Collton Yellowhorn Hit??

[trahans99]

Anyone see the hit? Who hit him? I'm guessing it was from behind as I turned it on as he was being lifted off on a stretcher. I'll see the highlights tonight on sportscentre but can anyone provide a link to the hit or give me some info on it. Was it a cheapshot?

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[fredez]

Crosscheck from behind, very ugly hit by Justin Mercier

 

[Verbal Kint*]

One of the ugliest cheapest hits I've seen in hockey. Mercier and Yellowhorn were both going for a puck along the boards when from 4-5 feet out Mercier cross-check him directly towards the boards. Yellowhorn fell and slid about six inches when he collided head on into the boards. Afterwards he tried to get up and fell back down after getting to his hands and kneess. He was (luckily) able to feel and move all his extremities afterwards and was aware of the happenings around him

 

[Wally112pac]

I had butterflies when i saw it on the replay.

Horrible cheap shot.

 

[ZombieMatt]

It was ugly, and so unnecessary, perhaps that's what is so disturbing about it.

The US had clearly won the game at this point...hopefully Yellowhorn is alright.

 

[Douggy]

Apparently he's fine. By fine, I mean not paralyzed.

 

[Fists of Fuhry]

Appropriate punishment?

Does anyone think that taking away Mercier's gold medal would be an appropriate punishment or is this too harsh?

 

[Hunter Gathers]

Does anyone think that taking away Mercier's gold medal would be an appropriate punishment or is this too harsh?

That's ridiculous and way too harsh for a kid who's not even 18.

 

[Hockeymomma]

Dirty

It was something to show the younger players why they have stop signs on their backs...I saw the very same exact type hit paralyze a teammate a 15 years ago. Very scary to see and more dangerous than stick and fist violence because of the end result...I'm sure Mercier regrets this enormously but it was one of the worst I have seen in elite hockey because these players should know better by now.

 

[Habsfan 32]

Does anyone think that taking away Mercier's gold medal would be an appropriate punishment or is this too harsh?

Way too harsh. He made the team and gave his all to win so he should not be punished for a bad act that I'm sure he regrets and hopes it never happened. I know the hit was bad but I don't think the kid should lose his medal because of it.

 

[octopi]

Too close to the boards and from behind, but look like he turn just as he got hit.

 

[acadienboy]

Really cheap shot.
And it was the only shift that Yellowhorn played in that game.

 

[Fists of Fuhry]

Way too harsh. He made the team and gave his all to win so he should not be punished for a bad act that I'm sure he regrets and hopes it never happened. I know the hit was bad but I don't think the kid should lose his medal because of it.

Well perhaps I suggest it - albeit harsh - because we're always talking about cleaning up the game but I hardly find that the punishment administered is anything more than a slap on the wrist. If anything, we should have more strict disciplinary actions ala the Bertuzzi situation to slowly help players realize that intent to seriously injure should not be a part of the game.

 

[bonefizzle]

Really cheap shot.
And it was the only shift that Yellowhorn played in that game.

ya i don't know what the canadian coach was thinking not playing him until then??? was there a reason for this, that i am not aware of???

the guy had more goals then anyone on the team in junior

 

[Macman]

Does anyone think that taking away Mercier's gold medal would be an appropriate punishment or is this too harsh?

Way too harsh. I seriously doubt Mercier did it on purpose. It was just a brain cramp, nothing more. Yellowhorn had his head down and that made it worse.

 

[SENSible1*]

Stupid play, but more careless than a premeditated cheap-shot.

 

[The HW]

Eh, the refs were letting a lot of 'penalties' go. That's not necessarily a bad thing in a Championship game, but these actions tend to escalate when left unchecked. I don't think they should take away the kid's medal, but I hope he gets a queasy feeling everytime he looks at it.

 

[Ville Isopaa]

I haven't seen the hit, but the idea of taking away the medal is, to me, way too harsh. I wouldn't have a problem with a suspension from national teams until he has turned 20 or something like that, but taking away the medal is not an appropriate punishment. Overall, the suspensions and fines for injuring someone intentionally should be raised a lot in order to clean up the game.

Also I think it would be good to make the teams hurt as well by fines or loss of points or something like that. This to force teams to clean up the game from within. No team could allow their players to injure other players intentionally. I'm not saying that any team really does that today, but they're not taking a stand against the constant injuries caused by their players.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Some of the comments in this thread are a bit ridiculous. What Mercier did was unacceptable, but let's not get carried away here. Geoff Paukovich was suspended for one game (two if you count the suspension his own team gave him) for a similar hit in the NCAA tournament.

 

[Fists of Fuhry]

Some of the comments in this thread are a bit ridiculous. What Mercier did was unacceptable, but let's not get carried away here. Geoff Paukovich was suspended for one game (two if you count the suspension his own team gave him) for a similar hit in the NCAA tournament.

Meh, personally I couldn't care less if Mercier got to keep his medal or not. I was just floating a radical suggestion to see what people feel is appropriate measures of punishment. I mean, the fact that these plays keep happening signifies to me that players aren't getting the message... but that's just my opinion

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Meh, personally I couldn't care less if Mercier got to keep his medal or not. I was just floating a radical suggestion to see what people feel is appropriate measures of punishment. I mean, the fact that these plays keep happening signifies to me that players aren't getting the message... but that's just my opinion

Don't get me wrong, what he did was dangerous and shouldn't be tolerated, but it was a brain fart, plain and simple. We're not talking Bertuzzi or Marty McSorley here. Also, who is going to enforce any sort of sanction against Mercier? The IIHF? USA Hockey? That's not going to happen, especially with Yellowhorn being "okay." If this was the CHL or NCAA I could see a suspension coming, but it wasn't.

 

[espo*]

No-one likes to see those hits but it was a combination of youthful enthusiastic energy in a big game and wrong decision in a speedy game.You know the kid does'nt want to seriousely hurt anyone.Decisions have to be made so quick in hockey,it's worse when you are young and in the biggest game of your life against an arch-rival.He'll learn from it and keep it in mind from here on in. As much as it makes a fan cringe to see it because you're worried the guy is gonna be paralysed or something these mistakes happen from time to time in these situations,unfortunately it's part of the game and everyone knows it when they sign on.
He just meant to take Yellowhorn out of the play and did'nt clue in fast enough to the position he was in and those decisions in those positions in a fast game like hockey are sometimes hard to make and you screw up.If it had of been some brutal clearly intended malicious hit that you could tell he wanted to take someone head first into the boards i'd be upset but i honestly don't think he meant that. Thankfully Yellowhorn is o.k. I'm sure Mercier learned a lesson from it and that's good.I'd leave it at that from this point personally.

 

[RorschachWJK]

Way too harsh. I seriously doubt Mercier did it on purpose. It was just a brain cramp, nothing more. Yellowhorn had his head down and that made it worse.

I have a hard time understanding how someone can crosscheck another player in the back by accident. That's absolute crap. Actions like that are done on purpose. Braincramps or not, stuff like this should be weeded out of hockey and a slap on the wrist is not gonna do it.

 

[RorschachWJK]

Meh, personally I couldn't care less if Mercier got to keep his medal or not. I was just floating a radical suggestion to see what people feel is appropriate measures of punishment. I mean, the fact that these plays keep happening signifies to me that players aren't getting the message... but that's just my opinion

I agree. Talking is not going to stop these things from happening, that much can be said now.

 

[Macman]

I have a hard time understanding how someone can crosscheck another player in the back by accident. That's absolute crap. Actions like that are done on purpose. Braincramps or not, stuff like this should be weeded out of hockey and a slap on the wrist is not gonna do it.

I'm not suggesting the crosscheck was accidental, but the result almost certainly was. Coaches teach defencemen to be physical to the point of bending and even breaking the rules and occasionally this is the result. If Yellowhorn hadn't have been hurt, we wouldn't be discussing this. It would have been just another physical incident among dozens that happen every game.