Confirmed with Link: Chris Neil officially annouces his retirement

[jbeck5]

Even back then a few of hits were borderline for the times (Drury speficically).

What rule?
There was no blindside rule.

Players were allowed to finish their checks that they had lined up multiple seconds after they touched the puck. At one point I believe you had 3 seconds to finish your checks. Ask the Toronto Maple leafs forwards forchecking on redden 15 years ago.

There was no rule for checking to the head.

What rule did he almost break?

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

 

[Karl Prime]

What rule?
There was no blindside rule.

Players were allowed to finish their checks that they had lined up multiple seconds after they touched the puck. At one point I believe you had 3 seconds to finish your checks. Ask the Toronto Maple leafs forwards forchecking on redden 15 years ago.

There was no rule for checking to the head.

What rule did he almost break?

I never said he broke the rules back then - I said there were a few hits he had that would have been suspendable under today's rules and certainly some that weren't clean. A hit to the head is a hit to the head, regardless of the time period. Every Sens fan was pissed at the Pronger hit on McAmmond, which unbelievably wasn't even called a penalty (but that's another story).

I don't mean to sound like I'm Neil-bashing here because I'm not. For every check he made that was borderline there were dozens of clean ones and he was the ultimate master of knowing where the line was and not crossing it. I'm proud to say that we had a player on our team that played the way he did for so long without being suspended, but I also know that if his career started ten years later, that probably wouldn't be the case. And that's fine too, because they would have been circumstantial headshots (like Gryba-Eller), not intentional ones like Cooke and other dirty players.

 

[Bileur]

Warrior.

Thank you Chris for your years of blood and sweat for the Sens. You wore the uniform with pride and we were proud to have you.

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

Great player in his role, and a great person off the ice.

I hope his journey after hockey is just as fulfilling for him and his family.

 

[Inkling]

Alumni game wouldn't have been right without him.

 

[DrEasy]

Much more than a goon, he was a legit hockey player. Loved watching him and Fisher in the playoffs, finishing their checks like guided missiles. He brought a lot of swagger to a team than needed it. Great to have him as a Sens' lifer.

 

[The Professional]

I never said he broke the rules back then - I said there were a few hits he had that would have been suspendable under today's rules and certainly some that weren't clean. A hit to the head is a hit to the head, regardless of the time period. Every Sens fan was pissed at the Pronger hit on McAmmond, which unbelievably wasn't even called a penalty (but that's another story).

I don't mean to sound like I'm Neil-bashing here because I'm not. For every check he made that was borderline there were dozens of clean ones and he was the ultimate master of knowing where the line was and not crossing it. I'm proud to say that we had a player on our team that played the way he did for so long without being suspended, but I also know that if his career started ten years later, that probably wouldn't be the case. And that's fine too, because they would have been circumstantial headshots (like Gryba-Eller), not intentional ones like Cooke and other dirty players.

But Neil was still playing "10 years later", and he was still playing hard and finishing his checks and still didn't get suspended. What constituted a clean hit back in 2007 is different then today, back then the Drury hit was legal according to the rules. Times change. Neil played according to the rules of his time. When said rules changed, he adapted and ajusted to them, hence why he never got suspended in the later years of his career either.

 

[jbeck5]

I never said he broke the rules back then - I said there were a few hits he had that would have been suspendable under today's rules and certainly some that weren't clean. A hit to the head is a hit to the head, regardless of the time period. Every Sens fan was pissed at the Pronger hit on McAmmond, which unbelievably wasn't even called a penalty (but that's another story).

I don't mean to sound like I'm Neil-bashing here because I'm not. For every check he made that was borderline there were dozens of clean ones and he was the ultimate master of knowing where the line was and not crossing it. I'm proud to say that we had a player on our team that played the way he did for so long without being suspended, but I also know that if his career started ten years later, that probably wouldn't be the case. And that's fine too, because they would have been circumstantial headshots (like Gryba-Eller), not intentional ones like Cooke and other dirty players.

You said "even for the times, those hits were boarderline(especially the Drury one)" and I asked which rule back then did Neil come close to breaking with the Drury hit?

 

[slamigo]

One of the legit NHLers to play for the Sens. True warrior. Good luck to him in whatever comes next!

 

[coladin]

No one will put 25 on, it is too iconic. Might as well rightly retire it.

 

[thinkwild]

I remember when he first came up and some, I think they were Grand Rapids fans, compared him to Todd Harvey. Close. But Neil was an archetype of his role. We’ve heard many fans, commentators, and other team execs wish that they had a Chris Neil type player. I think many of us still wish we had one now. And yeah, most pims without a suspension is pretty impressive. Someone that knew how to fight for the team, not for himself.. And I love how he always tried to get the crowd going after the fight as he was leaving the ice. Always thought it was missing the point to call that hot dogging, it was getting the crowd and team going, often part of the reason for fighting. I think Havlat Fisher Neil was my fav line for him.

 

[Langdon Alger]

Great example of what hard work and dedication can do. He worked damn hard to get to the nhl and ended up playing over 1000 games all with one team. You have to put the work in on and off the ice, and he did it. Respect.

 

[TheBradyBunch]

Apparently Julien wanted to sign him but Bergevin was only willing to offer a PTO (Neil declined)

 

[Flamingo]

I absolutely love Chris Neil on the Sens. He knew how to rattle the opponent's cage like no other modern-day Senator. He was definitely one of the Mount Rushmore faces of the franchise for me throughout the 00's.

And I credit Neil with our victory over the Rangers by clobbering Tanner Glass when he was taking liberties with our players in the Rangers series this spring. No way we win that without Neil taking care of his teammates. Our offense had nothing going, and Glass was making our puck movers scared. Once he was put in his place, our boys played with much more confidence.

 

[Langdon Alger]

I absolutely love Chris Neil on the Sens. He knew how to rattle the opponent's cage like no other modern-day Senator. He was definitely one of the Mount Rushmore faces of the franchise for me throughout the 00's.

He wasn’t a hothead either, unlike Andre Roy. He could keep his emotions in check.

 

[BondraTime]

Alfreddson, Phillips, Neil. 3 of the guys who defined Sens hockey for a decade +.

 

[Flamingo]

I get to meet Chris Neil at some sort of fan appreciation/rally event. Reflecting on his years with the team, he was definitely one of my favourite players. In a way that you don't realize at the time.

What should I ask him?

 

[armani]

I get to meet Chris Neil at some sort of fan appreciation/rally event. Reflecting on his years with the team, he was definitely one of my favourite players. In a way that you don't realize at the time.

What should I ask him?

Ask him to use Melnyk as his punching bag.

 

[DrunkUncleDenis]

I get to meet Chris Neil at some sort of fan appreciation/rally event. Reflecting on his years with the team, he was definitely one of my favourite players. In a way that you don't realize at the time.

What should I ask him?

Ask him who was the biggest wiener on the team, i.e. who he hated standing up for the most lol

 

[pzeeman]

I get to meet Chris Neil at some sort of fan appreciation/rally event. Reflecting on his years with the team, he was definitely one of my favourite players. In a way that you don't realize at the time.

What should I ask him?

Ask him where to get a good, quick oil change.

 

[OD99]

Ask him who he genuinely disliked the most on the opposing team.

I could see he respects Domi as an example but who did he like to fight because he just didn't like them?

 

[TheBradyBunch]

Ask him if I saw him topless, chugging juice straight from the carton in my moms kitchen at 2 am, or if it was just the harmless, meandering dream of a child.

 

[armani]

Ask him who he genuinely disliked the most on the opposing team.

I could see he respects Domi as an example but who did he like to fight because he just didn't like them?

The answer is Adam Mair.

 

[Flamingo]

Ask him if I saw him topless, chugging juice straight from the carton in my moms kitchen at 2 am, or if it was just the harmless, meandering dream of a child.

Sounds more like Darcy Tucker, tbh.