Dirty Play in Hockey

[Fred588]

Although I am Boston Bruins fan I was pleased to see that Bruins player (Thornton) given a lengthy suspension for a very dirty play that injured another player. I am not certain the suspension was really long enough (15 games) but its better than what has usually been done in the past. Violence might be a "tradition" in hockey but this is one that has to go.

[Lomax]

"I went to a fight once, and an ice-hockey game broke out...."

Heard that once.

[Green Heart]

The problem is there are still a few boneheaded coaches left in the NHL who adhere the Don Cherry era. Where taking a cheap shots is part of the game plan, not just an unfortunate accident.

[Fred588]

The problem is there are still a few boneheaded coaches left in the NHL who adhere the Don Cherry era. Where taking a cheap shots is part of the game plan, not just an unfortunate accident.

You might be right. But it might also be just an attitude some players have absorbed to the effect that talk from the league about reducing this crap is all just empty tak. Maybe they are right about that, though I doubt it. It will take a few major suspensions to get through to them.

For those who have not seen the actual play, while play was suspended during a confrontation between two players, the Bruins player approached the Pittsburg player from behind, pulled him down to the ice and then punched him at least twice while his head was on the ice. The Pittsburg player has a concussion. It would be my decision, if it was mine to make, that if the Pittsburg player is out for a season then the Boston player is out for two seasons, and without replcement. THAT would stop this nonsense almost immediately.

[nachtjaeger]

From behind? That was without honor. No call for that kind of BS. Whenever you "blindside" an opponent, that's basically assault and battery. Reminds me of the infamous football "late hit" on the Bears' Jim McMahon back in '86 that ended his season and nearly his career. His attacker, Charles Martin of Green Bay, was suspended for an astounding two games! BTW, Jim McMahon has early-onset dementia at only 54, and Martin died of kidney failure at age 45. Tough sport. . .

The problem is there are still a few boneheaded coaches left in the NHL who adhere the Don Cherry era. Where taking a cheap shots is part of the game plan, not just an unfortunate accident.

You might be right. But it might also be just an attitude some players have absorbed to the effect that talk from the league about reducing this crap is all just empty tak. Maybe they are right about that, though I doubt it. It will take a few major suspensions to get through to them.

For those who have not seen the actual play, while play was suspended during a confrontation between two players, the Bruins player approached the Pittsburg player from behind, pulled him down to the ice and then punched him at least twice while his head was on the ice. The Pittsburg player has a concussion. It would be my decision, if it was mine to make, that if the Pittsburg player is out for a season then the Boston player is out for two seasons, and without replcement. THAT would stop this nonsense almost immediately.

[Green Heart]

From behind? That was without honor. No call for that kind of BS. Whenever you "blindside" an opponent, that's basically assault and battery. Reminds me of the infamous football "late hit" on the Bears' Jim McMahon back in '86 that ended his season and nearly his career. His attacker, Charles Martin of Green Bay, was suspended for an astounding two games! BTW, Jim McMahon has early-onset dementia at only 54, and Martin died of kidney failure at age 45. Tough sport. . .

The problem is there are still a few boneheaded coaches left in the NHL who adhere the Don Cherry era. Where taking a cheap shots is part of the game plan, not just an unfortunate accident.

You might be right. But it might also be just an attitude some players have absorbed to the effect that talk from the league about reducing this crap is all just empty tak. Maybe they are right about that, though I doubt it. It will take a few major suspensions to get through to them.

For those who have not seen the actual play, while play was suspended during a confrontation between two players, the Bruins player approached the Pittsburg player from behind, pulled him down to the ice and then punched him at least twice while his head was on the ice. The Pittsburg player has a concussion. It would be my decision, if it was mine to make, that if the Pittsburg player is out for a season then the Boston player is out for two seasons, and without replcement. THAT would stop this nonsense almost immediately.

Hockey has a big career ending sucker punch/cheap shot as well, look up Steve Moore

Better yet, heres the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFW62Hqz-OY

This single incident led to many of the rules you see the NHL have today.

[Green Heart]

Nothing wrong in fighting. If the cowardly Penguins fought after the cheap shot that left Thornton seeing red a brawl would've happened, and play would resume with whatever remaining players left behind. But because A$$hats in charge of the league are trying to abolish fighting, and not concentrating on cheap shots, you get that game. Fighting is not the problem, it's the cheap shots(Hitting from behind, knee on knee, kneeing or elbowing, head shots) that is the problem. What Shawn Thornton did was wrong and I am not saying otherwise. Neal is a prominent visitor to the disciplinary board and they give him 5 for kneeing a down player in the face THAT's not right.

Exactly. The players used to police themselves, entire teams would stand up for their player if he got cheap shotted. Even if you hated the guy, he was a teammate.

Now you get penalized and fined out the ass for "instigating" a fight, so nobody does it anymore.