News Article: Kaleta hit on Jack Johnson [10 games, upheld on appeal]

[joshjull]

An interesting test case for the new appeals process.

 

[Kyndig]

Uhhh....wha?

Who's career is over? To my knowledge, JJ isn't missing any games and Kaleta didn't get some sort of lifetime suspension.

If Kaleta cleans it up, he can certainly still be a 4th line disturber and a very good PKer. Kind of like a Cooke-lite.

He got 10 games for a missed check heaven forbid the guy was injured or he actually had tried to hit his head.

 

[cardiffgiant]

Who's career is over? And why is it over? Can someone translate?

 

[Beerz]

Who's career is over? And why is it over? Can someone translate?

No ice rink in Springville... that's all you need to know.

 

[Beerz]

The NHL Safety Division is nothing but a PR stunt... and to cover their ***** from litigation in the future...

Kaleta is just a number..a stat ...a record of the NHL trying to protect players and not be liable.

The "hit" should not even of been "reviewed".

 

[Kyndig]

No ice rink in Springville... that's all you need to know.

Ahahahaha exactly!!!

 

[Afino]

I was hearing on XM on the way home that it's possible that Kaleta gets MORE games by appealing?

Is it really?

If so, that's incredibly ****ed up.

 

[Moskau]

I was hearing on XM on the way home that it's possible that Kaleta gets MORE games by appealing?

Is it really?

If so, that's incredibly ****ed up.

It's up to Bettman. If he reviews the case and feels like Shannahan should have suspended him for more than he can. It would be hilarious if it happened and probably cause the heads of at least 20,000 NHL fans who hate both Kaleta and Bettman to explode.

 

[Clock]

agreed and only this neutral arbitrator has the power to set this precedent. This is a risky move for Patty though as it basically calls out Shanahan

Yeah, but does he even have anything to lose at this point if Shanahan is going to give him 10 games for what could very easily be argued was incidental?

It'll be interesting to see what criteria the arbiter works off of. Shanahan clearly uses history as a huge prejudice. Will the arbiter even consider history when determining if the hit deserves disciplinary action in the first place, or only when determining the "sentence?" Neither?

 

[joshjull]

It's up to Bettman. If he reviews the case and feels like Shannahan should have suspended him for more than he can. It would be hilarious if it happened and probably cause the heads of at least 20,000 NHL fans who hate both Kaleta and Bettman to explode.

It actually goes to a neutral arbitrator after Bettman. That's something new in the cba and something his agent and the NHLPA feel is worth using. A test case if you will. That's where he could get more but would likely not. With an arbitrator as the final word it's unlikely Bettman does anything other than uphold Shanny's decision.

 

[Ralonzo]

I agree, this couldn't be more obvious. The only thing that will mitigate the number of games down is the fact that Johnson wasn't significantly injured on the play.

I would bet Lapierre gets fewer games for sending Boyle to the hopitsal on a stretcher, because Buffalo. He's every bit the repeat offender, and it did cause major injury. When he gets six or eight games, I'd say that it would tarnish Shanny's reputation if it wasn't already disintegrated like a Studebaker sitting in a South Carolina swamp for the past 40 years.

 

[Tanevian*]

I would bet Lapierre gets fewer games for sending Boyle to the hopitsal on a stretcher, because Buffalo. He's every bit the repeat offender, and it did cause major injury. When he gets six or eight games, I'd say that it would tarnish Shanny's reputation if it wasn't already disintegrated like a Studebaker sitting in a South Carolina swamp for the past 40 years.

Lapierre isn't a repeat offender though.

 

[Moskau]

I would bet Lapierre gets fewer games for sending Boyle to the hopitsal on a stretcher, because Buffalo. He's every bit the repeat offender, and it did cause major injury. When he gets six or eight games, I'd say that it would tarnish Shanny's reputation if it wasn't already disintegrated like a Studebaker sitting in a South Carolina swamp for the past 40 years.

Lapierre isn't a repeat offender under NHL rules though. If you go 18 months without an incident you aren't a repeat which makes Kaleta look like an even bigger idiot. He couldn't go 21 games without doing something stupid.

 

[Bigduce13]

So let's say Kaleta skates in from behind, leaves his feet, principal contact is the upper back between the shoulder blades (on nameplate) hard enough to knock off players helmet and leave him stunned on the ice

How many games do you give him?

 

[jBuds]

So let's say Kaleta skates in from behind, leaves his feet, principal contact is the upper back between the shoulder blades (on nameplate) hard enough to knock off players helmet and leave him stunned on the ice

How many games do you give him?

Threve

 

[Bigduce13]

None if your Rick Nash..........

So if Kaleta hits someone the same way will Shanny say he dosent like the hit but it does not warrant supplemental discipline? The double standard is ridiculous

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9bnDREbRts

 

[cybresabre]

The Shannymobile

(double standard)

It's a free joke, don't expect gold.

 

[Squantosawuss]

I would love to hear what all those defenders of Kaleta would say if another team had him and he clipped a Sabre the way he did a Blue Jacket.

Methinks it would be a little different take.

Kaleta needs to knock the sheet off and take notes from guys like Matt Cooke and Matt Hendricks.

 

[Clock]

I would love to hear what all those defenders of Kaleta would say if another team had him and he clipped a Sabre the way he did a Blue Jacket.

I'd still think 10 games would be a lot.

 

[pigpen65]

Does anybody know when Okposo's hearing is for jumping to board Ott?

 

[wunderpanda]

With this appeal process, how long does it actually take? Could Kaleta miss 10 games before a ruling and would those games count as part of the suspension? Or do those 10 start counting after the appeal?

 

[BowieSabresFan]

I would love to hear what all those defenders of Kaleta would say if another team had him and he clipped a Sabre the way he did a Blue Jacket.

Methinks it would be a little different take.

Kaleta needs to knock the sheet off and take notes from guys like Matt Cooke and Matt Hendricks.

I don't consider myself a Kaleta defender. If he does something stupid, I have no problem with throwing the book at him. In this case though, what did he really do wrong? The only reason there was any contact with the chin at all is because Johnson tried to avoid the hit. Otherwise, this was a shoulder to shoulder check.

And I'm glad that Cooke cleaned his act up. However, it doesn't mitigate the damage he did in the past.

 

[brian_griffin]

Lapierre isn't a repeat offender under NHL rules though. If you go 18 months without an incident you aren't a repeat which makes Kaleta look like an even bigger idiot. He couldn't go 21 games without doing something stupid.

Don't want to re-hash it, but the 21-games-prior love-tap by Kaleta on NYR Richards was an extremely weak-on-his skates-awkward-fall by Richards. Far more violent intentional hits have gone completely unpunished by the league since then, regardless of whether they were repeat offenses or not.

I would love to hear what all those defenders of Kaleta would say if another team had him and he clipped a Sabre the way he did a Blue Jacket.

Methinks it would be a little different take.

Kaleta needs to knock the sheet off and take notes from guys like Matt Cooke and Matt Hendricks.

Quite honestly, I would not have expected the NHL even review the Kaleta-Johnson play if it were anyone other than Kaleta and a select few other NHL'ers.
Kaleta's contact on Johnson did not appear to be intentional shoulder to head and IMO, was intended to be shoulder-to-shoulder, and also IMO would have been shoulder to shoulder had Johnston not stopped so quickly.

I'd still think 10 games would be a lot.

Agreed.

Far more reckless plays with potential or actual head injury go unpenalized and/or un-reviewed (post game) and/or un-disciplined, regardless of whether the player delivering the hit is a repeat offender by the CBA's strict 18-month window, a repeat offender via reputation, an average Joe NHL'er, or a NHL superstar. That inconsistency, and the arbitrary nature and duration of punishments is indeed loathsome.

Ideally, Kaleta's appeal (and/or future player appeals) will hopefully highlight my view. But, I doubt this appeal, or the appeal process in general, will have an effect on that.

 

[vcv]

Yeah, but does he even have anything to lose at this point if Shanahan is going to give him 10 games for what could very easily be argued was incidental?

It'll be interesting to see what criteria the arbiter works off of. Shanahan clearly uses history as a huge prejudice. Will the arbiter even consider history when determining if the hit deserves disciplinary action in the first place, or only when determining the "sentence?" Neither?

Yes, I imagine the arbitrator will use the NHL's own criteria for evaluating it.

I would love to hear what all those defenders of Kaleta would say if another team had him and he clipped a Sabre the way he did a Blue Jacket.

Methinks it would be a little different take.

Kaleta needs to knock the sheet off and take notes from guys like Matt Cooke and Matt Hendricks.

I would probably call for a penalty in game and wouldn't care much about a suspension, since it appears to be incidental and there are tons of instances of incidental contact in the game.

Far more reckless and/or malicious plays go unnoticed all the time.

 

[Ralonzo]

Lapierre isn't a repeat offender under NHL rules though. If you go 18 months without an incident you aren't a repeat which makes Kaleta look like an even bigger idiot. He couldn't go 21 games without doing something stupid.

Moral of the story after the Lapierre ruling: Bide your time, Kaleta. Then, after 18 months and one day, end someones career on the ice. Why not? You're no longer a repeat offender. So go ahead and try to cripple someone and take your five games. Lather, rinse and repeat.

Thanks Shanny.