For the uninitiated amongst us, what was wrong about that?

The problem with emotional reactions to hits like this in hockey is that the injury should'nt be the deciding factor on the call or if it is legal in the game.

Either a type of play/hit is illegal or it isn't.

Take for example the hit by Chara on Pacci into the stantion between benches: That type of hit was being thrown for many many years prior, and it didn't always even draw a call.

Players have always gone out of their way to send oppossing players into that divider. I have personally seen it scores of times since I started watching hockey in the late eighties, and seen it scores more on televised events, clips on youtube, etc. etc.

Then suddenly because pacci gets hurt taking a hit that has been delivered hundreds of times prior it is deemed a horrid thing/crime/dirty hit/etc. etc. simply becasue he was injured, when if he had jumped up and carried on like many have done after taking that same hit it would have been forgotten by games end.

Either that type f hit it illegal or it isn't. You can't call make your call based upon injury itself becasue every player is different and every circumstance has so many variables.

The NHL should focus on cleaning up grey areas and writing clear rules and cleaning up officiating (which is wildly inconsistant and sometimes game deciding) not getting carried away by fan/player emotions...

Can't believe I'm agreeing with CT Gamer but yes, even the NHL doesn't know what's a legal hit anymore. They seem to base their decisions on how hurt the guy is or the media reaction.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
How about this one?

Wait... Marchand gets ejected for ducking under Salo's attempt at a check? how is that a bad hit? Marchand basically just DUCKED...
Salo was going for a basic hip check... He tucks his ebows in and starts to turn into the check.
And Marchand ducks under it, dumping Salo....
Salo skated into that one on his own.

Ok.. Look, I used to watch the Flyers back in the bad old "Broad Street Bullies" days. I even used to have a Dave Schultz jersey. So I know what a BAD hit looks like.
This wasn't even close.

Ya, ok then.

helgrenze wrote:Wait... Marchand gets ejected for ducking under Salo's attempt at a check? how is that a bad hit? Marchand basically just DUCKED...
Salo was going for a basic hip check... He tucks his ebows in and starts to turn into the check.
And Marchand ducks under it, dumping Salo....
Salo skated into that one on his own.

Ok.. Look, I used to watch the Flyers back in the bad old "Broad Street Bullies" days. I even used to have a Dave Schultz jersey. So I know what a BAD hit looks like.
This wasn't even close.

Well you see neither of them ever had possession and Salo ended up hitting the boards so it obviously interference and boarding right. RIGHT!

Regardless, it's clipping.

Clipping? You are insane. He never leaves his feet and did not initiate the check. Again no penalty needs to be called here.

You don't seem to know what clipping is. It's a "low-bridge" or "submarine" hit. Fortunately Shanahan does and he's gotten a 5 game suspension.

KamikazeCanuck wrote:You don't seem to know what clipping is. It's a "low-bridge" or "submarine" hit. Fortunately Shanahan does and he's gotten a 5 game suspension.

“Any player who deliberately leaves his feet and contacts an opponent with any part of his body thereby causing the opponent to trip or fall shall be assessed a minor penalty (Clipping).(Note 3) This rule does not apply to a player who has dropped to his knee(s) to block a shot.

What the hell is that? Some rule book you wrote yourself?

http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=26334

Wikipedia clipping. He can't be guilty of clipping, he ducked, he didn't check anyone, he was checked.....poorly!

For the love of god man. Did you read that entry? It says the same thing as the NHL and then goes on to say btw some obscure league also has some other rule that says this:
That's why you didn't lost the actual link. That's pathetic.

You still can't get a clipping penalty when someone else checks you.

Yes you can. It's fine, you want the NHL to have more shots to the knees in it's gameplay, I don't. We'll just agree to disagree on that one.

KamikazeCanuck wrote:Fortunately Shanahan does and he's gotten a 5 game suspension.

I guess it's good that the NHL/REFS can get 50% of the calls right seeing as Lucic was ejected on a blown call.

If you throw enough of a team's players out of a game and give enough penalty time to a team with advantage in the powerplay then yes you can indeed decide the game.

Sedin should have been tossed since he actually DID come back onto the ice from the bench...

The stick Salo threw at the fans should have been an unsportsmenlike conduct penalty.

About three other things got overlooked as well. You expect some of it to be let go, but then you let it go both ways..

I have not objection to the call on Marchand (I think it was borderline, but with his history of similar hits he wasn't getting off light), but it would have been nice to have the calls be applied both ways.

Also it should be noted that Marchand voluntarily went to the NHL after his last incident like this and asked them to clarify and tell them exactly what was and wasn't allowed as far as defensively doing this and they councilled him that he could do it provided it was above the knees. So in effect they entrapped him. They should have clearly stated no hits at all of this type...

Also in more news about classy Vancouver: vancouver is the most classless organization in the NHL. Lobbying before the hearing to any camera/microphone they could find and making threats against players was sad and tells you all you need to know about them.

Not to mention: I bet money the 'victims" "concussion" mysteriously dissapears in time for his next game...

Chiarelli's statement:

"While we respect the process that the Department of Player Safety took to reach their decision regarding Brad's hit on Sami Salo, we are very disappointed by their ruling," Chiarelli said in the statement. "While we understand that the Department of Safety is an evolving entity, it is frustrating that there are clear comparable situations that have not been penalized or sanctioned in the past.
"It is equally disappointing that Brad sought the counsel of the Department this past fall for an explanation and clarification regarding this type of scenario so as to adjust his game if necessary," Chiarelli continued. "He was advised that such an incident was not sanctionable if he was protecting his own safety. Given our feeling that Brad was indeed protecting himself and certainly did not clip the player as he contacted the player nowhere near the knee or quadricep, today's ruling is not consistent with what the Department of Player Safety communicated to Brad."

A quick tour of YouTube will produce plenty of similar hits that drew no penalties or suspensions.

That includes many by the Canucks themselves, most notably Keith Ballard's dangerous hit on San Jose's Jamie McGinn in last year's playoffs and Mason Raymond's upending of Marchand in the Cup Final.

It's a penalty that seems excessive for the offense. But what really will be offensive is if Shanahan continues to selectively enforce such punishments. Right or wrong, he has now set the precedent that such hits are not acceptable and will be penalized severely. Players like Ballard need to take such hits out of their repertoire as well, or be subject to similar punishment.

Of course, that would require the NHL to show some consistency in its supplemental disciplinary process. That was never the case under previous regimes and it has been no better under Shanahan. So the hope that this suspension might lead to a safer working environment for other NHL players is marginalized by the NHL's track record of ineffective, inconsistent and often illogical attempts at justice.

Lucic did leave the ice. If in that situation the luck had hit his one leg in the ice his team would have gotten a too many men in the ice penalty.

Yeah, I'm sure Sedin was there to goon it up. Tough guy he is.

Do you really think Sami Salo was throwing a stick a fans? That sounds like propaganda to me.

I assure you Sami Salo is really injured he's not one who needs to fake those. This is probably his 50th career injury. Everything else you spouting off at can be summed up as "Canucks Suck". Not much I can say to that type of arguement other than I also do not prefer the Bruins.

KamikazeCanuck wrote:Lucic did leave the ice. If in that situation the luck had hit his one leg in the ice his team would have gotten a too many men in the ice penalty.

Yeah, I'm sure Sedin was there to goon it up. Tough guy he is.

Do you really think Sami Salo was throwing a stick a fans? That sounds like propaganda to me.

I assure you Sami Salo is really injured he's not one who needs to fake those. This is probably his 50th career injury. Everything else you spouting off at can be summed up as "Canucks Suck". Not much I can say to that type of arguement other than I also do not prefer the Bruins.

The NHL have already stated that the call on Lucic was a blown call.

regardless of how much of a puss Sedin is he still came back on the ice and got involved. A penalty is a penalty.

Salo absolutely threw his stick with the intention of sending it into the crowd. The corner netting/high glass is the only thing that prevented it from going into the crowd when he forcefully threw it, and even if you want to claim he wasn't intending to throw it into the crowd, throwing a stick is a punishable offense regrdless of intentionand that was clearly witnessed by the officals.

And what about those similar past hits by the canucks are any different then the one Marchand threw? The answer: nothing. The only difference is the magic 8-ball told them to give a punishment this time...

As I already stated I have no problem with the penalty on marchand. he plays on the edge and has a history. Asking for consistant calls and post-game punishments is showing favoritism how exactly?

The fact you automatically assume Salo is faking his injury and marchand is a victim of the system shows your bias. There's little I can say if that's where your mind starts.

KamikazeCanuck wrote:The fact you automatically assume Salo is faking his injury and marchand is a victim of the system shows your bias. There's little I can say if that's where your mind starts.

Are you drinking tonight?

I said marchand is a victim of his own history. He has a rep and so he isn't gonna get any freebies if an infraction is ruled positive.

Was the penalty called on the ice just? I have no problem with it as I have already stated. Is a five game suspension OTT and totally inconsistant with how they have ruled on the exact same hit in the past some of which have been delivered by canucks? ABSOLUTELY.

If you want to give out five games for those hits, it better happen each and every time someone throws that hit.

I think biting and throwing sticks should also have penalties/fines but hey call me crazy...



And here are the two hits that are just as low if not more so then Marchand's:





The first one clearly targets the knee area, and the second one is even lower.
Whats the difference?
Nothing...

yet neither got any game suspensions or fines...

yet the Canucks coach and players want to cry like babies to the media when it happens to them? And this is why they are the most despised team in the league even amoungst Canadian fans...

Those videos don't seem to be working but I don't need to see them to know the NHL is inconsistent. I've argued as much in the past.

Andrew1975 wrote:

helgrenze wrote:Wait... Marchand gets ejected for ducking under Salo's attempt at a check? how is that a bad hit? Marchand basically just DUCKED...
Salo was going for a basic hip check... He tucks his ebows in and starts to turn into the check.
And Marchand ducks under it, dumping Salo....
Salo skated into that one on his own.

Ok.. Look, I used to watch the Flyers back in the bad old "Broad Street Bullies" days. I even used to have a Dave Schultz jersey. So I know what a BAD hit looks like.
This wasn't even close.

Well you see neither of them ever had possession and Salo ended up hitting the boards so it obviously interference and boarding right. RIGHT!

What video were you watching? Marchand was playing the puck which was at his feet when the hit happened. You can even see it on the ice afterwards. As for it being a clipping... to me it looked like his shoulder hit Salo's thigh.

I was pointing out that it is the very same situation as the first video. One player is playing the puck, but has not touched it so he is not in possession, another player comes and tries to check him. In one the checker gets a penalty, in the other the checkee gets the penalty. Why, simply the result of the check, IE who gets injured? The NHL gives penalties based almost solely on the result of the check, not because the check itself is illegal. It's silly.

They might as well just have a penalty for being involved in a check that hurts a player in any fashion no matter who's fault it is that they got hurt. Next thing you know they will penalize a goalie for deflecting a shot if said deflection ends up hitting a player in the face. "We in the NHL believe that goalies are untimely responsible fro where deflection go and therefor will assess a penalty whenever they do not consider where their deflections go."

It's as ridiculous as giving a penalty to a guy that braces for a check.

I'll say it again, I don't see anything wrong with either of those plays. But to those screaming for interference and boarding on Carcillo you would have give those same penalties to Salo, even though he got dumped on his ass. Salo was attempting to do the exact same thing in almost the same situation.

Coolyo294 wrote:Nooo. Go Wild.

Word. The local Manbearpigs as they say on the radio.