Injury Report: Viktor Stalberg

[HockeyBasedNYC]

They always talk about preventing concussions these days and the principal point of contact being the head. With all of the concussion issues in sports and the knowledge we are gaining on the issue, any method you can devise to steer players clear of getting hit in the head should be considered and taken. That is, if the NHL is truly serious about cleaning up the number of concussions in the game.

Whether or not there is intent to injure is beside the point. Dangerous, blind side, uneven height, by mistake elbows and "punk hit" plays with the principal point of contact being the head should all be thought as contributing factors, with varying degrees of severity taken into consideration.

When Hagelin was suspended 3 playoff games for the Alfie elbow, the principal point of contact was the head. There was obviously no intent to injure as Hagelin is not a dirty player and is trying to help his team when a playoff game. He screwed up and he payed the price. Protecting players with previous concussions or if they are all-time greats is also part of this issue. This situation is a perfect example of how the NHL is going the wrong way here, IF they are truly serious about cleaning up the number of concussions in the game.

If a player is suspected of suffering a brain injury due to a direct hit to the head delivered by an opposing player, the play should be inspected to see if it was an event that could have been avoided. That's it. Not about intent to injure, not about the events leading up to that point in the game. Could the blow to the head have been avoided? In this case i believe it could have and he should have gotten at least 1 game.

Some say it was a good hit and Stalberg shouldn't be skating in the middle of the ice with his head down. Well, if you haven't realized it by now, players sometimes skate with their head down. That isn't going to change. And it may have been a good hit - Problem is he got his head and in this day in age its the responsibility of the hitter to avoid it by either not targeting a player with his head down, not hitting them as high or not hitting with as much force or not hitting them at all. Even if it was a perfect, face to face text book hit and the forward had his head down and the principle point of contact was the head, the hitter should be suspended.

That is, if the NHL is truly serious about cleaning up the number of concussions in the game.

 

[eco's bones]

I do not believe the NHL wants to implement a system that would possibly make things "right" or fair.

The only way to do so in my mind would be to have set mandatory punishment without considering intent. Since no one can ever prove intent it only makes sense. Yet that would mean they'd have to treat and punish all the players the same regardless of marketability and they would not, so it would just make it more transparent they are treating players differently. They are never going to apply the same rules to Pronger or AO as they do to others.

Similar to the officials, if they wanted more consistency they would have put in measures to get it. Even when they do, such as coaches challenges and reviews they still get it wrong often enough to question their intentions. They want the refs to manage the games, they want to be able to manage the refs. They'd lose a lot of power to be "subjective" by having consistency within the officiating and within the disciplinary system and I think they believe that would be bad for business.

FWIW---the concussion issue which seems to be a main issue in this thread is being handled better now than it used to be. There have always been predator type players. There can be fine distinctions between the suspendable and not suspendable of what they do. In the past they were often held accountable on the ice by opponents to a greater degree than they are these days.That was a control mechanism built right into the game--when the NHL takes away that control mechanism and tries to control it another way--away from the ice--punishing hitting and then fine tuning and fine tuning that some more---where is it going to end? Getting a concussion from a kind of whiplash effect of getting hit in the chest when you're not watching the play is unfortunate but what the hell? To me that is what happened to Stalberg and at the same time it is a predator kind of play by Gudas to recognize that the puck possessor has the puck but has no idea of where he is and so he steps up and crushes him. I have no particular problem with the hit other than it's our player. If one of our players goes after Gudas though I have no problem with that either---good hit or not. Some things should be answered for.

Anton Stralman walloped Andy Greene in the outdoor game a couple years ago. Huzzah. We've seen hits like these from Rangers players many times over the years. It's usually a d-man's hit. Most here will tend to defend their players or at least when it's technically legal. I don't think I agree altogether with how the NHL wants to micromanage the physical parts of the game. Some elements IMO should have been just left alone. IMO they stepped in at least in part of the concussion thing---because some teams--the Flyers for one couldn't seem to figure out how hurt their players might be and kept putting them back out on the ice to get hurt even worse.

 

[nevesis]

“@PLeonardNYDN: #NYR top six back to normal here in Greenburgh: Nash-Brassard-Zuccarello, Kreider-Stepan-Fast ... Stalberg on ice but Etem still in lineup”

 

[RGY]

“@PLeonardNYDN: #NYR top six back to normal here in Greenburgh: Nash-Brassard-Zuccarello, Kreider-Stepan-Fast ... Stalberg on ice but Etem still in lineupâ€

Like those lines.

 

[BobbyJet]

Problem is he got his head and in this day in age its the responsibility of the hitter to avoid it by either not targeting a player with his head down, not hitting them as high or not hitting with as much force or not hitting them at all. Even if it was a perfect, face to face text book hit and the forward had his head down and the principle point of contact was the head, the hitter should be suspended.

This.

Some players have adapted, by easing up in such situations (and obviously more players need to).

A player caught in a vulnerable situation can still be stopped in his tracks without trying to put him in the bleachers.

 

[nevesis]

“@HartnettHockey: #NYR head coach Alain Vigneault says Viktor Stalberg has been cleared to play, but Emerson Etem will dress against the #Leafs.”

 

[Ola]

This.

Some players have adapted, by easing up in such situations (and obviously more players need to).

A player caught in a vulnerable situation can still be stopped in his tracks without trying to put him in the bleachers.

Thx for your input!

I almost always agree with your line of thinking. I for example definitely thought Rinaldo should've been suspended.

But given the type of hit this is, I don't think it should be a suspension. A forward skating N-S got to be prepared to take a hit from a D skating S-N so to speak.

 

[Captain Lindy]

“@HartnettHockey: #NYR head coach Alain Vigneault says Viktor Stalberg has been cleared to play, but Emerson Etem will dress against the #Leafs.”

Woohooo!! Great news!!

 

[mandiblesofdoom]

“@HartnettHockey: #NYR head coach Alain Vigneault says Viktor Stalberg has been cleared to play, but Emerson Etem will dress against the #Leafs.â€

Good news. I really hope he is OK.

Interesting discussion in this thread. It's a challenge for the NHL. Hockey must allow the puck-carrier to be hit, but this can't be an excuse for hits that impact the head.

 

[HockeyBasedNYC]

Smart move, give Etem another game after a win while giving Stalberg about a week an a half with no contact since the next game is Tues vs. the Caps

 

[Captain Lindy]

Good news. I really hope he is OK.

Interesting discussion in this thread. It's a challenge for the NHL. Hockey must allow the puck-carrier to be hit, but this can't be an excuse for hits that impact the head.

Me too. He was beginning to really impress me with his play. I wasn't expecting much from him to begin with but he's been really good for us so far.

 

[HockeyBasedNYC]

Good news. I really hope he is OK.

Interesting discussion in this thread. It's a challenge for the NHL. Hockey must allow the puck-carrier to be hit, but this can't be an excuse for hits that impact the head.

To me its more about what science and research have provided on the subject as of late and what position the NHL wants to take.

You could go the route of the NFL and say its a contact sport and once the player steps on the field a concussion is likely. It is then up to the doctors and then player to get back on the field and if there is any long term damage, its not the leagues responsibility.

Or you can be proactive and try to take concussions out of the game, or at least limit them - which is what i think the NHL wants to do, though I haven't seen a full commitment to that after seeing hits like Gudas go undisciplined.

Like i said in my previous post - IF the NHL is serious about taking as many concussions out of the game as possible then they have to understand that any hit to the head could be a concussion, any hit to the head - or even violent shaking of the head without contact. A regular check or fall to the ice without any blow to the head could cause a concussion, especially for those who've had previous concussions.

Its a slippery slope when it comes managing that for a contact sport that is played within an enclosed rink that features a concrete base and surrounding reinforced high density plastic. You will never rid hockey of concussions you can only manage them, but to what degree?

 

[SnowblindNYR]

To me its more about what science and research have provided on the subject as of late and what position the NHL wants to take.

You could go the route of the NFL and say its a contact sport and once the player steps on the field a concussion is likely. It is then up to the doctors and then player to get back on the field and if there is any long term damage, its not the leagues responsibility.

Or you can be proactive and try to take concussions out of the game, or at least limit them - which is what i think the NHL wants to do, though I haven't seen a full commitment to that after seeing hits like Gudas go undisciplined.

Like i said in my previous post - IF the NHL is serious about taking as many concussions out of the game as possible then they have to understand that any hit to the head could be a concussion, any hit to the head - or even violent shaking of the head without contact. A regular check or fall to the ice without any blow to the head could cause a concussion, especially for those who've had previous concussions.

Its a slippery slope when it comes managing that for a contact sport that is played within an enclosed rink that features a concrete base and surrounding reinforced high density plastic. You will never rid hockey of concussions you can only manage them, but to what degree?

The NFL has definitely taken a proactive route. There's no physicality in the game anymore.

 

[Captain Lindy]

Here's a link to Andrew Gross on Stalberg... very good news. He says he suffered no concussion symptoms from the hit.

 

[Doctor King Schultz]

Here's a link to Andrew Gross on Stalberg... very good news. He says he suffered no concussion symptoms from the hit.

This is wonderful to hear, thanks.

 

[Igor Shestyorkin]

Really not seeing the hype here. Gudas is bigger, Stahlberg has his head down, you have your head down in the neutral zone, you are going to get cold-cocked. He didn't lift off his skates, he didn't do a flying elbow from my perspective when watching the tape a half-dozen times.

Stalberg is 3 inches taller and weighs 5 more pounds... so how is Gudas bigger?

And Stalberg's "head was down" because he was going after the puck, do you expect him to go after the puck with him looking to the sky?

 

[member 116805]

Ita ***** ass move to flatten someone thats already fightong for position with another player. 3rd man in is not allowed in a fight,how its allowed in a hit like that i dont know. Dirty

 

[Ex Officer Friendly]

ok so he has been cleared to play... thus this thread is no longer needed.

If we want to keep talking Stalberg pls continue that discussion right........


Here: http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1969897