Confirmed with Link: NHL and Shanny deems that Gryba gets 2 games

[BonkTastic]

Longtime lurking Blackhawks fan who also roots for the Sens (I got married in Ottawa), and I too am outraged about the suspension. You guys got hosed.

I still think Ottawa takes the series.

Think I just found Bonktastic's newest best friend

 

[DuckedUpOnQuack]

I don't think I've ever seen Aaron Ward more fired up than on the TSN panel discussing the suspension.

 

[ShippinUpToBoston]

Yep. Attempt to injure means jack ****. Player safety means jack ****. All that matters is the "clean" image of the league. If an injury makes the news, guaranteed suspension.

It doesn't help that it happened in Montreal against a Candien player. We all know how that team, media and fanbase act when things don't go their way. Biggest cry babies in all of sports.

 

[RedeyeRocketeer]

B's fan here posting in support.

If this sort of hit was consistently called illegal, I'd have no issue with it. However I feel that the message this now sends to players is that there's no real definition of what one of these hits is. You'd have no incentive to green light a guy cleanly now because the risk you run of this. Seems like it slows down a great game...

 

[Natey]

Habs fan here...

I'm pretty sure Shanahan just spins a wheel and gives out whatever it lands on for any "controversial" hit.

How a repeat offender like Brown gets 0-games (no hearing), a repeat offender like Ference gets just 1-game, but Gryba gets 2-games, I'll never understand.

He's terrible at his job.

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

B's fan here posting in support.

If this sort of hit was consistently called illegal, I'd have no issue with it. However I feel that the message this now sends to players is that there's no real definition of what one of these hits is. You'd have no incentive to green light a guy cleanly now because the risk you run of this. Seems like it slows down a great game...

It's damned frustrating. You could see last night the guys on the ice had no idea what they were allowed to do and they were just frozen. No one wants to take a bad penalty, yet no one knows what's allowable anymore.

It really feels like Shanahan did this on purpose because they didn't like hoe Eugene called them out on the lack of response for the Cooke stomp. Seems like now both the refs and the league office have it in for us.

 

[Harbinger]

It was like the guys got neutered last night and it was completely dis-heartening to watch.

 

[Zguy370]

It's damned frustrating. You could see last night the guys on the ice had no idea what they were allowed to do and they were just frozen. No one wants to take a bad penalty, yet no one knows what's allowable anymore.

It really feels like Shanahan did this on purpose because they didn't like hoe Eugene called them out on the lack of response for the Cooke stomp. Seems like now both the refs and the league office have it in for us.

Possibly., but I think if he didn't hand out any suspension, apart from the fact that the Canadiens have their own rule book, that the city would riot and all chaos would break loose like usual here (it was mentoined) what a moronic city/fan base

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

Possibly., but I think if he didn't hand out any suspension, apart from the fact that the Canadiens have their own rule book, that the city would riot and all chaos would break loose like usual here (it was mentoined) what a moronic city

lol, I just don't know what - if anything - is in their heads anymore. Suspend because of an injury, not intent...only when it's on Eller, but not on the Norris winning Karlsson? Say it's head contact, "not enough" body contact (wtf, has anyone even heard that before?), when replays clearly show it was shoulder to chest? Or deliberate attempts to injure (like Brown) are swept under the rug while a hit judged by everyone outside of Montreal as clean gets a suspension?

This feels like watching old tapes from the WWF, where 20k screaming fans can see a bad guy wrestler pull a wrench out of his pants and get away with murder while the only guy that matters - the ref - is completely clueless.

At this rate, I won't even be able to watch game 3...just way too hard on the nerves.

 

[ZekeA]

I do NOT post on what goes on up top for the most part, I just read the posts on the board to see what is going on. As the people of Ottawa know much more about what is going up top than I do......

This Gryba getting 2 games for what I thought was a legal hit, I watched the replays 12 times or more still do NOT see how they say it will cost him 2 games, crazy.................................

When Cooke cut Erik Karlsson with his skate, which I thought was intentional, he does not even have a hearing, makes me wonder what the Hell is going on with the NHL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Icelevel]

I do NOT post on what goes on up top for the most part, I just read the posts on the board to see what is going on. As the people of Ottawa know much more about what is going up top than I do......

This Gryba getting 2 games for what I thought was a legal hit, I watched the replays 12 times or more still do NOT see how they say it will cost him 2 games, crazy.................................

When Cooke cut Erik Karlsson with his skate, which I thought was intentional, he does not even have a hearing, makes me wonder what the Hell is going on with the NHL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

makes a lot of people wonder. also, gryba really got 3 games, he was ejected for most of the game AND the team had to play a man down for the remainder. Embarrassingly terrible.

 

[Crosbyfan]

Pittsburgh/Montreal fan here. Saw the hit in real time and at first thought Gryba picked the head.

Saw the replays, kept looking for it, but all I saw was the cleanest possible attempt at a legal hit, short of stopping playing hockey (and trying who knows what?)

I'm all for making the game safer, and would like to see results like this removed from the game, but don't see how Gryba is responsible on that play.

 

[mat_sens]

Funny, the more I watch the replay, the more I think it's clean. How can Shanahan say this was a hit to the head?

I have lost a lot of respect for the NHL. Bunch of clowns running this league

 

[Mazzie]

This is the ONLY video you need to watch to know that the NHL screwed this call up so bad, its a freaking terrible call.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83qHq-RgEGM

 

[Icelevel]

.....And this,

http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?id=123678


can anyone explain the differences between those hits that shanahan says are ok and the gryba hit? might be a good discussion.

 

[EK65IsAGod]

Also, this suspension is mostly due to the injury to Eller, but most of his injuries are due to him eating ice rather than the hit itslelf.

 

[Xspyrit]

Possibly., but I think if he didn't hand out any suspension, apart from the fact that the Canadiens have their own rule book, that the city would riot and all chaos would break loose like usual here (it was mentoined) what a moronic city/fan base

It's true to a degree, but they have tons of good/normal fans/people too (well at least my friends are lol). You just have to be really selective. But damn, they cry for injustice so much, they still think that everything is due to them... Why? Because medias keep talking about 24 cups but seriously 80% of those Cups were won in a 6 team semi-amateur regional league... Ottawa won 11 cups long ago too, it was kinda easy back then. Habs won 2 Cups in the last 35 years and that's what matters, it's now very hard to win it all... it's still good but not "superior" like they seem to think

So, my problem with that fanbase is that they think they are the center of the universe, which is annoying as hell. But you have no idea (well you do because you're from Montreal too) how much "bandwagonners" that fanbase have... You don't hear about the Habs a lot when they suck, but when they win, it's non-stop.

Funny, the more I watch the replay, the more I think it's clean. How can Shanahan say this was a hit to the head?

I have lost a lot of respect for the NHL. Bunch of clowns running this league

After a 3rd lockout in 3 years, I don't have much respect left... Well, it's not really respect, it's more about credibility

Not really that interested in the NHL anymore. I follow it but not as passionately as before

 

[PinkPanther]

Is there any process in place that can hold Shanahan accountable? If there is one, it's likely useless because the NHL regulates itself. There is no outside impartial body.

Despite what happened, the Sens have to focus on playing hockey and winning this series. They have to forge ahead.

On a side note, I've always heard of how whiny the Habs' fan base and the organization itself was but I always dismissed it. Since this incident I've changed my mind. I am of the opinion that Boston fans were right all along.

 

[SlapJack]

I've been thinking about it and wondering...if that was a hit to the head, then the suspension should have been far more severe. A blatant elbow to the head on Grabovski got one game - but he was fine after. Would it have been 2 games if he was knocked out? Probably. Copious blood on the ice but not caused by the hit? 2 games.

If it really was a hit to the head, would've been 5 or 10 or more.

 

[Slack]

It doesn't help that it happened in Montreal against a Candien player. We all know how that team, media and fanbase act when things don't go their way. Biggest cry babies in all of sports.

Yeah I'm quickly discovering that in this series. I thought Leafs were the worst through sheer ugly obnoxiousness, but this blubbering and crying is really something else.

 

[Hossa18]

Just to note also that former Hab Stefane Quintal is also on the player safety committee. Also not sure if Habs GM Marc Bergivin ever played with Shanahan or not.....There should be no bias when it comes to suspensions and maybe Shanahan should be gone....A former referee like K. Fraser would probably have less of a bias.

 

[DuckedUpOnQuack]

.....And this,

http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?id=123678


can anyone explain the differences between those hits that shanahan says are ok and the gryba hit? might be a good discussion.

I didn't watch this video until now. There's more head contact in some of those hits than on the Gryba one. To me this 100% proves the decision was purely based on PR.

 

[Benjamin]

It was like the guys got neutered last night and it was completely dis-heartening to watch.

Yup. Ward was right, players dont know whats allowed and not allowed anymore.

Fudge you Shanahan.

 

[Slack]

Just to note also that former Hab Stefane Quintal is also on the player safety committee. Also not sure if Habs GM Marc Bergivin ever played with Shanahan or not.....There should be no bias when it comes to suspensions and maybe Shanahan should be gone....A former referee like K. Fraser would probably have less of a bias.

And what's funny is that Fraser had a great segment on TSN breaking down the hit and showing clearly that the primary contact was hip-to-groin and shoulder-to-chest/shoulder.

I'm not sure that there was any team bias involved in the decision but I am 100% convinced that it was done because of publicity and to preserve a clean image for the league. Really sad when a respected former player becomes a league shill.

 

[DrEasy]

After a 3rd lockout in 3 years, I don't have much respect left... Well, it's not really respect, it's more about credibility

Yep, credibility will always be a question as long as you have a professional league in a conflict of interest due to the fact that the money they make depends on who wins. (that's true for all North American leagues, by the way).

Ideally you need a non-for-profit federation organizing the competition, or at least a body that doesn't have a stake in the result of the competition. Kind of how most competitions (like soccer of course) are held in pretty much the rest of the world outside North America.