Confirmed with Link: Alex Edler suspended three games

[AaronDellForPrez]

Edler loses $182,926.83

Ouch.

Edler's just a dirty player. At least Raffi Torres has made great strides in eliminating that aspect of his game. Edler, the repeat offender, not so much.

He's very lucky Hertl wasn't injured, or it would have been double-digit suspension time.

Also, that one video clip closeup they are copy/pasting in the canucks forum is misleading - the other angles are a lot better at showing the entire context of the hit, and you can see edler just zeroing in on hertl, noticing his head was down, and targeting him specifically for what he recognized as a vulnerable position.

Edler had eons to make a better decision. He had no interest in playing the puck. The wider angle videos abundantly show his single-minded intent to deliver an injury. I saw it, everyone saw it, the league saw it, the league was consistent. Of course there will be some whiners who want the old "kill the other guy" NHL. That NHL is gone, fortunately - and now more NHL players will be able to experience normal life after their playing time, normal lives with their families and kids, with more-intact brains.

For those that say "screw the players - scramble their brains for our entertainment" - well, I have no tolerance for them. The league isn't going to allow goons like Edler to keep this up.

 

[Alwalys]

Edler's just a dirty player. At least Raffi Torres has made great strides in eliminating that aspect of his game. Edler, the repeat offender, not so much.

He's very lucky Hertl wasn't injured, or it would have been double-digit suspension time.

Also, that one video clip closeup they are copy/pasting in the canucks forum is misleading - the other angles are a lot better at showing the entire context of the hit, and you can see edler just zeroing in on hertl, noticing his head was down, and targeting him specifically for what he recognized as a vulnerable position.

Edler had eons to make a better decision. He had no interest in playing the puck. The wider angle videos abundantly show his single-minded intent to deliver an injury. I saw it, everyone saw it, the league saw it, the league was consistent. Of course there will be some whiners who want the old "kill the other guy" NHL. That NHL is gone, fortunately - and now more NHL players will be able to experience normal life after their playing time, normal lives with their families and kids, with more-intact brains.

For those that say "screw the players - scramble their brains for our entertainment" - well, I have no tolerance for them. The league isn't going to allow goons like Edler to keep this up.

This.

 

[Leidi J]

Edler's just a dirty player. At least Raffi Torres has made great strides in eliminating that aspect of his game. Edler, the repeat offender, not so much.

He's very lucky Hertl wasn't injured, or it would have been double-digit suspension time.

Also, that one video clip closeup they are copy/pasting in the canucks forum is misleading - the other angles are a lot better at showing the entire context of the hit, and you can see edler just zeroing in on hertl, noticing his head was down, and targeting him specifically for what he recognized as a vulnerable position.

Edler had eons to make a better decision. He had no interest in playing the puck. The wider angle videos abundantly show his single-minded intent to deliver an injury. I saw it, everyone saw it, the league saw it, the league was consistent. Of course there will be some whiners who want the old "kill the other guy" NHL. That NHL is gone, fortunately - and now more NHL players will be able to experience normal life after their playing time, normal lives with their families and kids, with more-intact brains.

For those that say "screw the players - scramble their brains for our entertainment" - well, I have no tolerance for them. The league isn't going to allow goons like Edler to keep this up.

Truth is, this hit is nearly identical to the Torres hit. How anyone didn't see this suspension coming a mile away yesterday I just don't understand. Even if you don't agree with the stringent interpretation of the rules, that's clearly how it's going to be from now on. I don't know why we go on and on dissecting the wording. Contact with the head = suspension. One way or the other Shanny will find a way to interpret the rules and make it so. And I agree with that approach. Don't want to see any player's career ended for something so stupid.

 

[Alaskanice]

Truth is, this hit is nearly identical to the Torres hit. How anyone didn't see this suspension coming a mile away yesterday I just don't understand. Even if you don't agree with the stringent interpretation of the rules, that's clearly how it's going to be from now on. I don't know why we go on and on dissecting the wording. Contact with the head = suspension. One way or the other Shanny will find a way to interpret the rules and make it so. And I agree with that approach. Don't want to see any player's career ended for something so stupid.

Can I get this on a shirt??

 

[SactoShark]

People keep slowing this down and dissecting it. The truth is show in full speed. Edler coasts towards the puck, then leans in hard and pops Hertl in the head.

I keep reading about Hertl skating straight into Edler. That's not what happened at all. Edler knew where he was going with that move. Hertl was just going for the puck.

 

[TomasHertlsRooster]

He really didn't deserve the suspension but anybody who didn't expect this is silly. I'm no expert but I saw this coming from a mile away

 

[DrFeelgood]

Trying to read the thread on the main boards about this has reminded me why I never go to the main boards

 

[Lazyking]

Blah. 3 games is fine but intent should hold more weight then injury on a play. Whether someone gets injured or not, the clear intent by Edler there was to injure, otherwise he wouldn't have hit Hertl like that.

 

[Arrch]

How he got the same as Stuart even though he has prior history is weird. I guess injury on the play has more weight than intent even though that seems completely backwards.

It makes more sense if you think of it like this:

Length of the suspension is X given the severity of the hit and the offending player's history.

Length of the suspension is X + Y given that there was ALSO an injury that resulted from the player's recklessness.

Take this analogy with a grain of salt, but it's like a DUI: you'll get a stiffer punishment if you hit and injure/kill someone while driving under the influence.

 

[Blackbear]

Really think Edler should have a right to make that hit, but it's clearly the league has defined as suspendable, as we were surprised to learn with Torres.

Not trying to pick a fight but I don't think Edler did have a right to make the hit. Hertl did not have the puck nor did he just get it up off his stick. It was interference at least and there was definitely malice aforethought happening there. An why is HFboards so slow it can't keep up with m typing?

 

[SactoShark]

Trying to read the thread on the main boards about this has reminded me why I never go to the main boards

It's like an ASCII toilet.

 

[Tkachuk4MVP]

I had no problem with the hit, but who knows what the league is thinking suspension-wise these days.

 

[SharksFan1]

How he got the same as Stuart even though he has prior history is weird. I guess injury on the play has more weight than intent even though that seems completely backwards.

Shanny puts a lot of weight on if there was an injury or not. If Hertl was injured I would guess it would have been at least 5.

 

[Wedontneedroads]

Just seeing this hit for the first time and have two reactions.

How the hell was there not a penalty on that play?

This hit was way worse than Stuarts, so how is it only 3 games?

 

[matt trick]

Not trying to pick a fight but I don't think Edler did have a right to make the hit. Hertl did not have the puck nor did he just get it up off his stick. It was interference at least and there was definitely malice aforethought happening there. An why is HFboards so slow it can't keep up with m typing?

No offense taken. I think you may have misunderstood though. By the letter of the law, I think it is a suspendable hit, I would prefer that players have the opportunity to make that hit, but the NHL disagrees, and that is what matters.

 

[SharksFan1]

Trying to read the thread on the main boards about this has reminded me why I never go to the main boards

Seriously. It seems like it just keeps repeating itself every couple of pages.

 

[DrFeelgood]

Seriously. It seems like it just keeps repeating itself every couple of pages.

It's just pathetic trying to watch people rationalize a dangerous play

 

[Linkster]

Wyshynski's take on the suspension has a little bit of dinosaur / throwback attitude. Here's how he worded it: "We might think Edler’s hit was fine, and that he was a victim of circumstance here. But the NHL views it as a reverse-hit they want out of the game."

But then Wyshynski includes video of Edler's past hits on Kyle Clifford and Johan Franzen, and they're exact copies of the Hertl hit: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-p...ame-suspension-hit-sharks-195329243--nhl.html

 

[slocal]

It's like an ASCII toilet.

I spit out my water when I read this. Beauty

 

[The Nemesis]

Keep it about the on-ice incident and not the fanbases or what other boards are saying.

Everyone has a right to their opinion. They can be challenged on it, but not mocked for it.

thanks all

 

[sharksohnoes!]

A lot of teal colored glasses here. I'm sorry. It's just not as bad as everyone is making it out to be. Three is too many for Edler AND Stuart.

I can't remember which Sharks fan said it on the main boards, but we can't sit here and defend the hit on Perron then turn around and denounce Edler.

 

[Wedontneedroads]

No offense taken. I think you may have misunderstood though. By the letter of the law, I think it is a suspendable hit, I would prefer that players have the opportunity to make that hit, but the NHL disagrees, and that is what matters.

I think if Edler targets Hertl's body it would have been a beautiful hit. Edler appears to adjust his hit angle at the last second to directly target the head. I think Hertl's sneaky little stop had something to do with it as well. It looks like Edler expected him to keep going up along the boards.

Put a shoulder on Hertl's body or hip check him and and it is 100% clean.

 

[hockeyball]

A lot of teal colored glasses here. I'm sorry. It's just not as bad as everyone is making it out to be. Three is too many for Edler AND Stuart.

I can't remember which Sharks fan said it on the main boards, but we can't sit here and defend the hit on Perron then turn around and denounce Edler.

Certainly we can, if you are not letting emotion get into it.

Personally, I think the Perron hit was unique in that Joe was basically stationary and Perron ran into him, not the case here, and I don't have any problem with that hit.

That said, in general, I don't have a big problem with the Stuart hit in general, or the Edler hit for the most part (though i do think it was a little more blatent).

The fact is, the NHL DOES have a problem with it, and I get why, this is a business and they are doing what is best for the business. Guys committing suicide because of head trauma is NOT good business. I've said it before, and I'll keep saying it until it happens, this league WILL outlaw hits to the head the same way it outlaws high-sticking. It is your responsibility to control your body and any hits to the head of anykind will be an automatic penalty at some point, some will be suspensions. We are very quickly on that path and anyone who doesn't see that coming is dilluding themselves. This is the way it is, this is the new NHL, get over it and move on.

If you take that perspective, then yes, the suspension was totally warranted. Stuart got 3 games, Edler deserves 3 games, it's consistent. Whether you like it or not is irrelevant, that is what the NHL has decided, consistency is really all we have to argue on now. In this case, the suspension was very consistent.

 

[slocal]

I can't compare this to the Perron hit as the NHL actually can tell Edler and Stuart what to do differently. They had no clue what to tell Joe when he asked what he could have changed about the play.

 

[Blackbear]

I think if Edler targets Hertl's body it would have been a beautiful hit. Edler appears to adjust his hit angle at the last second to directly target the head. I think Hertl's sneaky little stop had something to do with it as well. It looks like Edler expected him to keep going up along the boards.

Put a shoulder on Hertl's body or hip check him and and it is 100% clean.

You mean except for the part about not being allowed to hit someone who doesn't have the puck?