Official NHL 2010-2011 thread

[Wamsley01]

Your solution is part of many things that might help get head hits under control.

Softening up padding might work as well.

The tough part with head hits is that, for the most part, they are decisions that players are intentionally making. Unless they get caught, then it was an accident.

If a player drills another player in the head with and elbow it is most of the time on purpose.

If a player checks another's head into the boards that is also a decision because he feels he needs to finish that check to keep his job.

I think that trying to figure out how to change the thought process of offending players is the biggest challenge and I have no idea how to go about that.

I don't necessarily want to see hits and fights get removed from the game, but if someone decided to do it I don't think I would enjoy the sport any less.

Watching the Habs win would still be awesome.

Watching the playoffs would still be entertaining.

Watching the cup final would still be great.

The only things that would suffer are Don Cherry's Rock'em Sock'em collections and the NHL's ability to sell the game as a fast paced full contact sport.

It is simple. Zero tolerance.

You contact the head, you get tossed from the game and an automatic suspension. I don't understand why this is not an option.

When was the last time you saw an NBA player throw a punch? It happens once every 2-3 seasons and the player is given 15 games for it.

When was the last time you saw an NFL quarterback take a blow to the head? It never happens because the players have been fined and suspended for their reckless actions.

Outside of this season when Godard left the bench in the Islanders brawl, how often do you see NHL players leaving the bench to engage in a fight? The NHL wanted it out of the game and did so with ease.

They don't want to remove those hits from the game. It is pretty obvious the way they handled the Chara incident. All of this is window dressing right now to cool the heat they got. It is quite absurd to see Cooke and Torres get the book thrown at them while Chara got nothing.

Ban headshots and concussions go away. Simple as that. The NFL is still a physical league with head shots being severely fined, there is no reason the NHL cannot remain a physical game.

[BrenDittero]

It is simple. Zero tolerance.

That works too.

Can't imagine we'll see such a rational addition to the rule book in the immediate future but it's a good idea.

I didn't offer it up as a solution because I don't feel that the NHL really wants to protect the players interests in the first place.

I think you're 100% right when you say this the suspensions of the last few weeks are window dressing until this head hits debate cools down.

[BlueKross]

It is simple. Zero tolerance.

You contact the head, you get tossed from the game and an automatic suspension. I don't understand why this is not an option.

When was the last time you saw an NBA player throw a punch? It happens once every 2-3 seasons and the player is given 15 games for it.

When was the last time you saw an NFL quarterback take a blow to the head? It never happens because the players have been fined and suspended for their reckless actions.

Outside of this season when Godard left the bench in the Islanders brawl, how often do you see NHL players leaving the bench to engage in a fight? The NHL wanted it out of the game and did so with ease.

They don't want to remove those hits from the game. It is pretty obvious the way they handled the Chara incident. All of this is window dressing right now to cool the heat they got. It is quite absurd to see Cooke and Torres get the book thrown at them while Chara got nothing.

Ban headshots and concussions go away. Simple as that. The NFL is still a physical league with head shots being severely fined, there is no reason the NHL cannot remain a physical game.

Nonsense. Your target is still too high. As I have said you have players turning their backs to avoid hits. You have defensive players playing at high speed reluctant to hit because someone is too short or has turned his head slightly. Playing tenatively will take the physicallity out of the game. It already has.

[Wamsley01]

Nonsense. Your target is still too high. As I have said you have players turning their backs to avoid hits. You have defensive players playing at high speed reluctant to hit because someone is too short or has turned his head slightly. Playing tenatively will take the physicallity out of the game. It already has.

THAT is nonsense. Watch one NFL game and tell me players are tentative.

Your argument is the exact argument EVERYBODY makes when a change is proposed. This season the NFL changed rules on the fly and the players screeched their disapproval at how they didn't know what was a legal hit anymore.

Well, they didn't understand so much that after Week 6 when they fined Harrisson and Robinson $50,000 and $75,000 the amount of fines dropped from 56 through 6 weeks (almost 10 per week) to 9 from week 6 through week 9 (3 per week).

Did the NFL lack physicality because the players had to stop hits to the head? Or did the players adjust accordingly?

Zero tolerance of head hits will not remove shoulder to shoulder contact or shoulder to chest contact. The game survived for 80 years without these type of head shots. They will occasionally happen by accident, but you will cease to see Steckel and Chara being so ridiculously reckless with contact. Players right now are looking for a killshot, you remove the possibility from the rules and the predatory hits go away.

[JoeLassister]

Good flash by the Sabres.

[lazy26]

Good flash by the Sabres.

What a nice gesture. Classy act initiated by the new GM?

[BlueKross]

If you are going to bring in the NFL as an example, you are comparing apples to oranges. To start off with, the only head shots they have banded are those involving the quarterback and a potential receiver while he is in a vulnerable spot. I am talking NFL here. Once a catch is made and that player is deemed a runner he is fair game. You can throw the kicker in there too, but you have never been able to touch him. Quarterbacks are vulnerable because they are concentrating on players down field and are at times standing in the pocket. You can be called for spearing if you lead with your helmet. Precious few players in the NFL are protected from head shots, they are on foot so they are slower than hockey players. I am not avocating not calling rules as they exist. The only way you can make head shots in the NHL black and white is move to the hip check as the accepted mode of contact.

[JoeLassister]

Bobrovski really lost it. If it wasn't from Leighton last season, I would take Philly out of the deal for the coming playoffs. But we all know they can go deep even without real good goaltending....

[TurdBurglar]

It is simple. Zero tolerance.

You contact the head, you get tossed from the game and an automatic suspension. I don't understand why this is not an option.

That will never work. Easy example of why. Chara is 6'9" and he goes to check, say a 4th line player like Weber tonight. Weber sees Chara coming ducks and leads into the check with his head. By your solution Chara has to be suspended because contact was made with the head. The worse part of this example is, players will do it especially in the playoffs when teams meet each other every game. A player playing too good against you? Head-butt his elbow and they get suspended. Hell, at that rate players will be skating around with their head down on purpose, especially if it guarantees a suspension. Do you really want to see that? I don't, the same as I'm sick of players always turning their back to the play to avoid checks. Which was my point all along, players putting themselves is dangerous situations because if they get hit in those situations, their team gets a power play, so there's nothing bad about it until someone gets hurt, then "that type of hit" needs to be taken out of the game.

[BrenDittero]

That will never work. Easy example of why. Chara is 6'9" and he goes to check, say a 4th line player like Weber tonight. Weber sees Chara coming ducks and leads into the check with his head. By your solution Chara has to be suspended because contact was made with the head. The worse part of this example is, players will do it especially in the playoffs when teams meet each other every game. A player playing too good against you? Head-butt his elbow and they get suspended. Hell, at that rate players will be skating around with their head down on purpose, especially if it guarantees a suspension. Do you really want to see that? I don't, the same as I'm sick of players always turning their back to the play to avoid checks. Which was my point all along, players putting themselves is dangerous situations because if they get hit in those situations, their team gets a power play, so there's nothing bad about it until someone gets hurt, then "that type of hit" needs to be taken out of the game.

You make good points TB, here's my take on it:

The flip side of that argument is that it allows above average height players the luxury of hiding behind their height and an excuse for head shots.

Doesn't matter how tall a player is, there are many ways to check that don't involve using your elbow.

If someone gets the bright idea to purposefully drill their own head into an elbow to cause a suspension, the review and disciplinary process will have to sort that out.

Then it will all come back to " intent " ( did the player intend to smash their own head into the elbow of another? ) but at the very least there is a clear set of rules to hopefully discourage players from engaging in cheap head shots in the first place.

And I think that's the very first problem that needs to be solved, discouraging players away from reckless play with real consequences.

[BlueKross]

You make good points TB, here's my take on it:

The flip side of that argument is that it allows above average height players the luxury of hiding behind their height and an excuse for head shots.

Doesn't matter how tall a player is, there are many ways to check that don't involve using your elbow.

If someone gets the bright idea to purposefully drill their own head into an elbow to cause a suspension, the review and disciplinary process will have to sort that out.

Then it will all come back to " intent " ( did the player intend to smash their own head into the elbow of another? ) but at the very least there is a clear set of rules to hopefully discourage players from engaging in cheap head shots in the first place.

And I think that's the very first problem that needs to be solved, discouraging players away from reckless play with real consequences.

It is natural to bring your arms up to try to defend somebody from coming high on you.

[l.moustakas]

As some of you may or may not know, I was actually born just near Chicago. And the Chicagoan in me just wants to say the following: Thank you Minnesota Wild.

[JoeLassister]

It's just in, a strong smell of shit emanates from people pants in Vancouver.

[dlbalr]

Another day, another coach fired as Todd Richards joins Cory Clouston and Peter DeBoer to be let go, while Jacques Lemaire retired again yesterday. 4 teams looking for new coaches now and the Muller speculation is bound to follow.

[dlbalr]

Jack Capuano gets to keep his job in NYI (guessing he's willing to take less money than most assistants) while Marc Crawford gets axed in Dallas? I disagree with both these moves.

[dlbalr]

You gotta love the NHL lottery, the 5 teams with a shot to "win" are:

Edmonton

Colorado

Florida

NY Islanders

Ottawa

And the winner is, drumroll please.....New Jersey! The Devils move from 8th to 4th as a result of winning the lottery, which is all but equivalent to someone buying a Lotto 649 ticket and proclaiming, "Huzzah! I've won...a free ticket...with Encore!" At least with the NBA, whoever wins the lottery actually gets the 1st pick, even if it is a team that sits 8th or 9th last overall. Heck, even spots 2 and 3 are up for grabs there...thankfully that lottery is mere days away too.

[sakiqc]

Another day, another coach fired as Todd Richards joins Cory Clouston and Peter DeBoer to be let go, while Jacques Lemaire retired again yesterday. 4 teams looking for new coaches now and the Muller speculation is bound to follow.

Well, would make lots of sense to see Muller end somewhere. He's most surely ready for the job and even might be able to choose his team. He doesn't look desperate for the first offer.

[dlbalr]

Pretty good read on the latest in the never ending Phoenix/Winnipeg saga: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/columnists/the-bettman-ultimatum-119839174.html

[BlueKross]

There will be alot of noise around Torres hit last night. I expect he will get suspended again. Personnally I have more problems with the first hit, when he left his feet. The action he will get penalized for is when Seabrook comes around the back of the net and he Torres interfers. I don't buy into because I turn my head and am not watching who is coming from the direction I am skating into that I can't be hit. I agree with penalty called.

[dlbalr]

The NHL's TV rights will remain with Comcast (NBC/Versus) as they've won the bidding. The contract is for 10 years and $2 billion (yes, that says billion, with a b). I don't know what's more shocking, the fact the NHL has opted for the status quo in TV or the fact they've locked themselves in for 10 years?

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/nhl-set-to-announce-2-billion-tv-deal/article1991065/

[JoeLassister]

Damn I'd like to see Ryan Clowe in a Habs jersey !

[dlbalr]

Generally, I pay little attention to the nominees for the Masterton but seeing Ian Laperriere as a finalist really bugs me. The Masterton is awarded to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey. Correct me if I'm wrong, but in order to have those qualities, should a player not have to, you know, actually play during the season? Or failing that, at least make an attempt to play? Laperriere played as much in the NHL as me and Youppi did this season while Youppi practiced more; Laperriere missed the season due to a concussion...and Philly's cap troubles. I've no objection to Emery and Langkow being the other finalists (they're no brainers to me as Langkow did manage to come back after training all year) but among the other hundreds of players in the league, they couldn't find one who actually played and exemplified those qualities? Either no one has these qualities, or the voters didn't try very hard.

[JoeLassister]

Generally, I pay little attention to the nominees for the Masterton but seeing Ian Laperriere as a finalist really bugs me. The Masterton is awarded to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey. Correct me if I'm wrong, but in order to have those qualities, should a player not have to, you know, actually play during the season? Or failing that, at least make an attempt to play? Laperriere played as much in the NHL as me and Youppi did this season while Youppi practiced more; Laperriere missed the season due to a concussion...and Philly's cap troubles. I've no objection to Emery and Langkow being the other finalists (they're no brainers to me as Langkow did manage to come back after training all year) but among the other hundreds of players in the league, they couldn't find one who actually played and exemplified those qualities? Either no one has these qualities, or the voters didn't try very hard.

Yeah, at least give it to PM Bouchard...

On another note, new record of BS useless patriotism by the Americans who had a singer doing God Bless America before the Philly-Buff game...

[dlbalr]

Yeah, at least give it to PM Bouchard...

On another note, new record of BS useless patriotism by the Americans who had a singer doing God Bless America before the Philly-Buff game...

Now there's a great example, he's been hurt for a couple of years but finally was healthy enough to play most of this season.

As for Philly-Buffalo, that's a normal thing for them, they don't do the US anthem. That dates back to the Kate Smith days (the clip they show on the jumbotron); you don't remember that from last year?

[Doktor Kosmos]

Ian Laperriere? Of the Philadelphia Flyers? Only in the NHL can he be considered to exemplify sportsmanship.