Flyers "on notice"

By now, we all know about the Flyers' latest transgression. Or maybe not. This one didn't make as much press as the previous four, but a FIFTH Flyer has been suspended for delivering a high hit to an opponent's head.
Versus the Stars on Friday night, Riley Cote earned himself a three game suspension for a late and high hit to the head of Stars' defenseman Matt Niskanen. Here's the video:


That's the best I could find. Clearly, Niskanen did not have the puck. It was gone for at least a second when Cote came barreling in from somewhere on the other side of the Delaware River to deliver a hit. Cote used his elbow and shoulder to lay the boom on the rearguard from the same town (Virginia, Minnesota) as Canes center Matt Cullen. Oh, and by the way, it was late in the game with the Flyers trailing 4-1. He was immediately given a ten minute match penalty, which carries an automatic suspension after review. Although Niskanen lost his lid on the play, he wasn't injured. But it wasn't because Cote didn't try.

Colin Campbell handed down the signature three game suspension along with the standard statement that goes something like "the offending player was trying to let up, but didn't let up enough. The other player was in a vulnerable position."

In addition to the suspension, Gary Bettman has informed general manager Paul Holmgren, head coach John Stevens and the entire organization that they are "on watch". According to an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Holmgren has talked to the team:

"They think, like I do, that these are different coincidences, and have to be viewed differently. But the question was raised about ramifications if it happens again," Holmgren said. "Obviously, we're under watch.... It has been addressed and will continue to (be) addressed. We want to play hard but play within the rules. It has to stop."

To Cote's credit, he knew the suspension was coming, and he never tried to plead innocence. After that game, he told the Inquirer:

"I know what's coming," Cote said. "It was stupid on my part. I had no intention of hurting anybody. I wanted to finish my check. . . . I definitely didn't try to hurt him. It looks bad. I don't know what to say. I feel terrible. . . . Head blow. Thank God he didn't get hurt."

This is now five suspensions for the Flyers this season, including the 20-game one that Steve Downie had in the preseason. He just finished that, by the way. In total, the Flyers have lost 52-man games to suspension. They have been warned that any further shenanigans will result in disciplinary action against the Flyers organization. Campbell has the authority to fine the entire organization and/or Holmgren and/or Stevens if he sees a pattern.

My question is why he can't already see a pattern. Sure, Downie has nothing to do with Jesse Boulerice and Boulerice has nothing to do with Randy Jones and Jones has nothig to do with Scott Hartnell and Hartnell has nothing to do with Cote. But by now, one has to stop giving them the benefit of the doubt. They should already be fined.

I have been thinking that since they are repeat offenders, they should be denied the right to replace the suspended player with an AHL call-up. I think the fines should be severe. They won't. My guess is that the next time this happens (and it will), the fines will be nominal in nature. And it's a shame. A damn shame.

Somehow, I think that when Gary Bettman tells Paul Holmgren "You guys are on watch", it's an empty threat. I hope he proves me wrong.

Flyers at it again

On Monday night, while the Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami Dolphins were playing the worst NFL game ever, the Flyers were involved in yet another filthy play that ended with yet another player face down and motionless on the ice. For the second time, it was a Bruins player who bore the brunt.

Andrew Alberts, on his knees a few feet from the boards and completely defenseless was drilled and driven into the boards by Scott Hartnell. Hartnell defended the hit saying "I'm a guy who always finishes his checks", but this is a case where he clearly could have and should have left the vulnerable player alone.

Hartnell was given a major penalty and a game misconduct.

The Bruins didn't retaliate. Bruins captain Zdeno Chara:

"We probably ended up with some bruises, but we have two points and that's the most important thing right now. It's up to the league to address things like that."

Personally, I don't see a huge suspension coming for Hartnell. Maybe four games. I said before and I'll say again, though, that the League has to take into consideration that this is a team with multiple offenses.

These goons will be in Raleigh on Wednesday. I'm a little worried.

Boulerice

Jesse, why are you such a jackass?

By now, we've all heard about and seen the vicious hit delivered by former Hurricane Jesse Boulerice of the Flyers to the head of the Canucks' Ryan Kesler.

Just in case, here it is:


Absolutely disgusting.

The game was well in hand. Flyers up 7-2, eight minutes left in the game. There is no need for that kind of aggression ever, and in this case you can't blame "heat of the competition".
Sure, the two players had been going at each other all night, but this kind of thing is completely outrageous.
The most disgusting thing about it is that Boulerice, who is completely useless outside of his "agitator" role, stood over Kesler and shook the gloves loose as if to suggest that he was going to give Kesler some more.

Steve Downie, who wouldn't have made the Flyers squad anyway, was suspended for 20 games for his violent head-high checking during the preseason. This was meant to send a message to the players that hits to the head will not be tolerated.
Apparently it didn't work.

I would expect a double digit games suspension. I seriously hope that "The Bull" gets tossed for the remainder of the year.

Was this as violent as McSorley/Brashear? No. As gruesome as Bertuzzi/Moore? No. Simon/Hollweg? No. But it deserves a suspension as long or longer than any of those.

Boulerice was once banned for an entire season from the OHL for a stick-swinging incident. He also faced assault charges in civil court for that incident. I think Colin "Clownshoes" Campbell would be remiss if he failed to take Jesse's history into account.

Unfortunately, the disciplinary office has been terribly fickle. They might decide that since Kesler was able to skate off on his own power, Boulerice should only get three games.

My hope is that he gets in excess of 25 games. I also hope that the league sends the Flyers a message. Surely at some point the coaches and front office have to have some accountability. A Flyer just pulled some jackass stunt two weeks ago, and now another Flyer with another jackass stunt. The league has got to send a message of some kind before things get even more out of control. I'm sure John Stevens didn't tell Boulerice to go out there and decapitate Kesler, but I don't know how else to send a message to both the players and the coaches.

What do you think? How many games does the Bull deserve?

Pronger suspended again

On Sunday, Chris Pronger was again suspended by the NHL for one game. The suspension was in response to anotherhead-high hit delivered by the hulking defenseman. Two minutes into period three of Saturday's game three of the Stanley Cup Finals, with the Ducks trailing 4-3. Dean McAmmond of the Sens carried the puck into the zone after a neutral zone turnover, fired a shot from the high slot, and was met with Pronger's left elbow.

In game three of the Western Conference finals, with the Ducks trailing badly in the second period, Pronger was part of a vicious incident also involving a head-high hit. For his role in that hit, Pronger was suspended for one game.

In the Pronger/Holmstrom incident, a penalty and ejection was issued to Rob Niedermayer. The Pronger suspension came after further review. Same story here. No penalty was given on the ice, although his actions should have warranted ejection.

I'm glad that the League has decided to suspend players for these head-high hits, but I will say again that it isn't enough. The one game suspension isn't enough. In this specific case, the one game suspension definitely isn't enough.

I would make a case for Pronger being a predator (small p). The Holmstrom thing looked like it was actually premeditated. This hit didn't look premeditated, but it certainly wasn't accidental or circumstantial. He deliberately raised his elbow, led with it, and followed through. This looked for all the world to be a deliberate attempt to injure, and it is absolutely disgusting.

Given his previous suspension for similar actions in this same playoff season, this makes him not only a predator, but a habitual predator. This should have absolutely been a multiple game suspension.

Dean McAmmond lay unconscious for a few minutes and had to be helped off the ice. He didn't return to the game, and wasn't really "there" in the locker room. He has a history of concussions, and this puts his ability to return to the series in question.

Coincidentally (or perhaps not), it was McAmmond who had scored the go-ahead goal on a fluky play at 18:34 of the second, which would turn out to be the game winner. From behind the net, he attempted a centering pass, which glanced off Pronger's skate and into the net.

Add that to the equation, and I just can't see how the elbow was a "mistake".

Ducks coach Randy Carlyle offered the following chickenshit explanation:

"We think it was totally unintentional. The league thought different. Chris Pronger is a competitive player. Some people will say he's using his size as an excuse.

The fact of the matter is his elbows are higher than most people's elbows. It's not like he raised his elbow to deliver a blow to the head."

This is almost identical to the explanation Pronger offered after the Holmsrom incident. And it's garbage. Chris Pronger is 32 years old. He has always been bigger than most players around him. He should know by now where his elbows line up to other players' bodies.

If we're to accept this bullcrap excuse, it would give smaller players like Scott Gomez and Ray Whitney license to go around punching everyone in the balls. "I can't help it if my fists are lower than everyone else's. I thought I was hitting him in the chest."

Boo on Chris Pronger. Boo on Randy Carlyle. Boo on Colin Campbell.

Buffalo avoids sweep; Chris Pronger is made an example of (kind of).

On Wednesday night, the Senators had a chance to complete a sweep of hockey's best team, and they had that chance in front of their home crowd. Unlike the previous three games, Buffalo decided to show up, and they won the game 3-2.

At 8:06 of the second period, Chris Drury gave the Sabres a 3-0 lead. They had no way of knowing it at the time, but it turned out to be the game-winner.

I didn't see even one second of the game, and I didn't get to chat with any of my Buffalo friends, but I'm sure they're all happy. Just before game four, I saw one of my Buffalo peeps, and he had pretty much sent the white towel up the mast.

As fate would have it, the Sabres benefitted from a five-on-three situation, scoring their first power play goal of the series.

Will this give the Sabres life? Sure. They head back to Eerie Coutie with a chance to instill hope in their fans. Those fans, by the way, have scooped up every ticket to every game this season and of course during the playoffs. Something like 60 straight sellouts.

Do they have a chance to win the series? Probably not.

In the West, which I have had a very hard time caring about, Detroit dominated game three with a 5-0 shutout. Game four is tonight in Anaheim.
By now, we've all read about or seen the thing with Chris Pronger.
He and Rob Neidermeyer crushed Tomas Holmstrom into the boards, knocking him silly and opening a gash on his forehead. Neidermeyer was given the boot for boarding, and after reviewing the tape, Pronger was suspended one game for "a blow to the head".

As regular readers know, I support the institution of stiff penalties for blows to the head. I'm glad that the League decided to do something about it. I find it a bit odd, though, that they capriciously handed down this one game suspension. There is no provision in the rulebook, and no precedent in NHL play. Huzzah for taking a stand, but I have to say that it seems like they're changing the rules in the middle of the game.
Several times during the season, players threw very hard head-high checks, causing injury. Those players were often unpenalized, and when they were given supplementary discipline, it wasn't consistent.
Like I say, good for the League for deciding to do something about it. During the summer, I very much hope that they'll write some verbage in the rule book pertaining to blows to the head. At the very least, they should have some defined supplementary discipline. A yard stick, if you will. They should know that such behavior carries a two, three, five game mandatory suspension.
That brings me to my other gripe. If the League wants to be serious about punishing players for this type of hit, they need to be more firm in their punishment. A one game suspension during the playoffs is a big deal, but the League cannot allow that to be the precedent. It needs to be more severe.
As a guy who doesn't care about the Ducks, and a guy who actually has dislike for the Redwings, I can look at the tape with a slight bias against the Wings. However, that hit looks almost predatory in nature.

As you may remember, Canada's Shea Weber (Nashville) was suspended for three games during the IIHF World Championships for delivering a head-high check to Germany's Yannic Seidenberg. There is nothing set in stone (relating to supplementary discipline) there either, but they do have a stance against head-high hits.

Anyway, that Ducks-Wings series continues tonight in Anaheim. Detroit is up 2-1, and the Ducks will be without their best defenseman.

Weber suspended, Seidenberg out

In yesterday's Canada versus Germany game, Shea Weber delivered a head-high hit with an elbow against Yannic Seidenberg. I already wrote about this and congratulated the IIHF rules committee for having a ban on hits to the head and neck area. Weber was thrown out of the game.

After the game, Seidenberg was diagnosed with a concussion and has been deemed unable to play. It's likely that he'll miss the rest of the tournament.

Today, the IIHF threw the book at Weber. A 22-member directorate voted 19-3 to suspend him. The initial proposal was for five games, but the directorate decided three was enough. Weber will miss the remaining two round-robin games and the first game in the elimination round.

Here's the full report.

Gary Bettman, Colin Campbell? Are you paying attention?

Canada squeaks past Germany

In IIHF play today, Canada just barely got past Germany 3-2 in the opening game of the Group C round robin. Germany, who has zero NHLers on its active roster, wasn't expected to have any chance, but thanks to a big mistake by Dwayne Roloson, they found themselves right in the thick of things against the favored Canadians.

Eric Staal had one of Canada's goals, and it was assisted by Justin Viva Williams. So far, then, four of Carolina's eight participants in the IIHF tournament have tallied points, and John Grahame picked up a win for USA. Only Mike Commodore and Chad LaRose have yet to make a mark. And Cam Ward didn't play. For some reason, Frantisek Kaberle isn't on Czech Republic's team.

Early in the game, there was a call that I wish would happen in the NHL. Shea Weber, who was second among Predators defensemen with 40 (17/23) points in 06-07, delivered a high hit to the head of Germany's Yannic Seidenberg (little brother of Carolina's Dennis) as the German was coming through center ice. The call against Weber was five minutes for checking to the head and neck area and a game misconduct. It's the penalty specifically for hitting to the head and neck that I like. In many leagues at every level, and in international play, it is illegal to hit a player in the head. The NHL stubbornly refuses to ban that type of hit, and its disciplinarian routinely defends players who deliver high hits by blaming the victim for "not skating with his head up", or "failing to anticipate the hit". I don't think we'll see any NHL rule changes any time soon with respect to that, but I'll keep bitching about it.

Apparently, Dwayne Roloson fell asleep for a second, and allowed a goal from a center-ice shot. This made things very tense, and it wasn't until midway through the third that the Canadians got the go-ahead goal.

Also, in early games on Saturday, Switzerland beat Latvia 2-1 in group A play. Two other games are in progress. Sweden is playing Italy in group A, and Slovakia is playing Norway in group C.

For all the info you need on the IIHF World Championship tournament, go here.

The Kaberle incident

I am completely disgusted by what occurred in New Jersey last night. Just barely a week after the "incident" in Buffalo, we see another example of what unfortunately happens when the instigator rule is in place. A useless goon of a player takes out a star player with a late and dirty hit. The on-ice officials miss the call, the players can't take the law into their own hands, and the offending player gets off scot free.

Last week, Buffalo's Chris Drury was taken out by a hit from Ottawa's Chris Neil that was high, late, unnecessary and dirty. That escalated into a full scale brawl. The brawling didn't occur in New Jersey, but we saw a carbon copy of the incident that precipitated it. The talentless goon, played by New Jersey's Cam Janssen made a late, high, unnecessary and dirty hit on a star player, played by Toronto's Tomas Kaberle. Janssen is nothing more than an agitator and Kaberle is one of the best defensemen in the League and arguably Toronto's best player.

I won't detail the hit. Damien Cox of the Toronto Star has a ... um... strongly worded piece about the hit. I recommend reading that. Here's the footage:

No penalty was called on the play. I don't get that. It looks like Janssen left his feet. That could be charging. Because of the way Kaberle was spun around and slammed face first into the boards, this could be boarding. This could be elbowing. This could be roughing. Because Kaberle was clearly not in possession of the puck, this could be interference. No call was made.

When Kaberle went down, play was immediately stopped and Janssen stood there anticipating a confrontation. The Leafs players never stood up. Perhaps they were afraid of the instigator rule. Perhaps they didn't want another Wrestlemania '07. Perhaps they were more concerned about Tomas' health than in kicking Janssen's ass. Neither Darcy Tucker nor Wade Belak were in the lineup, and maybe that also had something to do with it.

By the time it was all said and done, Toronto won the game in a shootout. Kaberle was held overnight in a hospital and is being examined. Clownshoes Campbell will investigate the tape today to determine Janssen's fate.

I've written about this before, and I'll say it again. I think the NHL needs to take a stance against blows to the head. Any blow to the head should be penalized, followed by a fine and/or suspension. This makes at least a half dozen times this season where a player has been knocked out by a blow to the head and carried off on a stretcher. In each case, the hit was late and of very very questionable legality. I would argue that this one had questionable intent. Pittsburgh's Colby Armstrong wasn't trying to hurt Carolina's Trevor Letowski back in October. Edmonton's Raffi Torres wasn't trying to kill Detroit's Jason Williams back in November. Calgary's Robyn Regehr didn't attempt to knock Montréal's Aaron Downey out (although he probably enjoyed it). There have been a few others, and then the incident in Buffalo last week.
Chris Neil probably was trying to hurt Chris Drury with his late and high hit. Cam Janssen had no business being that aggressive in that situation, so I have to think that he may have been head hunting.

Cam Janssen didn't play at all after that incident, which occurred late in the second. Was he being punished, or is Claude Julien too chickenshit to send his player out there to face the music? Methinks the latter.

On the incident, I have a few cheers and jeers to hand out:

CHEERS:

Colin White, NJD. Throughout the entire thing, he was hovering around, showing concern. He also gave a hand to the steet-shoed folks coming on the ice to tend to the injured player.

Darcy Tucker, TOR. Jeez, this pains me to compliment Tucker. Dressed in his civvies, he approached the Devils bench from the tunnel to "have a word" with Janssen. Nobody would do it on the ice, so he figured he may as well.

JEERS:

Referees Kelly Sutherland and Brad Watson. No penalty was called when at least three different penalties could have been.

Toronto Maple Leafs. Nobody "cleaned up" the situation.

New Jersey coach Claude Julien. Janssen didn't play a single shift after the incident, giving him a free pass. This is in violation of the unwritten code pertaining to facing the music.

New Jersey Devils organist. While a player was knocked out and could have had a very serious injury, the organist played on. Give the rah-rah stuff a rest in situations like this.

Yes, I know that players are taught at a young age to "finish your check" and to "play through the whistle" and I know that hitting is part of the game. Obviously. However, hitting high and late is not "part of the game". Lining up a star player like that is not "part of the game". Refusing to face the music is not "part of the game".

Again, I'll recommend that you read Damien Cox's scathing take on the incident. Just remember that he's a Leafs journalist.

The two teams will meet again in Toronto on March 20.

should the NHL take a stance against blows to the head?

A few days ago, after I read the bit about Detroit's Jason Williams being carried off the ice on a stretcher, I started to write a post about blows to the head, but I aborted it somewhere along the way. I thought I was perhaps over-reacting or getting too tied up emotionally.

Williams was laid out by Raffi Torres in Wednesday's game against the Oilers. Torres' shoulder caught Williams in the face, knocking him down hard as he attempted a wrap-around. He lay motionless but conscious for several minutes and was ultimately removed from the ice on a stretcher. He recieved a concussion and facial lacerations and will be on the Injured Reserve for an indefinite period.

On October 14, in Pittsburgh, Carolina's Trevor Letowski was knocked unconcious by an open ice shoulder-to-chin hit from the Pens' Colby Armstrong. He lay unconcious in a pool of blood for several minutes before being removed on a stretcher. He missed the next 9 games with facial lacerations and post-concussion symptoms.

On October 17, Calgary's Robyn Regehr blasted Montréal's Aaron Downey with an open ice shoulder-to-head hit that knocked Downey out, putting him on a stretcher and on the IR for five games.

In each case, there was clearly contact above the shoulder, and in each case, the hits went unpenalized. Many fans from the old school say things like they did when Erik Cole suffered a broken neck as a result of a questionable hit last winter. They say that you should always skate with your head up. That you should never watch the pass you just made. That you should never look anywhere other than right ahead of you. That you should never make any sudden moves or direction changes. That you should never do this, that or the other. They say that if you don't heed this kind of advice, you deserve what you get, even if you "get" a broken neck.

I haven't seen the Regehr hit, and it's clear that the other two hits were in no way shape or form malicious. They were just hard hits that ended up badly.

However, I think the NHL needs to do something about these kinds of hits. I don't think a two minute penalty would be asking too much. The officials aren't perfect. They're going to miss some calls, they're going to be out of position for some, but I'd like to see them looking for those kinds of things.

According to a story I read on TSN.ca today, they're already doing this in the Ontario Hockey League.

Checking a player and making contact with the head, incidental or otherwise with the shoulder or any other part of the body, is now a penalty. Two minutes for any contact with the head; five minutes if it's with intent to injure or results in injury.

Sounds a bit like the way high-sticking is called. Incidental? So what? I have no problem with that. Of course there would be times that a referee would miss a call, or be out of position and simply not see the infraction. In the case of high-sticking, an obvious and fitting example of a referee absolutely blowing the call was when Carolina's Justin "Viva" Williams injured Montréal's Saku Koivu with a high-stick during the first round of the playoffs last spring. Although Koivu was bleeding, and ended up having serious repercussions from the scary injury, there was no penalty. There was no post facto fine or suspension, either. I stand behind the players on my team, but the fact of the matter is Williams should have been penalized for four minutes.

Of course I know hockey is a contact sport. Of course I know that the players know what they're getting into. That isn't the point. The point is to take some precautionary measures. The point is also to hold players accountable for dangerous play. If measures can be taken to reduce the number of blows to the head, we'll see fewer of these types of injuries.

The NFL has had anti-head contact rules for years. Any hitting above the shoulder is strictly forbidden. Any contact, intentional or not, with a quarterback's head or helmet results in a penalty and fine. Since they got serious about policing that kind of helmet-to-helmet and hand-to-quarterback's helmet contact, the behavior of linebackers has changed dramatically. You now see guys making a deliberate effort to not contact the QB's head. While I think the NFL goes a bit too far to protect the quarterback (just as I think the NHL goes too far to protect the goalie), I like the strong stance they take on blows to the head.

Don't take my word for it, though. Bobby Orr had a lot to say about this.

I don't want to see hitting taken out of the game, I love hitting in hockey, but if someone puts his shoulder into a player's face, if he puts anything -- an arm, an elbow, a glove -- I think that player should get a penalty. Definitely, it should be a penalty. We are having players getting knocked unconscious before they even hit the ice and carried off on stretchers. How can that be legal? When did hitting someone in the head with your shoulder or any part of your body become part of the rules? Anything above the neck, it's wrong.

Hey, I got hit a lot when I played and I didn't get hit in the head with checks. Players didn't always hit like that. To me, that's not part of bodychecking. I mean, don't you have to be responsible for your actions? If you hit a guy in the face with your stick by accident, you're going to get a penalty. Two minutes, four minutes, five minutes, something. If you go to bodycheck a guy and you hit him in the face or head, and injure him, that's legal? That's fair? That's not a penalty? I'm sorry, I don't think that is right. It should be a penalty.

Anyway, what it boils down to for me is that I'd like to see blows to the head reduced. If it takes major penalties, fines, suspensions, then that's what it takes. Checking the body is one thing. The head is quite another.