Gaudreau's Lady Byng and discipline for diving

[2 Minute Minor]

Am I the only one who was shocked that Johnny Gaudreau won the Lady Byng in the same season that he was publicly disciplined for diving?

My bias was rooting for Tarasenko, but I wouldn't have had any problem if it had been Granlund. I thought it was improper for JG to be nominated, but it was compounded when he actually won.

To me, embellishment is NOT good sportsmanship. It shows up the refs, and it shows a disrespect for your opponent. I realize its rampant, but if the league is recognizing someone for good sportsmanship, it should not be a player known to embellish like Johnny does.

The message sent is that the league just winks at that stuff, and its not that big a deal. This will only get more prominent in the league if that's the attitude.

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[Mitchell Matthews]

Lady Byng should not even be an award.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

Just get rid of the Lady Byng entirely.

 

[King In The North]

You and the entire Edmonton fanbase.

Btw, Bill Daly said they were going to be more strict on slashing, correct?

 

[2 Minute Minor]

Lady Byng should not even be an award.

It means something. I think its worthwhile as a trophy, or should be. When Datsyuk won, I felt like it said something about him as a classy player. Same with Kopitar. It should go to someone who DOESN'T slash, bite fingers, hold sticks to embellish calls, dive, etc. Someone who plays with respect for his opponents and doesn't use crass language when the camera won't pick it up. Someone who stays out of the box. I don't see a reason to stop trying to recognize those attributes, but I'm not sure that's really what the voters are doing now.

I guess I have a hard time reconciling that for Gaudreau, but I guess the other players view him that way too?

 

[The Macho King]

It means something. I think its worthwhile as a trophy, or should be. When Datsyuk won, I felt like it said something about him as a classy player. Same with Kopitar. It should go to someone who DOESN'T slash, bite fingers, hold sticks to embellish calls, dive, etc. Someone who plays with respect for his opponents and doesn't use crass language when the camera won't pick it up. Someone who stays out of the box. I don't see a reason to stop trying to recognize those attributes, but I'm not sure that's really what the voters are doing now.

I guess I have a hard time reconciling that for Gaudreau, but I guess the other players view him that way too?

Yeah - it always felt like a respect for classy players award in the past when guys like Datsyuk and MSL were winning it. Now it's "which skilled player has the fewest PIMs award", which is fine, but... I mean, who cares?

 

[InfinityIggy]

Maybe Gaudreau is more classy than he is being given credit for.

 

[tmg]

I thought it was improper for JG to be nominated, but it was compounded when he actually won.

...

the league is recognizing someone for good sportsmanship, it should not be a player known to embellish like Johnny does.

The message sent is that the league just winks at that stuff, and its not that big a deal. This will only get more prominent in the league if that's the attitude.

1. There is no such thing as 'nominated'. There was one round of voting, one ballot. They name the top 3 votegetters in advance of the awards show and the top votegetter from that same ballot at the awards show.

2. All this talk about what the 'league recognizing' and 'the message sent by the league' is also irrelevant - the league doesn't choose the Lady Byng winner. The media - hockey writers - do. The league didn't recognize anyone and the league didn't send any message here. Hockey writers recognized him. They're independent from the league. The league doesn't (and shouldn't) have editorial control.

 

[DearDiary]

Everyone dives, there's not a single player that doesn't. Getting a stick to the face or getting slashed doesn't cause someone to fall to the ground. If no one embelled there wouldn't be any penalties for the refs to clearly see

 

[tarheelhockey]

The Byng could very easily be one of the best trophies in professional sports. With the right interpretation of what it means, it could seriously be as big an honor as the Hart. Originally it actually did have that kind of aura.

It's a shame that they let it be something as lame as a low-PIM award.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Am I the only one who was shocked that Johnny Gaudreau won the Lady Byng in the same season that he was publicly disciplined for diving?

My bias was rooting for Tarasenko, but I wouldn't have had any problem if it had been Granlund. I thought it was improper for JG to be nominated, but it was compounded when he actually won.

To me, embellishment is NOT good sportsmanship. It shows up the refs, and it shows a disrespect for your opponent. I realize its rampant, but if the league is recognizing someone for good sportsmanship, it should not be a player known to embellish like Johnny does.

The message sent is that the league just winks at that stuff, and its not that big a deal. This will only get more prominent in the league if that's the attitude.

Then why were you rooting for Tarasenko?

 

[YEM]

I think it's an even better argument for him winning the Byng being that he had 4 PIMS and 2 of those were for diving

 

[King In The North]

Everyone dives, there's not a single player that doesn't. Getting a stick to the face or getting slashed doesn't cause someone to fall to the ground. If no one embelled there wouldn't be any penalties for the refs to clearly see

Thank you for getting it.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

I think it's an even better argument for him winning the Byng being that he had 4 PIMS and 2 of those were for diving

And the other 2 were because Monahan high sticked someone when gaudreau was in the vicinity.

 

[Nithoniniel]

The Byng could very easily be one of the best trophies in professional sports. With the right interpretation of what it means, it could seriously be as big an honor as the Hart. Originally it actually did have that kind of aura.

It's a shame that they let it be something as lame as a low-PIM award.

Agreed. I really like the idea of the award, because I think sportsmanship is really something to promote. One could even say it's important to promote it given the direction of the sport in that regard.

PIMs has some correlation to sportsmanship, but not to this extent. You are not a less sportsmanlike player because you trip someone.

 

[Eisen]

The Byng could very easily be one of the best trophies in professional sports. With the right interpretation of what it means, it could seriously be as big an honor as the Hart. Originally it actually did have that kind of aura.

It's a shame that they let it be something as lame as a low-PIM award.

That's how I feel, too.

 

[DJJones]

I think he got the reward just for not tomahawking anyone in the face all year.

If I had gotten half of those slashes someone would have lost some teeth

 

[djpatm]

Well seeing as the refs don't call any of the dozens of stick infractions he has to deal with every game, what else is he supposed to do?

 

[Mobiandi]

Imagine getting worked up about the Lady Byng

 

[Albus Dumbledore]

Well seeing as the refs don't call any of the dozens of stick infractions he has to deal with every game, what else is he supposed to do?

Still not dive.

 

[2 Minute Minor]

Then why were you rooting for Tarasenko?

You mean the rib injury that kept him out of the World Championships? I think Tarasenko's record is pretty well on the "not a diver" side. To me, that earns the benefit of the doubt in a play like this where it looked to me more like a guy getting caught the wrong way on a rib or shoulder injury. After the playoffs were over, it was made known that was exactly what happened.

 

[PhilMick]

Am I the only one who was shocked that Johnny Gaudreau won the Lady Byng in the same season that he was publicly disciplined for diving?

My bias was rooting for Tarasenko, but I wouldn't have had any problem if it had been Granlund. I thought it was improper for JG to be nominated, but it was compounded when he actually won.

To me, embellishment is NOT good sportsmanship. It shows up the refs, and it shows a disrespect for your opponent. I realize its rampant, but if the league is recognizing someone for good sportsmanship, it should not be a player known to embellish like Johnny does.

The message sent is that the league just winks at that stuff, and its not that big a deal. This will only get more prominent in the league if that's the attitude.

You're not alone.

 

[djpatm]

Still not dive.

It wasn't a dive. It was embellishment, okay. He didn't go down and act like he was shot. The fact that he was actually disciplined for the play was ridiculous. Happens every game.

 

[MikeK]

The award is such a joke. I wouldn't be at all disappointment if they eliminated it all together. Not one single player in the league doesn't do something shady if it benefits their club. Get rid of the Lady BS Trophy.

 

[2 Minute Minor]

1. There is no such thing as 'nominated'. There was one round of voting, one ballot. They name the top 3 votegetters in advance of the awards show and the top votegetter from that same ballot at the awards show.

2. All this talk about what the 'league recognizing' and 'the message sent by the league' is also irrelevant - the league doesn't choose the Lady Byng winner. The media - hockey writers - do. The league didn't recognize anyone and the league didn't send any message here. Hockey writers recognized him. They're independent from the league. The league doesn't (and shouldn't) have editorial control.

Good post. I guess my beef is really with the media for taking the award so lightly. Maybe it would be better if it was a player-voted award.