Ducks

[Law Goalie 147]

OK, we'll try this another way:

Who created the dangerous situation? Kessler.

Who prolonged it? Kessler.

Who benefited from it? Kessler.

Were Kessler's legs still impeding Pronger before his foot came down? Yes.

Was Pronger looking at Kessler when his foot came down? No.

Did Kessler continue to impede Pronger's free movement after the foot came down? Yes.

Now, Pronger gets 5. Let's see what kind of a precedent this sets. I'll bet Kessler draws another suspension before the end of the year.

[TheBert 0]

It seems that the grounds for suspension are being dictated by the history of the victim rather than the perpetrator. Would you be able to look at this more rationally if it was Sundin and not some mouthy, 3rd liner?

OK, we'll try this another way:

Who created the dangerous situation? Kessler.

That's a lame application of proximate cause. Should he just stay away from any and all players wearing knives on their feet?

Who prolonged it? Kessler.

Irrelevant.

Who benefited from it? Kessler.

Benefited? Seriously?

Were Kessler's legs still impeding Pronger before his foot came down? Yes.

No. This situation with guys falling down happens every game. Kesler is not the first or last to do it. His "legs impeding Pronger" is being made out to sound like he had him in Ric Flair's Figure-4 leg lock. What NHL-level skater can't get escape a single leg without stepping on it? And what kind of skater stomps down on a leg to get free? See image below. He could've moved away and given the refs flack about not calling an interference penalty.

Was Pronger looking at Kessler when his foot came down? No.

Yes.

Did Kessler continue to impede Pronger's free movement after the foot came down? Yes

See note about "leg lock".

Now, Pronger gets 5. Let's see what kind of a precedent this sets. I'll bet Kessler draws another suspension before the end of the year.

Wait, what? Do you just blindly hate the guy? Player's just can't help but act like retards when they're on the ice with him? I'm guessing you're a legal expert. How does the defense of "I couldn't help myself, it's Ryan Kesler" sound?

Kesler attempts to throws an off-balance hit on Pronger and falls. The play goes the other way and Kesler tries to run a little interference. Common situation. Pronger tries to lift his leg once, fails and looks down. Kesler frees his leg. Pronger is still looking down and stomps down on Kesler's leg in a motion that's not at all a skating stride.

Pronger's reaction to his situation is wholly inappropriate for what 99% of NHLers would've done.

[ponty 0]

Seeing things like this happen over and over again I am simply amazed how clouded fans judgment become when their favorite team / player does something wrong.

In no way did Kessler actions deserve what Pronger did. Yes ... Pronger was looking and did it on purpose. With what we have seen recently with skate cuts Pronger deserves some serious time on the bench. Thinking anything else "homerism."

Trust me I am no Canucks fan either.

[15yearsofhistory 0]

Pronger suspended for 5 games.

Eight games according to NHl news...

[Law Goalie 147]

"In attempting to free himself, Pronger carelessly and recklessly brought his foot down..."

There's the conclusion. Pronger was still impeded when he stepped on Kessler. More to the point, Campbell saw what I saw: the foot coming down as part of the attempt to free himself. It was not a 'stomp' with intent to injure, it was just reckless frustration - which is exactly what I said. Still photos do not tell the story.

The problem is that this now gives license to every little twerp out there to latch onto another player's legs as soon they drop from a hit. At worst, you slow him up unduly (THAT was the immediate benefit - removing Pronger from the play), and at best, you draw a long suspension if he steps on you. All the better if it's a big, physical defenseman, and there's a little weight to him.

I don't hate Kessler - I hate the way he plays. Pronger's frustration was almost certainly not "Oh, damn, that dastardly Ryan Kessler's getting the better of me - better stomp him!" but "Get this limpet off my leg!"

I also don't much like Pronger: he's a much dirtier and more dangerous player than Kessler, but unlike Kessler, he a's generally capable of improving the quality of the game around him.

[cxo 0]

Yeah, 8 games Pronger is out. He'll get one regular season game in.

[msander 0]

Wow, I'm not sure I've ever seen anyone possess such a blinding hatred for a player before.

It's good to see Pronger get suspended. He's always been a dirty, cheapshotting prick. The man has more suspensions than almost anyone in the league I think.

[chippa13 1844]

OK, we'll try this another way:

Who created the dangerous situation? Kessler.

Who prolonged it? Kessler.

Who benefited from it? Kessler.

Were Kessler's legs still impeding Pronger before his foot came down? Yes.

Was Pronger looking at Kessler when his foot came down? No.

Did Kessler continue to impede Pronger's free movement after the foot came down? Yes.

Now, Pronger gets 5. Let's see what kind of a precedent this sets. I'll bet Kessler draws another suspension before the end of the year.

There had to be a second stomper.

[gxc999 7]

I'm no fan of Pronger either, I'm glad he was bounced for 8 games. But back to the main topic of the Ducks as a team for a moment, why is this club having so much trouble scoring goals? With Getzlaf, Perry, Kunitz, Selanne, Schneider, Neidermayer etc, I didn't realize this team was 3rd to last in goals scored until someone mentioned it during a broadcast two or three weeks ago.

Is it that there's too much emphasis on defense? Personnel changes? I'm really not sure what the issue is, but I don't think they were in the bottom tier of scoring last year. I know how valuable defense is in the playoffs but unless they start scoring soon, I don't like their chances of winning another cup.

[Krev 86]

I've never been a big fan of Pronger, so him being suspended is nice. That said, the only people defending Kesler here, are two people from Vancouver...

As with Pronger, I've also never liked watching Kesler play. In my opinion, he is just as big a whiner as Cooke is. And Cooke is pretty bad.

[#96 0]

Seems to me Prongs deserves the multiple suspension penalty that Simon had to deal with. Prongs is right there with Simon in terms of suspensions, especially in such a short amount of time. What is this 3 in the last 2 seasons, with two in last year's playoffs alone? He deserves games just for being a repeat offender.

I understand Simon had stick related suspensions and the stomp, but Prongs is obviously a discipline problem.

If Burke wasn't in bed with the NHL execs and graduated from a different law school (not Hah-vad), I think his players would fair a lot worse when it comes to league suspensions.

[GekigangarIII 0]

So essentially Pronger ends up with a nice long rest to recuperate right before the playoffs while he nurses his jaw. What a joke of a "disciplinary action". How is anyone supposed to respect this league?

[mack 44]

Okay, so they shouldn't have suspended him? Held the suspension and make it take place in the playoffs? I don't necessarily condone the stomping but I'm glad someone is doing something to the player whose contract helped set off the RFA fucktardery in the NHL.

[jbyun04 7]

Okay, so they shouldn't have suspended him? Held the suspension and make it take place in the playoffs? I don't necessarily condone the stomping but I'm glad someone is doing something to the player whose contract helped set off the RFA fucktardery in the NHL.

Not Kesler's fault that Bob Clarke thought he was worth $1.9M.

Why do people hate on Kesler so much? Sure I'm from Vancouver but the guy can't hit anyone if his life depended on it. When he tries to hit someone it's like watching a bird fly into glass or a window and I don't really see him chirping other than getting involved in scrums but I guess he must be saying something if Pronger hates him enough to cross check him after a goal and stomp on his leg.

When did people start hating on this guy so much anyway?

[Xi Retlah iX 0]

The Simon incident and this one are totally diff. Simon pretty much tangled Rutuu at the benches, and then looked down, aimed, and stomped. And i'm from LI. if theres anyone who would try to play it off like his incident wasnt bad, itd be me. With Pronger, it looked to me like he was just annoyed by Kessler just lying there playing footsie instead of getting up, so as he frees himself, he gives gim a stomp on the leg as if to say 'get the f**k off me kid' and then skates back to the play. The guy is wearing a shinguard after all, its not as if he wound up n stomped n tried to slice the kid. I don't see the big deal honestly. I think the 5 or 8 games or whatever is fine cause stomping shouldn't be allowed, but this shouldn't warrant anymore than that.

[cxo 0]

When did people start hating on this guy so much anyway?

Where have you been? Oh, Vancouver.

[Krev 86]

Actually, he's from Surrey, which is totally different. :P

[cxo 0]

He said Vancouver in his post, which is enough for me to assume it's close all the same.

[Dougie8 0]

OK,

Was Pronger looking at Kessler when his foot came down? No.??

The pictures that Bert posted pretty much prove this wrong. Sure, I've never liked Pronger. Sure I'm a Canucks fan. But when you have a teams best defenseman tangled up, why not try and keep him tied up and anger him if you're an agitator type of player. I just don't like how if this was Avery, Hollweg, or Ruutu, types of players like that, you guys would be saying sit him out for his career. But this is Pronger and he gets 8 games and you guys think thats too much.

[M.W. 0]

I don't necessarily condone the stomping but I'm glad someone is doing something to the player whose contract helped set off the RFA fucktardery in the NHL.

This is absolutely ridiculous.

Since Scott Stevens, among others (Shanahan, Nedved, Graves, Corson, Gratton, etc. There were matched attempts on guys like Ohlund, Fedorov, Tkachuk, Sakic, too.) signed an offer sheet contract in 1990, and again in 1994, you might want to take Kesler out of your gunsights.

Offer sheets have existed for a while, but the compensation was a bigger deterrent. If anything, the new CBA set off the "RFA fucktardery," if by "set off" you mean "resumed."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NHL_players_w...ed_offer_sheets

[TheBert 0]

So essentially Pronger ends up with a nice long rest to recuperate right before the playoffs while he nurses his jaw. What a joke of a "disciplinary action". How is anyone supposed to respect this league?

To be fair, other than giving him a suspension to nurse his jaw, what is the league supposed to do?

When did people start hating on this guy so much anyway?

Where have you been? Oh, Vancouver.

Let's stick to the point. He hits, and sucks at it. But he's a phenomenal skater and checker that has worse hands than Muhammad Ali. Yes, he chirps but fights too. What's the problem?

I can see why Cooke was a douche in the way he turtled from fights. Hell, that's largely the reason he was traded away.

[NoAngleDangler 0]

Cooke has looked pretty good for the Caps IMO.

[M.W. 0]

Cooke has looked pretty good for the Caps IMO.

I think that the change of scenery was probably the best thing that could have possibly happened to him.

[mack 44]

I don't necessarily condone the stomping but I'm glad someone is doing something to the player whose contract helped set off the RFA fucktardery in the NHL.

This is absolutely ridiculous.

Since Scott Stevens, among others (Shanahan, Nedved, Graves, Corson, Gratton, etc. There were matched attempts on guys like Ohlund, Fedorov, Tkachuk, Sakic, too.) signed an offer sheet contract in 1990, and again in 1994, you might want to take Kesler out of your gunsights.

Offer sheets have existed for a while, but the compensation was a bigger deterrent. If anything, the new CBA set off the "RFA fucktardery," if by "set off" you mean "resumed."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NHL_players_w...ed_offer_sheets

Your reaction to sarcasm (though true and not a ridiculous statement) is a bit much. I can justify signing any of those you mentioned (which, btw, happened in a totally different era of the NHL) over Kesler. Sure, the compensations were steep but that's what kept people from giving contracts like the ones Vanek and Penner got. Kesler's contract helped ease teams thinking into "okay, we can sign people on potential and give them an inflated salary they will never come close to earning." Pricey for someone who is at best a 3rd line player.

[jbyun04 7]

When did people start hating on this guy so much anyway?

Where have you been? Oh, Vancouver.

yeah and because i'm from the vancouver area i'm wondering when people started hating on this guy

thanks for answering the question