Do you realize how many ugly injuries in the last few years have involved the Habs?

[Big Phil]

I just thought of this the other day in lieu of the Chara hit. I think the hit was fine and Chara didn't have the luxury of watching it in slow motion on Youtube 20 times but that's another story.

Let's go back 10-15 years. There have been some ugly injuries in that time frame and for some reason there is an inordinate number of Habs players who are the victims:

Brian Savage 1999 - Admiring a shot, he gets clocked by Ian Laperierre with his head down. Can't remember the exact details but he suffered a serious neck injury

Trent McCleary 1999-'00 - Blocks a shot but hits him in the throat. One in a billion. Almost dies on the ice. Never played again.

Saku Koivu 2001-'02 - Maybe this doesn't count, but this is the sickness (cancer) in the last decade that got the most press, maybe even more than Pat Burns

Donald Audette 2001-'02 - Skate blade practically going over his wrist

Richard Zednik 2002 playoffs - Got clotheslined by Kyle McLaren. Cheap shot and was out the rest of the playoffs

Alex Perezhogin 2004 - Habs prospect who I always thought had star potential got involved in arguably the worst stick swinging incident caught on tape. In the minors at the time, but still

Chara/Max hit 2011 - No need to explain


In 2004 we were led to believe that Mike Ribeiro and Kovalev were dying on two seperate occasions. But they were okay so they don't make this list.


Anyway, I know I am missing some but I just thought it was weird how that happens. Little help with ones I missed?

Click to read more...

 

[x-bob]

It is really interesting but I tend to think that this happens to every team though.

Other ones that you missed are...

Andrei Markov: Sliced by a skate and re injured twice.


Mike Cammalleri: I can't remember the scenario too well but it was a freak play where he flew into the boards and his leg got caught against the boards. I think it was a torn MCL but the incident was very ugly.

 

[LeBlondeDemon10]

The Habs may be unlucky, but this is what hockey has evolved into. It won't be long before someone dies on the ice. To think that Patches career may be over is disheartening. He was just breaking out too.

It also won't be long til a superstar is the victim of a legal or illegal play that results in a long term injury. Maybe Crosby's injury is already the one? But whether they are legal or illegal incidents, the NHL has to start looking at how the current state of the game is damaging its biggest asset, its product. When prospects and superstars start going down, you would think that they have to be concerned.

 

[buffalowing88]

I just thought of this the other day in lieu of the Chara hit. I think the hit was fine and Chara didn't have the luxury of watching it in slow motion on Youtube 20 times but that's another story.

Let's go back 10-15 years. There have been some ugly injuries in that time frame and for some reason there is an inordinate number of Habs players who are the victims:

Brian Savage 1999 - Admiring a shot, he gets clocked by Ian Laperierre with his head down. Can't remember the exact details but he suffered a serious neck injury

Trent McCleary 1999-'00 - Blocks a shot but hits him in the throat. One in a billion. Almost dies on the ice. Never played again.

Saku Koivu 2001-'02 - Maybe this doesn't count, but this is the sickness (cancer) in the last decade that got the most press, maybe even more than Pat Burns

Donald Audette 2001-'02 - Skate blade practically going over his wrist

Richard Zednik 2002 playoffs - Got clotheslined by Kyle McLaren. Cheap shot and was out the rest of the playoffs

Alex Perezhogin 2004 - Habs prospect who I always thought had star potential got involved in arguably the worst stick swinging incident caught on tape. In the minors at the time, but still

Chara/Max hit 2011 - No need to explain


In 2004 we were led to believe that Mike Ribeiro and Kovalev were dying on two seperate occasions. But they were okay so they don't make this list.


Anyway, I know I am missing some but I just thought it was weird how that happens. Little help with ones I missed?

That was as gruesome of an incident as I've ever seen. Absolutely horrifying.

 

[finchster]

The Habs may be unlucky, but this is what hockey has evolved into. It won't be long before someone dies on the ice.

Players have died on the ice before in numerous circumstances, hockey hasn't evolved this way, it has always been a violent game where death is a possibility.

Player| Year died
Owen McCourt |1907
Edgar Dey |1912
Howie Morenz* |1937
Bill Masterton |1968
Paul Fendley |1972
Miran Schrott|1992
Bengt Ã…kerblom |1995
Graham Christie|1997
Jaxon Logan|2005
Don Sanderson|2009

*Morenz died as a result of on ice injuries, after surgery to his leg

This also doesn't take into account situations where players careers were ended in the past, (Ace Bailey/Eddie Shore 1933) or very violent plays (Ted Green/Wanye Maki 1969). I am not trying to justify these actions in anyway shape or form, but if someone does die, it has happened before and hockey has always been violent. It is the youtube generation where nothing can ever die and all video lives on forever to be shown over and over again at will.

I don’t necessarily believe hockey is any more or less violent than in the past. How many hits or plays from the 90’s, if occurred today, would be considered dirty or make us think hockey is more violent? Should there be changes for safety? Yes, but I reject the notion that hockey is some how dirtier today.

 

[arrbez]

Players have died on the ice before in numerous circumstances, hockey hasn't evolved this way, it has always been a violent game where death is a possibility.

Player| Year died
Owen McCourt |1907
Edgar Dey |1912
Howie Morenz* |1937
Bill Masterton |1968
Paul Fendley |1972
Miran Schrott|1992
Bengt Ã…kerblom |1995
Graham Christie|1997
Jaxon Logan|2005
Don Sanderson|2009

*Morenz died as a result of on ice injuries, after surgery to his leg

This also doesn't take into account situations where players careers were ended in the past, (Ace Bailey/Eddie Shore 1933) or very violent plays (Ted Green/Wanye Maki 1969). I am not trying to justify these actions in anyway shape or form, but if someone does die, it has happened before and hockey has always been violent. It is the youtube generation where nothing can ever die and all video lives on forever to be shown over and over again at will.

I don’t necessarily believe hockey is any more or less violent than in the past. How many hits or plays from the 90’s, if occurred today, would be considered dirty or make us think hockey is more violent? Should there be changes for safety? Yes, but I reject the notion that hockey is some how dirtier today.

Sergei Zholtok did as well, didn't he?

 

[Mayor Bee]

Players have died on the ice before in numerous circumstances, hockey hasn't evolved this way, it has always been a violent game where death is a possibility.

Player| Year died
Owen McCourt |1907
Edgar Dey |1912
Howie Morenz* |1937
Bill Masterton |1968
Paul Fendley |1972
Miran Schrott|1992
Bengt Ã…kerblom |1995
Graham Christie|1997
Jaxon Logan|2005
Don Sanderson|2009

*Morenz died as a result of on ice injuries, after surgery to his leg

This also doesn't take into account situations where players careers were ended in the past, (Ace Bailey/Eddie Shore 1933) or very violent plays (Ted Green/Wanye Maki 1969). I am not trying to justify these actions in anyway shape or form, but if someone does die, it has happened before and hockey has always been violent. It is the youtube generation where nothing can ever die and all video lives on forever to be shown over and over again at will.

I don’t necessarily believe hockey is any more or less violent than in the past. How many hits or plays from the 90’s, if occurred today, would be considered dirty or make us think hockey is more violent? Should there be changes for safety? Yes, but I reject the notion that hockey is some how dirtier today.

I think from the standpoint of arguing that hockey is a violent game, most of these don't stand up to scrutiny. Masterton, Fendley, and Sanderson were all a direct result of an unhelmeted head striking the ice. Logan, Christie, and Schrott were caused by commotio cordis; only Schrott's was a result of an opponent's actions. The current opinion on Morenz is that his treatment in the hospital was negligent and never should have resulted in his death. Ã…kerblom died from a skate to the neck...basically, McCourt's death is the only one that was actually caused by on-ice violence.

Bill James once did an extensive study to see whether the use of the beanball was increasing or decreasing over time, which included a supplemental listing of players who died as a result of being hit by a pitch. I can dig that up and post it if you'd like.

 

[finchster]

Sergei Zholtok did as well, didn't he?

Yeah, he and Cherapanov died on the ice but due to a heart condition, I wouldn't really count it because it was unrelated to the game.

I think from the standpoint of arguing that hockey is a violent game, most of these don't stand up to scrutiny. Masterton, Fendley, and Sanderson were all a direct result of an unhelmeted head striking the ice.

While not particularly violent acts, there is a risk involved when you play hockey. It isn’t common, but players have died on the ice due to the regular course of play. It was more to illustrate that hockey is dangerous and injury or death is a reality in the past, not just today.

About a year ago I was involved in a project where I and other people researched news paper articles from the Globe and Mail related to hockey between the years of 1910-1999.

One of common story since the beginning was, “Player is hurt, is hockey too violent?” All the same arguments I see today I saw in whatever era when someone was hurt. The biggest difference being, there was no video, and newspapers had to rely on reports other than their own for out of town incidents. In this era, stories of violence were easily forgotten, no video existed, and it would be lost to history as soon as you threw away your newspaper.

In my opinion, hockey has always been violent and accidents have always happened where people got hurt or worse. I don’t think it is particularly new phenomenon, and before youtube, or games were on video, it was easy to forget they happened. Today, everything that happens on the ice is captured; the slash to someone’s leg in the 1950's is lost to history unlike the one from tonight. I believe hockey appears more violent today, but I am not convinced it is the case.

 

[mbhhofr]

I officiated the game for 35 years at every level. I've participated in and been a spectator at thousands of games, dating back to the early 1950's. Is hockey a violent game? At times, yes. I've seen a stick fight, in minor pro, where one player actually tried to spear his opponent in the eyes. In Jr. I saw a player, who had just cleanly body checked an opponent to the ice and was standing over him, get kicked by that player and have his jugular slashed. I've had to break up fights that were spontaneous and also planned.

Is it a violent game? It's a game played where players wear razor sharp blades on their feet. The players skate at speeds of 20-30 miles per hour on a hard ice surface and body check each other. They carry a stick in their hands that can be used for slashing, tripping, cross checking, high sticking or spearing an opponent. They are in a confined area surrounded by boards and plexiglass. There's no out of bounds in hockey. Play is continuous and players change on the fly. They shoot a hard rubber disc that can exceed speeds of over 100 miles per hour. It's an emotional game. Unfortunate incidents, whether clean or dirty, that can and do happen in a split second, will always be a part of the game.

 

[Halifaxhab*]

There are 100s of examples of violence. But it's the severety of the injury or the sheer disgust that really shock people awake.


Clint Malarchuck taking a skate to the throat. - I remember all minor hockey players needeing mandatory neck guards almost overnight from this.

Trent McCleary taking a puck to the throat and needing a tracheotimy to live. - This forced the NHL to have improved Medical staff training.

Alex Perezhogin swinging his stick (honestly I felt he should have been suspended for life on that one....total disgust when I saw that)

Mike Richards/Matt Cooke. - Blindside hits now illegal

And now the latest incident. I really hope this causes the league and hockey in general to make some changes safety wise

 

[Psycho Papa Joe]

As a Hab fan, I'm sick of seeing Dr. Mulder on the ice.

 

[norrisnick]

There are 100s of examples of violence. But it's the severety of the injury or the sheer disgust that really shock people awake.


Clint Malarchuck taking a skate to the throat. - I remember all minor hockey players needeing mandatory neck guards almost overnight from this.

Trent McCleary taking a puck to the throat and needing a tracheotimy to live. - This forced the NHL to have improved Medical staff training.

Alex Perezhogin swinging his stick (honestly I felt he should have been suspended for life on that one....total disgust when I saw that)

Mike Richards/Matt Cooke. - Blindside hits now illegal

And now the latest incident. I really hope this causes the league and hockey in general to make some changes safety wise

Fischer collapsing in '05 mandated team doctors being near the ice surface as opposed to a luxury box. The Wings' doctor was about 5 rows up from the bench and that along with the auto-defib saved his life.

 

[LeBlondeDemon10]

Players have died on the ice before in numerous circumstances, hockey hasn't evolved this way, it has always been a violent game where death is a possibility.


Definitely. However, I would say that those incidents were the result of being inappropriately equipped (as you pointed out) or the result of a direct intention to injure. My point is that now more than ever, there is the possibility of a player dying on the ice even when they are appropriately equipped and if there was no intent to injure. The more I see the Chara hit, the more inclined I am to think that he did not intend to injure as the play happened so fast. However, his intent was to forcefully take his opponent out which is part of the game. When legal ways of taking a player out of the play can result in near death or death, we have a problem.

 

[Ross MacLochness]

Little help with ones I missed?

Koivu torn retina in '06 playoffs. (With the Habs up 2-0 in the series and 1-0 in the 3rd period of game 3, of course)

Almost as bad as the Berard incident. There were serious doubts he would ever play again and even if he did, would he ever be near the same player he was. Even into training camp most thought his production would drop dramatically.

Just so many freak injuries/ illnesses for one city. The Markov play last year looked completely harmless and somehow a tendon on his ankle gets severed.

The Donald Audette play was brutal, Habs had just acquired him and he was bringing some much needed offense to an already injury riddled team. Then boom, there go 11 of the 12 tendons on his wrist.

 

[JaymzB]

I'm still convinced the Ghost's we pissed at the team moving from the Forum, and this is their retribution

 

[JaymzB]

In 2004 we were led to believe that Mike Ribeiro and Kovalev were dying on two seperate occasions. But they were okay so they don't make this list.

I think you are being a bit hard on Kovalev here. He stopped skating and bumped into Souray, but it doesn't compare to what Ribeiro did.

 

[Briere Up There*]

Ribeiro's leg kicking was absolutely pathetic. He looked like a baby.

I mean, looking back, it was hilarious how much he pissed the Bruins off. But he still made a fool of himself.

 

[TheMoreYouKnow]

Various soccer players have died, one not too long ago I think even due to physical impact of an opponent. Hockey is a more violent sport than soccer but really life is full of risk, stuff can happen anywhere at any time.

As a modern society we have created this illusion of safety being the normal state and really our advances in technology etc. have made that *almost* correct, at least for people in the West. But in reality, accidents, disease, violence, all that happens all the time around us and when it intrudes on our perceptions and maybe even lives we act shocked but really the degree of safety we have achieved is actually much more stunning.

 

[jkrx]

Players have died on the ice before in numerous circumstances, hockey hasn't evolved this way, it has always been a violent game where death is a possibility.

Player| Year died
Owen McCourt |1907
Edgar Dey |1912
Howie Morenz* |1937
Bill Masterton |1968
Paul Fendley |1972
Miran Schrott|1992
Bengt Ã…kerblom |1995
Graham Christie|1997
Jaxon Logan|2005
Don Sanderson|2009

*Morenz died as a result of on ice injuries, after surgery to his leg

This also doesn't take into account situations where players careers were ended in the past, (Ace Bailey/Eddie Shore 1933) or very violent plays (Ted Green/Wanye Maki 1969). I am not trying to justify these actions in anyway shape or form, but if someone does die, it has happened before and hockey has always been violent. It is the youtube generation where nothing can ever die and all video lives on forever to be shown over and over again at will.

I don’t necessarily believe hockey is any more or less violent than in the past. How many hits or plays from the 90’s, if occurred today, would be considered dirty or make us think hockey is more violent? Should there be changes for safety? Yes, but I reject the notion that hockey is some how dirtier today.

There are numerous "almosts" too. Most notably, ironically enough, would be when Harvey speared Sullivan and ending up rupturing his spleen.

You also forgot a very notable death. Luděk Čajka, whos death resulted in europe using no-touch icing.

 

[Big Phil]

Koivu torn retina in '06 playoffs. (With the Habs up 2-0 in the series and 1-0 in the 3rd period of game 3, of course)

Almost as bad as the Berard incident. There were serious doubts he would ever play

Ahh, right. I think the Habs win that series with Koivu in the lineup. They had a 2-0 going home when that happened. Yes, I would also compare it to the Berard incident and eerily similar to when Yzerman took a puck in the eye from a deflected shot in 2004.

All players need to pay attention to Yzerman. When he took that deflected slap shot off of his eye he did EVERYTHING in his power to stay up and try and skate to the bench. Making more than one attempt. It's sad when the Kovalev's and Ribero's of the NHL cry wolf and here's a guy that should have just laid there like a turtle and he's trying to get up. That folks, is toughness.

Alex Perezhogin swinging his stick (honestly I felt he should have been suspended for life on that one....total disgust when I saw that)

Hold on for a second, while I don't like what he did either I do have to point out that even his victim Drew Stafford got 6 games. Stafford and him went to the ice in front of the net and out of anger Stafford tried to take his head of with his stick. He narrowly glanced his stick off the top of Perezhogin's helmet. Perezhogin then retaliates and connects. Stafford was in convulsions on the ice, and while Perezhogin should have known better the incident would have never happened if Stafford didn't swing first.

 

[Eisen]

Sergei Zholtok did as well, didn't he?

True, but he wasn't playing at that time. He was watching a game IIRC

Edit: I was wrong. Just googled it

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

I officiated the game for 35 years at every level. I've participated in and been a spectator at thousands of games, dating back to the early 1950's. Is hockey a violent game? At times, yes. I've seen a stick fight, in minor pro, where one player actually tried to spear his opponent in the eyes. In Jr. I saw a player, who had just cleanly body checked an opponent to the ice and was standing over him, get kicked by that player and have his jugular slashed. I've had to break up fights that were spontaneous and also planned.

Is it a violent game? It's a game played where players wear razor sharp blades on their feet. The players skate at speeds of 20-30 miles per hour on a hard ice surface and body check each other. They carry a stick in their hands that can be used for slashing, tripping, cross checking, high sticking or spearing an opponent. They are in a confined area surrounded by boards and plexiglass. There's no out of bounds in hockey. Play is continuous and players change on the fly. They shoot a hard rubber disc that can exceed speeds of over 100 miles per hour. It's an emotional game. Unfortunate incidents, whether clean or dirty, that can and do happen in a split second, will always be a part of the game.

Excellent post.

 

[Darrelle Lundqvist]

What about Bryan Berard getting a stick to the eye from Hossa. He only has like 20% vision in that eye.

 

[Big Phil]

What about Bryan Berard getting a stick to the eye from Hossa. He only has like 20% vision in that eye.

Berard was a Maple Leaf, Hossa was a Senator. This is more directed at the awful injuries the Habs have been involved with either way. It seems to be a higher % than the average team. Berard's injury was scary though