I didn't think Boulerice was allowed to play outside the US

[mrusse01 0]

if you took a stick and smashed it across someones face in the streets, you would be facing jail time/fines....you do it on the ice and even a 40 game suspension seems like a slap on the wrist. His suspension has got to be hefty for this one

You punch someone in the face on the streets and you are facing jail time, in the NHL it's a 5 minute penalty. You can't apply the rules that exist on the street to the ice, it just doesn't work that way.

I think it's a big time cheap shot, I would expect something in the 20-30 game region. I don't think the apparent lack of injury to Kesler should play a role in it, you punish the action not the result, the NHL is stupid for doing otherwise.

With that being said, I think what he did in the O was about a bagillion times worse, he shouldn't have been allowed to play the game as a professional after that. Factor that in and I wouldn't be upset if the NHL just told him to go away forever.

[TheBert 0]

Check out these class-acts:

http://www.flyersphans.com/forums/showthread.php?t=86013

The only thing that would have made me happier would have been if Kesler got up like he should have and then preceded to get his ass beat.

This is just another example of something that will get blown out of proportion because it happened to a Broad St. Bully.

Bottom line, I would rather that we are the team that plays nasty and crosses the line once in a while than the team that it gets done to.

It's been a while since we were the team with the balls, rather than the team that was getting cheap shotted.

How is sticking it to someone's face having balls? Maybe if he dropped the gloves BEFORE the cross-check to the face, then Boulerice could live out his Slap Shot fantasy.

I've got to laugh with all the people who are in a moral uproar, and think this will kill Boulerice's career with the Flyers.

They signed him, they dress him with one reason and one reason alone... it's not to hit people, it's not to fight the occasional fight... it's to prevent Briere and Gagne getting run. To deter opponents from taking liberties with them. To instill fear. Some will say Boulerice crossed the line... well, you can't pee without touching your dick either

I think (hope) we'll see some more incidents in the next few games, till they think the entire league has gotten the memo that the Flyers won't hesitate to unleash hell if you try to **** with them

I don't understand some of these guys. They think somehow Kesler and the Canucks provoked this?

[RadioGaGa 162]

Check out these class-acts:

http://www.flyersphans.com/forums/showthread.php?t=86013

Hmmmm..."City of Brotherly Love"? How the hell did that city get that nickname anyways?

[Gongshow11 1]

any vid if this?

[kovalchuk71 212]

MUCH better one. All I can say is wow.

[D3nZ 0]

First thing that came to mind is, another Flyers' player? Now I am thinking more and more about maybe they should get rid of fighting in the league. Don't get me wrong, I like seeing a fight or two, but you clearly see that this guy wanted to fight. By getting rid of that element and suspending players for a certain amount of games if they do so, you might get rid of that goon element. I would suggest maybe putting the IIHF rules for fighting.

[LegoDoom 0]

That wouldn't have stopped Downie.

[D3nZ 0]

Probably not, he was just plain stupid and you will still get one of those once in a while like any other sport Even though if I liked Downie when he played with Team Canada hits like those just make me sick.

[Hidious 0]

Denz, i don't think your point against fighting makes sense, what would you do if someone would cheap shot one of you teamates? The only think you can do is drop the gloves and fight for him. Before the league can eliminate fighting, they have to eleminate every form of cheapshots/headhunting.

[Wolfpack_1986 154]

RE: the comments from the boneheaded fans on the flyers forum (a couple posts back), its highly unlikely that any dumb ass that would say shit like that has ever laced them up. some morons just dont get it.

[cause4alarm 7]

RE: the comments from the boneheaded fans on the flyers forum (a couple posts back), its highly unlikely that any dumb ass that would say shit like that has ever laced them up. some morons just dont get it.

Agreed.

Why bother reading stuff on team forums? You might as well read the comments on YouTube while you're at it.

I'm a Flyers fan. I play hockey and I like to think I know a thing or two about it. When I want to discuss hockey, I want to do it with people who might know what they're talking about. And that's why I post here and don't concern myself with whatever the general non-hockey-knowing populace thinks.

In other words, don't let internet jackasses anger up your blood. If you're looking for anything that's close to being well-informed, you go to people who know hockey and those are the people who play. This is the only forum that should be relevant.

[B-Nads 0]

I will again state my opinion on this shit - players that show intent to injur another player should be suspended, without pay, for the entire duration of the injured player's absence before they serve any punitive suspension. This stuff is escalating to the point where I won't even let my 5 year old watch the game that I love and that he is starting to love - between that and the god-damned advertisements on TSN for horror movies during the games it is turning my stomach. I think the age of $300 sticks and $500 jerseys is killing what was once the greatest game on Earth...now it is such a cash cow that players forget there is a human being inside that body armor when they crack them in the jaw. The league is every nit as guilty as the idiots acting out this morbid drama, as they continue to take a laissez-faire attitude towards certain players. Look at the Roberts hit on Kostytine the other night - not even a penaltry because it was Gary Roberts - this guy was boarding people through the whole series against Ottawa last year and not a call. Maybe I'm in a pissy mood because I am getting older today, but I am seriously getting disgusted by what I see in the NHL now.

[Patrick67 1]

Chris Simons incident was worse than this one... But damm this one is ugly too.

[Fixxer 0]

This piece of shit should be banned from playing professional hockey anywhere in the US and Canada for ever.

There is no place for his kind... really anywhere, but we cant kick him off earth.

[hockey_is_hard 0]

The fact that he swung his stick at someone's face in the past and made the person go into convulsions should have been enough to keep him out of the league, regardless of whether or not it was in the OHL. Now that he has done something just as bad again, i am hoping the NHL will not let him back in... If he has done it twice and is allowed back in, what kind of message does that send to everyone else?

[jestrs 0]

Given his history, he needs a life time ban from the NHL. He is not even a borderline NHLer. The Flyers were the only team that wanted him. I do not have any problem with fighting, but you need to get rid of the guys who can not play the game. The days of the enforcer should come to an end. There are plenty of tough guys who can play the game without wasting the money and roster spot on goons.

I am not condoning Chris Simon's actions but he does have over 300 NHL points.

Boulerice has 10. Simon is not just a goon at one time he had some good skills. You can say what you want about guys like Chris Neil but he has over 100 NHL points. Love or hate Bob Probert he had some skill to score 300 NHL points.

[chippa13 1844]

Chris Simons incident was worse than this one... But damm this one is ugly too.

Ummmmmmmmmmmmm..................ok.

[chk hrd 164]

For the sake of the NHL's future they should suspend him for one season. One of these days someone is going to get killed by some hack and it will be the worst thing for the NHL's image.

The officials have to realize the number of head hunting/cheap shots/lumber jacking/ etc. is increasing at a high rate (or at least it seems to be) The only way to stop it is to really be firm on the penalties.

The instagator rule needs to go. Let the guys police themselves again. Some people (but probably not many) may complain about the additional fighting but I would think the additional fights would only be for a few seasons then everyone would wise up.

I am not a big fan of fighting in hockey, but it is part of the game.

[D3nZ 0]

Denz, i don't think your point against fighting makes sense, what would you do if someone would cheap shot one of you teamates? The only think you can do is drop the gloves and fight for him. Before the league can eliminate fighting, they have to eleminate every form of cheapshots/headhunting.

The league will never be able to call cheapshots or headhunting, they can't even call an obstruction penalty there is no perfect remedy to this situation. Regular people who don't watch hockey like we do, see it as a whole, fighters, goons, cheapshots and headhunting. They (NHL) want the simple way out and put the international rule and take the goon element out. I rarelly see cheapshots in the IIHF (from the international hockey I've seen latelly). I personally like fighting, hockey is the last sport to have fighting and you only get 5 minutes (depending on the situation) that's what makes it as though as it is. The NHL wants the easy way out and getting rid of the bad rep they have been getting since the season started cause let's face it, the NHL isn't doing very good for the last couple of years.

[Chadd 916]

For the sake of the NHL's future they should suspend him for one season. One of these days someone is going to get killed by some hack and it will be the worst thing for the NHL's image.

The officials have to realize the number of head hunting/cheap shots/lumber jacking/ etc. is increasing at a high rate (or at least it seems to be) The only way to stop it is to really be firm on the penalties.

The instagator rule needs to go. Let the guys police themselves again. Some people (but probably not many) may complain about the additional fighting but I would think the additional fights would only be for a few seasons then everyone would wise up.

I am not a big fan of fighting in hockey, but it is part of the game.

Repealing the instigator rule wouldn't have changed anything in this situation. Boulerice is paid to fight, so it's not like he would have feared any potential repercussions.

Other Canucks players were wiling to take the extra penalty (for instigating) in this case but it didn't do any good. It turned into a major scrum and Boulerice was off the ice before the refs got all the other players pulled apart. There's no way you're going to let Boulerice play any more after that type of act and the teams won't play each other again this season.

This is one of those acts that goes so far beyond the level of acceptable play, that it has to be addressed in a special manner. I think guys like this should be suspended for at least a year. These incidents don't happen often and the NHL needs to be very tough in cases like this.

[Chadd 916]

So despite the "crackdown" on head shots, he got exactly the same penalty as a guy who committed a similar act last year. I guess they aren't really serious about it.

[D3nZ 0]

I guess I would be fine with the amount of games for the suspension if it would have been his first time, but especially with what he did in the CHL, I think he should have got more.

[hockey_is_hard 0]

this is stupid. i can't believe he only got 25 games... He should face criminal charges. Attacking someone with a weapon (in this case, a stick)is NOT part of the game, nor is it legal. If a group of guys were playing a pick up game and someone did this and seriously hurt someone else, they'd definately end up with some kind of criminal charge, especially if the person gave someone convulsions in the past due to a similar incident.

[Trooper 8]

Start adding fines and suspensions to organizations and coaches, especially repeat offenders, and I'll bet it has more of an effect.

[chippa13 1844]

So despite the "crackdown" on head shots, he got exactly the same penalty as a guy who committed a similar act last year. I guess they aren't really serious about it.

Really? I would think that giving 3 suspensions of 20,25, and 25 is an indication that they are getting serious. Five years ago those would have been 2 or 3 games.