Around the NHL

[eco's bones]

I don't think it was the hit on Pettersson so much as Matheson throwing him to the ice and when he hits the ice that's where I think the injury comes from. I don't like it but I'm not sure that the NHL is going to suspend Matheson for that. It's not a high or blind side hit. It's more like a player pissed at another for showing him up and then overpowering him the first chance he got. Matheson targets Pettersson and there is an injury so the NHL has that much to work with.

 

[Tob]

I'd love to see a $2,000 fine or a 20 game suspension. Just something to really stoke the fire and make things real nasty.

 

[eco's bones]

Matheson is getting a phone hearing--so it's going to be 5 games or less.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

I'd love to see a $2,000 fine or a 20 game suspension. Just something to really stoke the fire and make things real nasty.

Same here. Just make it 20 games to take this out of hockey.

Matheson is getting a phone hearing--so it's going to be 5 games or less.

 

[Tob]

He's gonna get 3 games for roughing based on the inadvertent but consequent slamming of Petterson's shoulder and head into the ice into a way that Petterson was defenseless from.

 

[apoptygma]

Carolina - Winnipeg is a damn fun game even if there is few goals. Think I'll adopt Carolina as my 2. team for this season (watch them now fall flat and not qualify for the post-season).

 

[eco's bones]

Matheson and/or his agent are going to argue it was a hockey play. One player overpowering another in the heat of the moment and that he had no intention of injuring Petterssson. Just saying. It's not going to be a huge suspension--maybe two/three games I would guess. Depending on the league for real justice is taking a whole lot for granted IMO. Matheson should figure on answering the bell the next time the two teams meet. I think someone on Vancouver is going to come looking for him.

Honestly I think Forsberg's hit on Vesey last year was worse than that and was done with real predation and if I remember Filip got three games for that and Nashville fans raised a stink--didn't see any problem with the hit at all.....but when a player circles around the net really fast he ducks his head to streamline and his head swivels from north/south to south/north as quickly as he's turning and there's almost no way that someone can take in where everyone is around him until he's striding back up the ice and just as Vesey was using the net to shield himself and gain a step on his pursuer Forsberg was laying in wait on the opposite side of the net in a blind spot and he caught Vesey right smack in the middle of the face. IMO--Forsberg knew exactly what he was doing (for one thing he didn't have to hit him in the head) and Vesey's hockey IQ not being the swiftest he ran right straight into it. If someone had done that to me I would have been after them the next time we played. Vesey didn't do that though.

 

[Edge]

Matheson and/or his agent are going to argue it was a hockey play. One player overpowering another in the heat of the moment and that he had no intention of injuring Petterssson. Just saying. It's not going to be a huge suspension--maybe two/three games I would guess. Depending on the league for real justice is taking a whole lot for granted IMO. Matheson should figure on answering the bell the next time the two teams meet. I think someone on Vancouver is going to come looking for him.

Honestly I think Forsberg's hit on Vesey last year was worse than that and was done with real predation and if I remember Filip got three games for that and Nashville fans raised a stink--didn't see any problem with the hit at all.....but when a player circles around the net really fast he ducks his head to streamline and his head swivels from north/south to south/north as quickly as he's turning and there's almost no way that someone can take in where everyone is around him until he's striding back up the ice and just as Vesey was using the net to shield himself and gain a step on his pursuer Forsberg was laying in wait on the opposite side of the net in a blind spot and he caught Vesey right smack in the middle of the face. IMO--Forsberg knew exactly what he was doing (for one thing he didn't have to hit him in the head) and Vesey's hockey IQ not being the swiftest he ran right straight into it. If someone had done that to me I would have been after them the next time we played. Vesey didn't do that though.

Hockey's a fast sport and many of the decisions are split second. But part of the problem is that the league creates an out for players to be reckless. Trust me, if players knew some of the consequences, they'd slow it down half a step because the risk wouldn't be worth the reward. Right now, that isn't the case nearly often enough.

 

[eco's bones]

Hockey's a fast sport and many of the decisions are split second. But part of the problem is that the league creates an out for players to be reckless. Trust me, if players knew some of the consequences, they'd slow it down half a step because the risk wouldn't be worth the reward. Right now, that isn't the case nearly often enough.

I don't quite understand the 'if players knew some of the consequences, they'd slow it down half a step because the risk wouldn't be worth the reward' comment. I think players understand very well that targeting the head of opponents can easily lead to a suspension and the Wilson 20 game prize goes to a player who refuses to learn that lesson. Apart from Wilson and maybe a handful of others though I think players have got that message very clearly....and generally a player getting suspended for the first time for such is not going to do it again at least for a very long while. I also think that when a player can get an edge on an opponent in almost all cases he will---it's in the nature of sports in general. Whenever certain actions cross the line into being dangerous play is when a rule needs to be clearcut to circumvent those kinds of plays. Even then there will be players who will walk that edge all the time.

As far as last night I think a argument could be made that Matheson was a bit reckless but I wouldn't say he targeted Pettersson's head. He hit him in the upper body (not the head) and then threw him down. Matheson didn't make direct contact with his head. Pettersson's head may have banged off the glass a bit at impact from the upper body hit and when he fell it bounced off the ice. And IMO DOPS will look at all that. But IMO it wasn't a predatory hit in respect to many that have Wilson or Gudas have made.

 

[Edge]

I don't quite understand the 'if players knew some of the consequences, they'd slow it down half a step because the risk wouldn't be worth the reward' comment. I think players understand very well that targeting the head of opponents can easily lead to a suspension and the Wilson 20 game prize goes to a player who refuses to learn that lesson. Apart from Wilson and maybe a handful of others though I think players have got that message very clearly....and generally a player getting suspended for the first time for such is not going to do it again at least for a very long while. I also think that when a player can get an edge on an opponent in almost all cases he will---it's in the nature of sports in general. Whenever certain actions cross the line into being dangerous play is when a rule needs to be clearcut to circumvent those kinds of plays. Even then there will be players who will walk that edge all the time.

As far as last night I think a argument could be made that Matheson was a bit reckless but I wouldn't say he targeted Pettersson's head. He hit him in the upper body (not the head) and then threw him down. Matheson didn't make direct contact with his head. Pettersson's head may have banged off the glass a bit at impact from the upper body hit and when he fell it bounced off the ice. And IMO DOPS will look at all that. But IMO it wasn't a predatory hit in respect to many that have Wilson or Gudas have made.

Frankly, I think for many players, there's not a whole lot of risk for being reckless.

Maybe they get suspended a few games? No one is going to go after them, we've eliminated that response. The team replaces the offending player for a brief spell and everyone moves on except the player who was taken out.

But if a play like last night becomes an automatic 10 game suspension, and the team can't fill the roster spot. Now you've got a legit detriment. Personally, I don't really care if its predatory or not. Just like the league doesn't care if you meant to hit someone with your stick or not. Make the player responsible for their play.

By all means, the league can keep going down the route it is --- and there will be long-term consequences.

 

[East Coast Bias]

The reality is that the NHL, and the NFL can say whatever they want publicly but they cannot ignore the long term effect of these injuries (specifically head injuries). They know it can eventually cost them if they’re negligent.

People will say the NFL is ruined, and I understand the complaints on some of the penalties - the Clay matthews consecutive weeks of roughing the QB were particularly laughable - but the reality is that it hasn’t hurt the numbers. NFL numbers are up. Probably driven by daily fantasy and legal betting creeping it. The game is evolving and fans want to see shootouts.

After last nights KC-NE game I saw some people saying this is what you get when you can’t hit people or play defense. I get that. But it had a great rating and that’s the type of game the masses want. So when you say “the league has gone soft” - you can’t ignore that these are conscious marketing decisions It’s not just about injuries.

 

[eco's bones]

Frankly, I think for many players, there's not a whole lot of risk for being reckless.

Maybe they get suspended a few games? No one is going to go after them, we've eliminated that response. The team replaces the offending player for a brief spell and everyone moves on except the player who was taken out.

But if a play like last night becomes an automatic 10 game suspension, and the team can't fill the roster spot. Now you've got a legit detriment. Personally, I don't really care if its predatory or not. Just like the league doesn't care if you meant to hit someone with your stick or not. Make the player responsible for their play.

By all means, the league can keep going down the route it is --- and there will be long-term consequences.

For me predatory is worse. It speaks to intending to do something.

The thing last night struck me more as heat of battle but yeah if the NHL were to institute real penalties not just to players but to the teams that employ the players that could knock out a lot of nonsense so that when Tom Wilson blindsides his next victim Washington can't replace Wilson in the lineup (force them to play those 20 games one player short) for the length of his suspension then they might really start to think hard about it or even if the NHL were to routinely tack on say a 10 game (or more) suspension to any blindside hit to the head that results in a concussion or serious head injury. The NHLPA will fight against all that. For that matter they could even take standings points away from a team. 10 game suspension = 10 standings points. Maybe your team doesn't make the playoffs now because player X had to be an asshole and his teammates who use to think he was a great guy have real doubts about him now. The owners wouldn't like that one. For me right now there is not a lot that the NHL is currently doing to curtail dangerous players from doing what they do. A lot of the two/three game suspensions are laughable--the team with the injured player seems to almost always pay the higher price whether there is a suspension or not.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Hockey's a fast sport and many of the decisions are split second. But part of the problem is that the league creates an out for players to be reckless. Trust me, if players knew some of the consequences, they'd slow it down half a step because the risk wouldn't be worth the reward. Right now, that isn't the case nearly often enough.

I understand that hockey is a fast sport, but what Matheson did has nothing to do with it being a fast sport. He was embarrassed because a 19-year old rookie undressed him and made him look like a fool. It was retaliation for that. It's not as if he hit Pettersson in an attempt to get the puck

 

[Off Sides]

The players make split second choices all game long, they would not be NHLers if they lacked the capacity to do so, how to have them make at least somewhat safer choices should be the quest. Perhaps assuming the players knew what they were doing would be a good first step. They may not have known the outcomes but they probably knew that outcome was a possibility before they decided to facilitate it.

If I hit him from behind, he may get hurt?

If I hit him in the head he may get hurt?

If I spear him in the nuts or lick his face...

If the NHL thinks maybe they could have not do that, then punish them.

 

[Edge]

I understand that hockey is a fast sport, but what Matheson did has nothing to do with it being a fast sport. He was embarrassed because a 19-year old rookie undressed him and made him look like a fool. It was retaliation for that. It's not as if he hit Pettersson in an attempt to get the puck

And I think that's part of the problem. What's the real cost to him? A few games? His team has to call up a guy to fill in?

Now you start talking about 20 games for that. And maybe 40 games for someone with a track record, and tell the team they have to carry the dead roster spot, and now you're putting a sense of hesitation into players and teams.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

And I think that's part of the problem. What's the real cost to him? A few games? His team has to call up a guy to fill in?

Now you start talking about 20 games for that. And maybe 40 games for someone with a track record, and tell the team they have to carry the dead roster spot, and now you're putting a sense of hesitation into players and teams.

Fully agree. In rugby players are suspended for a set amount of time, rather than a number of games, and I have seen players suspended for a whole year for similar things. That suspension applies to all competitions.

What Matheson did, deserves at least 20 games due to the circumstances.

 

[Tob]

I unno, if this wasn't Petterson, I doubt there's a suspension. star rookie gets all the attention. If Vinni gets thrown down in the same way, there'd be zero attention and suspension for it. It's how it goes with penalties. The reffing has been at an all time bad for us and we're fresh into a rebuild. These biases are pretty atrocious. It is what it is.

 

[Richard Banger]

I understand that hockey is a fast sport, but what Matheson did has nothing to do with it being a fast sport. He was embarrassed because a 19-year old rookie undressed him and made him look like a fool. It was retaliation for that. It's not as if he hit Pettersson in an attempt to get the puck

Kid should learn. This is the NHL. Dont be embarrassing people unless you got some vets to help you out.

I honestly have no problem with what Matheson did. This is hockey not tennis.

 

[silverfish]

Honestly if you're going to play in the NHL at 95 lbs and you get hit, I mean, you have it coming. Amirite.

 

[BroadwayStorm]

I recently saw "Youngblood (1986)" for the first time. Starring Rob Lowe and Patrick Swayze. And some really hot girl. Man I loved it, its got a great soundtrack and its just so gloriously 80's. But I wonder if those chl teams actually exist.

 

[Edge]

I recently saw "Youngblood (1986)" for the first time. Starring Rob Lowe and Patrick Swayze. And some really hot girl. Man I loved it, its got a great soundtrack and its just so gloriously 80's. But I wonder if those chl teams actually exist.

Cynthia Gibb for a thousand, Alex.

 

[E-Train]

I recently saw "Youngblood (1986)" for the first time. Starring Rob Lowe and Patrick Swayze. And some really hot girl. Man I loved it, its got a great soundtrack and its just so gloriously 80's. But I wonder if those chl teams actually exist.

Send Staal back to the Thunder Bay Bombers.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Did anyone realize Matthews is shooting 50%? I initially thought he was having a great start to the season. With normal SH% numbers, he'd have more assists than goals so far this season.

 

[darko]

Honestly if you're going to play in the NHL at 95 lbs and you get hit, I mean, you have it coming. Amirite.

Agree. Kinda like how if you are 5"5 and under you deserve all the headshots that come your way.

 

[darko]

I understand that hockey is a fast sport, but what Matheson did has nothing to do with it being a fast sport. He was embarrassed because a 19-year old rookie undressed him and made him look like a fool. It was retaliation for that. It's not as if he hit Pettersson in an attempt to get the puck

This.