The 2010-2011 Suspension Thread

[chippa13 1844]

Reminds me of the stinging comment from the Congressman from another part of New York at the end of Quiz Show.

[zachary 2]

He's grasping for straws. While those may be good decisions, he doesn't realize you don't get credit for playing the way you are supposed to, it's expected.

Well when you play like he does he expects the credit for turning down a chance to throw a cheap hit. Just the same for any situation when someone doesn't do something they should. Not saying it's right but that's how people are.

[N00dl3 0]

Cooke said. "In the game against the Rangers, I had a chance to hit (Brian) Boyle in the middle of the ice and I didn't. I had a chance to hit (Bryan) McCabe, and he turned, so I didn't hit him."

These are Cooke's comments after he learned of his suspension. It almost sounds like he is proud of himself for not throwing two cheap shots at those guys. It is part of his NHL DNA to do what he does. Can he really change his game?

He probably IS proud of himself for not throwing cheap shots. I met the guy, he's a total egotist prick that spent 15 minutes staring at himself in a mirror trying to "fix his hair" postgame because it "just didn't look right." SUCH a tool.

The problem with him being such a dirty-hit goon, is that he can actually play the game as well, so I have no idea why he has to play like such an asshat.

As for Lemieux, no surprise that he didn't jump all over the media again, last I checked he was ranting that teams with players making those kinds of hits should get fined. I don't hear him complaining that the Pens didn't get hit with a 10k fine for it.

[Trooper 8]

As for Lemieux, no surprise that he didn't jump all over the media again, last I checked he was ranting that teams with players making those kinds of hits should get fined. I don't hear him complaining that the Pens didn't get hit with a 10k fine for it.

Why in God's name would he complain that they didn't get fined according to a rule that doesn't exist? He's pushing for the rule, at least criticize him for something legitimate instead of building a strawman to tear down.

[Steve_v3 289]

What's he going to say? At this point any additional comments from the organization aren't going to make things better. The GM and the coach threw him under the bus, they need to walk a very fine line if they want him to come back or be able to get any value out of him in a trade. Mario should have kept his mouth shut the first time, opening it again isn't going to improve the situation.

What would he say? The GM already spoke for the team on the issue and Shero was the most outspoken at the meetings about increasing the penalties for headshots.

I wasn't suggesting that he needed to say anything else. If he said nothing to begin with there would be no reason to criticize him at all.

He only says anything is when it personally effects him. If the Isles/Pens game was two different opponents He wouldn't have made a peep.

[Fire0nIce228 1]

People complained that he didn't speak out enough, then he speaks out and people complain, and then he goes silent again and people complain about that. He even said that under his proposal for penalties and fines his team would have lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines. Still wasn't good enough. Mario can't win. Why would he say anything?

[Chadd 916]

He even said that under his proposal for penalties and fines his team would have lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines. Still wasn't good enough. Mario can't win. Why would he say anything?

"His proposal" had been in discussion for a while before he sent that letter to the league. As Yzerman implied, if he really cares, he should be working to fix the problems and not grandstanding. It's great that he's on board with the concept, but sending letters and releasing them to reporters isn't how you fix things in the NHL. In fact, it seems to be the best way to kill momentum on just about any subject.

[troy 12]

"His proposal" had been in discussion for a while before he sent that letter to the league. As Yzerman implied, if he really cares, he should be working to fix the problems and not grandstanding. It's great that he's on board with the concept, but sending letters and releasing them to reporters isn't how you fix things in the NHL. In fact, it seems to be the best way to kill momentum on just about any subject.

Maybe Mario is smarter than we give him credit for, and is looking out for the Pens' bank account.

[Trooper 8]

"His proposal" had been in discussion for a while before he sent that letter to the league. As Yzerman implied, if he really cares, he should be working to fix the problems and not grandstanding. It's great that he's on board with the concept, but sending letters and releasing them to reporters isn't how you fix things in the NHL. In fact, it seems to be the best way to kill momentum on just about any subject.

Dunno, I don't see the NHL as a league that gets things done. I think the old guard is reticent to change. Maybe throwing it out there will help. I saw more coverage of his comments than the NHL generally gets in the MSM. Honestly, there are too many hockey people running the NHL if that makes any sense. It could be that talk of changing the game is taken as an implication that the eras they played in need improved, but that's just speculation on my part.

[DarkStar50 679]

^ + 1 !! There are too many "hockey people" running the NHL with an incredible old school mentality that is hurting the game in a lot of ways. The NHL is so slow to implement change that by the time they do, the original problem they have attempted to solve is not the most pressing matter at hand. Look how long it took to get Rule 48 on the books, yet since then head shots and concussions are still a major problem. And don't think that having Brendan Shanahan on board with the NHL office as a VP is a new voice for the players. His salary is now paid for by the NHL so he will be following the company line. He is now heading up a committee with Rob Blake to study equipment. This is a guy that wore the same broken down set of shoulder pads for 15 years. Equipment may contribute to injuries but it is not the reason players get hurt. It is how the players play the game that is responsible for how they injure one another.

I also believe that the NHL administration has little to no idea that how they manage the game of hockey at the professional level is how everyone believes the game of hockey can and should be played. The NHL is the steward of the game. What NHLers do, right or wrong, is how youth hockey, college hockey, junior hockey, and on believe is the way the game should be played. Therefore, when people like Brian Burke continue to carry so much influence on the style of play of professionals while ignoring the major ramifications of their actions and decisions, they are not helping the game but are hurting it. The NHL administration wants to believe that they can continue to manage the game within their own universe but they underestimate the implications of their actions in the short and long term for the game of hockey.

[Chadd 916]

The league shouldn't leave decisions on rules and enforcement up to the GMs. There has to be some level of independence and leadership shown from the league office on certain issues. Much like the NFL has done with protecting their players and telling everyone to get out their checkbook if they tell anyone that they don't like it, the NHL head office needs to put forth new standards and tell everyone to get on board or get a new job.

That brings us to the NHL office and their senior vice president, Colin Campbell. You know, they guy that sent emails to the director of officials, like an angry bantam parent send to a coach. The guy that has so completely muddled the supplementary discipline that no player, coach, GM or media personality has the slightest clue what's going to happen on any particular situation. The guy that has told the officials that he doesn't want "weak" calls, and goes by his own personal definition and not what was put in place after the lockout.

The league needs someone progressive in that position. Someone that understands that you need to do what is best for the league, not what is best for your hopes of being a GM in the league again somewhere down the line. The NHL may have an interesting opportunity in the fall thanks to the NFL and NBA, too bad they're letting the old guard piss it away.

[DarkStar50 679]

Chadd, I agree with you 100%. It is incredible how the NHL is managed by a bunch of dinosaurs. I have followed this league long enough to say that the way Bettman and his crew run this league and hockey make the way John Ziegler and Al Eagleson ran the NHL actually look better. And we both know that come next fall, college football will still steal any thunder the NHL thought they may have. There will be football in the fall, only it will be the Saturday games that America gets its' football fix from. The NHL doesn't stand a chance of gaining from the NFL's lock out.

[Chadd 916]

Chadd, I agree with you 100%. It is incredible how the NHL is managed by a bunch of dinosaurs. I have followed this league long enough to say that the way Bettman and his crew run this league and hockey make the way John Ziegler and Al Eagleson ran the NHL actually look better. And we both know that come next fall, college football will still steal any thunder the NHL thought they may have. There will be football in the fall, only it will be the Saturday games that America gets its' football fix from. The NHL doesn't stand a chance of gaining from the NFL's lock out.

I agree to a point, the NHL will likely end up in front of more casual fans as broadcaster fill up sunday afternoon time slots and people are conditioned to watch at those times. A small number of those people becoming semi-serious fans would be one hell of an overall increase to the NHL.

[DarkStar50 679]

That's only if NBC starts putting the NHL on national TV in October, not January. NBC may not be interested if they have a golf commitment lined up or such. Casual hockey fans need winter weather to get interested in hockey. Can you say Winter Classic?

[chippa13 1844]

Trust me, with no NFL in the fall, NBC will definitely be doing Sunday afternoon games. It would be absolutely foolish not to. Golf won't be getting in the way because most of NBC's golf coverage on Sundays doesn't start until 2-3 pm anyway.

[DarkStar50 679]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/mike-milbury-sees-the-light/article1955880/

[trevor13478 1]

I think it's hillarious how much of a hypocrite Mike Milbury is. On his Instigators show he was bashing the Islanders after that NYI-PIT game for calling up goons for the game, when he did exactly the same thing first time the Bruins played the Pens after the Samuelson hit on Neely. He also consistently bashes guys who are only in the league to fight and talks about how staged fights are bad for league. I'm not old enough to have seen him play, but wasn't he quite the goon himself? I know he was one the guys fighting in the stands in that Bruins-Rangers game in 79 (and i think he had some words about Rick Rypien's incident). Most of the time the excuse he uses is that its a different time now but come on, you can't really take the guy seriously when he's preaching against the stuff he made a career out of. It also seems like one week he's discussing how great a fight was and the next he's saying how it's bad for the game. If he truly has changed his colors and realizes the error of his ways thats fine, but it seems like he goes back and forth every few games.

[DarkStar50 679]

Leave it to kids to get the message out:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/boy-band-takes-a-shot-at-don-cherry-and-hockey-violence/article1957560/

[Trooper 8]

I think it's hillarious how much of a hypocrite Mike Milbury is.

The guy is the epitome of an a$$. Watched him last night a little bit defending Recchi's stupid comments and realize he pretty much embodies the old guard mentality of hockey that thinks they know more than everyone else but can't figure out why their league is second tier (as a commercial entity, not quality of play).

[EBondo 233]

See ya Todd Bertuzzi.

[camhockey16 5]

See ya Todd Bertuzzi.

not sure of his intent - but its an elbow to the head regardless - i think its either going to be the same as cooke to send a message or else 5 games

[zachary 2]

The angle you see it from isn't that good but it looks like he lifts his arm up at the last second to avoid elbow/shoulder contact with the head. Looks like his ribs kinda hit him.

[Trooper 8]

They have to suspend TB. They are in no position to be splitting hairs at this point. I don't think it was malicious, but it was reckless.

[Steve_v3 289]

They have to suspend TB. They are in no position to be splitting hairs at this point. I don't think it was malicious, but it was reckless.

I agree. At least two games.

[Chadd 916]

This doesn't even have anything to do with the new headshot rule, this is an old-fashioned suspension. Given that Heatley got two for his elbow and is not considered a repeat offender, Bertuzzi should be seeing 5+. My guess is more like 3-5.