The 2010-2011 Suspension Thread

[RiSeOnFiRe 0]

Ah, right you are, Chadd. Ha.

Suspension-related. http://twitter.com/R...tus/27893227194 All I can say after that one is I thought we learned from Tie Domi?

*Youtube*

Yeeaa..... Start at 10 games and keep going. You don't touch a fan. Period.

[Chadd 916]

Every attorney in the state of Minnesota is after that father and son to get hired!

Dirty player attacks them, they get tossed. 10-20 games for the player, six figures for the family. Though it would be interesting to see if they filed assault charges, especially if the kid was a minor.

[chippa13 1844]

And he does after he had a firm hold of the linesman's jersey. Not a bright move at all.

[shotty 7]

i was watching it live (on tv) and i heard thru an aquaintance who was in very close proximity to the incident that the fan didnt touch him (which we could all see on the replay, even though the color guys on tv where saying "never touch a player, you bought a seat, sit in it"), however he was taunting him verbally, which you cant see because the fan's head is out of frame. all you can see is him leaning over the rail and clapping.... which is still no excuse for going after the guy. coincidentally, rypien was a game time decision. he was listed as being day to day with the flu.

contradictory to chadd's post, and what i also thought was kinda crazy: the fans were not asked to leave the premises, they were simply relocated to 1st row seats near one of the corners. legal action? pffft. the dude was clearly not a minor, and the guy with him was clearly not his father.

in defense of the canucks organization as a whole: there was NO security there. in every tunnel in every arena, i always see security standing right there at the opening to the bench where fans have access to the players, on both side of the railings too usually... here it took quite a bit of time to get personell to the scene. again, its not excuse for what rypien did, but c'mon. lawsuit??? you taunt a guy who has mentally prepared himself for a fight, and then you turn around and sue him? not going to win that one.

[hamstercaster 2]

i was watching it live (on tv) and i heard thru an aquaintance who was in very close proximity to the incident that the fan didnt touch him (which we could all see on the replay, even though the color guys on tv where saying "never touch a player, you bought a seat, sit in it"), however he was taunting him verbally, which you cant see because the fan's head is out of frame. all you can see is him leaning over the rail and clapping.... which is still no excuse for going after the guy. coincidentally, rypien was a game time decision. he was listed as being day to day with the flu.

contradictory to chadd's post, and what i also thought was kinda crazy: the fans were not asked to leave the premises, they were simply relocated to 1st row seats near one of the corners. legal action? pffft. the dude was clearly not a minor, and the guy with him was clearly not his father.

in defense of the canucks organization as a whole: there was NO security there. in every tunnel in every arena, i always see security standing right there at the opening to the bench where fans have access to the players, on both side of the railings too usually... here it took quite a bit of time to get personell to the scene. again, its not excuse for what rypien did, but c'mon. lawsuit??? you taunt a guy who has mentally prepared himself for a fight, and then you turn around and sue him? not going to win that one.

Hey, it happened in America so you better believe that anything is possible even winning a law suit against Rypien. If I was Rypien I'd be extremley quick to offer an apology to the fan in question and if I was Vancouver, I'd call up Minny and tell them to offer the kid some free tickets and send a check in the mail to Minny to cover the cost of the seats. Verbally abusing someone is no reason to have someone grab you by the shirt and then somewhat push you. I'm under the impression that Rypien was ready to take a good swing at the fan but decided against it and then security intervened. Wether he was mentally prepared for a fight or not, this does not have it's place in any sport whatsoever. These guys are used to being verbally abused on a consistent basis on the ice. Bettman wants to leave that type of gesture to the NBA, he doesn't want that in his league and righfully so. Had the fan took a swing at Rypien, then by all means, defend yourself and lay the fan down but it clearly wasn't the case here.

Edit: Changed United States to America as it is as bad in Canada as it is in the US when it comes to useless law suits.

[Brian Harte 1]

Poor decision by Rypien. ...VERY poor.

I hope there is no lawsuit nonsense. I really hate the bloodthirsty people out there looking to make a buck for nothing. The dude got grabbed for being a smartass. He should leave it there and think about it next time that situation comes up. That's all. But... this IS America, so who knows....

[EBondo 233]

Melrose said it perfectly on SportsCenter (gee....how bout that. Hockey on SC for somethng bad). But you have to take the verbal jars. You're there for a hockey game...not to engage fans. Plus, the arena staff did not do a good job in making sure the tunnel was out completely. There never should have been an opportunity for Rypien to grab the guy.

Regardless...he's been suspended indefinitely.

[Chadd 916]

Had the fan took a swing at Rypien, then by all means, defend yourself and lay the fan down but it clearly wasn't the case here.

No way in hell. You never go into the stands for any reason, period. If the fan comes onto the bench or penalty box, where you can't avoid conflict, it's a different story.

Melrose said it perfectly on SportsCenter (gee....how bout that. Hockey on SC for somethng bad). But you have to take the verbal jars. You're there for a hockey game...not to engage fans. Plus, the arena staff did not do a good job in making sure the tunnel was out completely. There never should have been an opportunity for Rypien to grab the guy.

Regardless...he's been suspended indefinitely.

Home team should be fined for not having security in place.

... the fans were not asked to leave the premises, they were simply relocated to 1st row seats near one of the corners. legal action? pffft.

They were removed from the seats that they purchased and relocated to a less desirable location. The team owes them something for doing that to them.

[chippa13 1844]

If there is one thing I know, this Rypien incident will have the Milbury shoe beating all over the hockey broadcasts again.

[shotty 7]

They were removed from the seats that they purchased and relocated to a less desirable location. The team owes them something for doing that to them.

less desirable if you're there to interact with the players, i suppose.

[Chadd 916]

less desirable if you're there to interact with the players, i suppose.

They're cheaper in most markets and if you give people the option of tickets behind the bench or in the corner, very few will go for the corner first

[Andoy 5]

I wonder if the suspension will factor in the fact that Rypien also grabbed the referee as well as sucker punching the Wild player in that scrum?

No way in hell. You never go into the stands for any reason, period. If the fan comes onto the bench or penalty box, where you can't avoid conflict, it's a different story.

Home team should be fined for not having security in place.

They were removed from the seats that they purchased and relocated to a less desirable location. The team owes them something for doing that to them.

Agreed. These guys as professional athletes and there is nothing fans can say that should rattle them to the point where Rypien ends up doing what he did.

Interesting note. At first the dude in the red jersey looks like he's pulling or defending his kid back, then he reaches over the railings and looks like he tries to go after Rypien.

[dsjunior1388 81]

Word on Twitter from Pierre LeBrun via another reporter is that the fan has hired a lawyer and will press charges. Fan says "Bottom Line, I was assaulted." The tweet also says he is 28, for those who thought he might be underage.

[Brian Harte 1]

That guy probably has some medical problems after that assault, like some serious wrinkles on his Wild jersey. He could have been killed!

[steelnation248 101]

I don't know if this has been mentioned: They said Rypien will be suspended indefinitely and the suspension length will be designed after a hearing with the NHL

[camhockey16 5]

I don't know if this has been mentioned: They said Rypien will be suspended indefinitely and the suspension length will be designed after a hearing with the NHL

yes, yes it has actually

[Krev 86]

Word on Twitter from Pierre LeBrun via another reporter is that the fan has hired a lawyer and will press charges. Fan says "Bottom Line, I was assaulted." The tweet also says he is 28, for those who thought he might be underage.

Assualted my ass.

Should he have gone after the fan? No.

Should Minnesota have had the tunnel out with security? Yes.

Should he be suspended? Yes.

Should Minnesota be fined? Yes.

Is the fan a moron for enticing a player? Yes.

Is the player a moron for being enticed? Yes.

Suspension will be 10 games + fines for the player and Minnesota.

[steelnation248 101]

yes, yes it has actually

Haha my bad, I didn't have time to go through each reply when I posted it.

[Chadd 916]

Assualted my ass.

Technically, it was battery, but assault is implied in most battery cases.

[skeeter14 0]

This kid is a joke. Assault? You can claim anything, its whether it holds up. And the fact that he incited it by clapping right in Rypien's face incited it to that level. I'm not saying that Rypien was right. Not at all, but this kid (yes, I know he's 28) is going to get a taste of reality when this gets laughed out of court because he's as much at fault.

In past years I have beaked players from the same type of seat location. And I've been beaked right back. If you aren't prepared to get a reaction (good or bad) you shouldn't do it.

[hamstercaster 2]

This kid is a joke. Assault? You can claim anything, its whether it holds up. And the fact that he incited it by clapping right in Rypien's face incited it to that level. I'm not saying that Rypien was right. Not at all, but this kid (yes, I know he's 28) is going to get a taste of reality when this gets laughed out of court because he's as much at fault.

In past years I have beaked players from the same type of seat location. And I've been beaked right back. If you aren't prepared to get a reaction (good or bad) you shouldn't do it.

Taunting someone is not considered to be reasonable grounds to grab someone by the shirt and shake him. Not sure about the US but am pretty sure that in Canada, anytime you grab, push or hit someone, it is considred to be an assault. I believe that in Pierre Lebrun's Tweet he said that the guy wanted to press criminal charges which is not the same as civil ligigation and the guy should not get any money out of it. A criminal case is usually also harder to win. Whatever the outcome of the criminal case, nothing stops the guy from pressing civil charges and try to get money out of the whole thing afterwards.

That's why I'm saying that Minnesota, Vancouver and especially Rypien should come out with an apology and someone should offer the guy some sort of compensation. But then again you have to be careful as this could be viewed as trying to buy the guy's "silence" and he may take that the wrong way.

[RiSeOnFiRe 0]

Taunting someone is not considered to be reasonable grounds to grab someone by the shirt and shake him. Not sure about the US but am pretty sure that in Canada, anytime you grab, push or hit someone, it is considred to be an assault. I believe that in Pierre Lebrun's Tweet he said that the guy wanted to press criminal charges which is not the same as civil ligigation and the guy should not get any money out of it. A criminal case is usually also harder to win. Whatever the outcome of the criminal case, nothing stops the guy from pressing civil charges and try to get money out of the whole thing afterwards.

That's why I'm saying that Minnesota, Vancouver and especially Rypien should come out with an apology and someone should offer the guy some sort of compensation. But then again you have to be careful as this could be viewed as trying to buy the guy's "silence" and he may take that the wrong way.

The world we live in is pathetic. Over legislation and people suing everyone and anyone over anything and everything...

If a punch was thrown, sure. But come on guys, pushing? grabbing? I don't recall my kindergarten classmate trying to sue me for pushing and grabbing.

Give the guy some free tickets and be done with it.

[Chadd 916]

Taunting someone is not considered to be reasonable grounds to grab someone by the shirt and shake him. Not sure about the US but am pretty sure that in Canada, anytime you grab, push or hit someone, it is considred to be an assault. I believe that in Pierre Lebrun's Tweet he said that the guy wanted to press criminal charges which is not the same as civil ligigation and the guy should not get any money out of it. A criminal case is usually also harder to win. Whatever the outcome of the criminal case, nothing stops the guy from pressing civil charges and try to get money out of the whole thing afterwards.

That's why I'm saying that Minnesota, Vancouver and especially Rypien should come out with an apology and someone should offer the guy some sort of compensation. But then again you have to be careful as this could be viewed as trying to buy the guy's "silence" and he may take that the wrong way.

A criminal conviction makes a civil case much easier.

[shotty 7]

They're cheaper in most markets and if you give people the option of tickets behind the bench or in the corner, very few will go for the corner first

i'll take your word for it. i've never lived in a non hockey market. the closer to the glass, the more desirable and more expensive. tickets in vancouver that sit you anywhere near the bench say explicitly "view may be obstructed" and thus cost a little less. club section is directly across from the benches (on penalty box side) and command the highest prices in the building. you dont have a chance at sitting any closer than 6 rows from the bottom if you havent been a STH for 10+ years.

but thats just vancouver.

anyways, to add to the discussion, one of his quotes explicity says "i was standing straight up" which is the dumbest thing to say, because you can CLEARLY see him leaning over the railing. as for video proof, apart from what i've heard was said, manny malhotra's reaction would lead most to believe that the dude said more than "way to be professional". rick grabbed him, shook him and let him go. i LOVE that MacT stepped up on tsn and spoke from experience when he kinda/sorta empathised with the experience and reaction.

pat kane had a great quote "if it wasnt for the fans, we wouldnt be playing". and its true, but i have to say that just because you spent $100+ on a seat, doesnt entitle you to voice your opinion or taunt a player. yes, it is the pros responsibility to stay focused, and for losing track of that focus rick will be and should be suspended. in the heat of the moment (JUST AS I SAID and MacT confirmed on air) rick was prepared for a fight and got turned down, he was flying high, just bad timing all around. he said back in the day (during that brawl in NY against the bruins), if a fan taunted or enticed a player, the whole team went after him.

I believe that in Pierre Lebrun's Tweet he said that the guy wanted to press criminal charges which is not the same as civil ligigation and the guy should not get any money out of it. A criminal case is usually also harder to win. Whatever the outcome of the criminal case, nothing stops the guy from pressing civil charges and try to get money out of the whole thing afterwards.

its absolutely true. any lawyer will tell you that its easier to win settlement if you've pressed criminal charges first. the first question they will ask is "have you filed charges". however, they do not go hand in hand, just because one is charged with a criminal offense doesnt automatically mean that the victim will win his civil case.

[hamstercaster 2]

The world we live in is pathetic. Over legislation and people suing everyone and anyone over anything and everything...

If a punch was thrown, sure. But come on guys, pushing? grabbing? I don't recall my kindergarten classmate trying to sue me for pushing and grabbing.

Give the guy some free tickets and be done with it.

I've seen this way too often now. A lot of people are trigger happy when it comes to suing someone. Grabbing someone's shirt and shaking him a bit may not seem that bad for some, but if it's punishable by law you can be sure that someone somewhere will sue if it happens to him. We weren't there and don't know what was said and how scared the guy was. He may have shit his pants, who knows. When someone grabs you by the shirt that way you usually think that a punch is on it's way to connect with your face and everyone reacts differently to that.

If it happens on the ice, who cares, everyone is expecting that, even the chirpers like Lapierre, Cooke, Avery and whatever. When you are sitting in the stands chirping and clapping, you are not expecting a player to grab, shake, punch you or whatever. Wether or not that guy suffered any type of trauma is irrelevant and you can even forget about Rypien being a hockey player. Had this happened outside of the rink with a street bum, the guy may have reacted the way, maybe not. Who kows. The difference here is that there is a tape to show as evidence of what happened. There's also a player with potentially a lot more money than that fan too and that in itself is usually a good/bad incentive to sue. As Chadd pointed out, it will be easier for the fan use civil litigation after he's gone through the criminal litigation. The burden of proof is not the same and he could lose the first one but win the second one as we've seen on a few occasions in the past on different levels with the OJ Simpson trials for exemple.