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.
If Kaleta's appeal did get heard, I'm a bit surprised we haven't heard results.
If he wins the appeal after serving the ten games, they'll probably just have him make up the games he missed after the season ends.I'm not. By delaying the announcement, he is effectively guaranteeing that he serves most of the games if the independent arbitrator over-rules them. Tomorrow will be game 6. If they don't have the independent arbitrator until Friday, there probably won't be a ruling until Monday, which means games 7 and 8 will already be over so even if he reduces it to 5 games, all that will happen is Kaleta won't lose as much money. This is why MLB suspensions don't begin until after appeals are over. The NHLPA screwed up on the appeal procedures.
If he wins the appeal after serving the ten games, they'll probably just have him make up the games he missed after the season ends.
But considering they don't like Kaleta he will probably be given a lifeban if he were to hit someone like that.
If a player ended someone else's career on the ice they should be banned from professional hockey at all levels forever. Very, very simple.
That's crazy talk. Players have their careers ended on perfectly innocent plays, as well as borderline plays.
There is a line where it's not an innocent or borderline play though. Bertuzzi is a great example. Those are the plays I mean. Even borderline plays should be seen in context, hard hits and unnecessary hits that are obviously players out to cause damage. They are relatively straightforward to spot.
There is a line where it's not an innocent or borderline play though. Bertuzzi is a great example. Those are the plays I mean. Even borderline plays should be seen in context, hard hits and unnecessary hits that are obviously players out to cause damage. They are relatively straightforward to spot.
There is a line where it's not an innocent or borderline play though. Bertuzzi is a great example. Those are the plays I mean. Even borderline plays should be seen in context, hard hits and unnecessary hits that are obviously players out to cause damage. They are relatively straightforward to spot.
I'm not. By delaying the announcement, he is effectively guaranteeing that he serves most of the games if the independent arbitrator over-rules them. Tomorrow will be game 6. If they don't have the independent arbitrator until Friday, there probably won't be a ruling until Monday, which means games 7 and 8 will already be over so even if he reduces it to 5 games, all that will happen is Kaleta won't lose as much money. This is why MLB suspensions don't begin until after appeals are over. The NHLPA screwed up on the appeal procedures.
If I loved my job like Kaleta probably does, it would matter a lot.Well idk I mean I'm sure Kaleta wants to play and all but...
Well think of it this way say you were suspended for 2 weeks from your job without pay. You appeal but your employer delays the process with your union until after you've been home for 2 weeks and then decides that maybe a 1 week suspension should have been more fitting and has to pay you for the second week you missed. You basically got a free week of vaca right?
yeah I mean it'd be one thing if it was a key player suspension for say a playoff series and the league was dragging its feet until the series was over anyways. But in this case we're in no big rush to have kaleta back and the games are essentially meaningless anyways. So the only purpose the appeal has is to limit the effect on kaleta's salary, or perhaps maybe even just to make a point on principal to push back on the league for too harsh a penalty on the hit (in his opinion, anyways).
I for one am not surprised.NEW YORK -- Commissioner Gary Bettman today upheld the 10-game suspension that was assessed to Buffalo Sabres forward Patrick Kaleta by the Department of Player Safety for an illegal check to the head of Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Jack Johnson in NHL Game No. 49 in Buffalo on October 10.
Commissioner Bettman heard Kaleta's appeal of the original decision, assessed Oct. 15, at a hearing in New York on Monday.
Kaleta is considered a repeat offender under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and, based on his average annual salary, will forfeit $152,439.00. The money goes to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.
The incident occurred at 3:08 of the first period.
The commissioner's complete ruling is attached (See PDF)
Neither the fact that Mr. Kaleta was playing Buffalo's "system" (i.e., back checking the opposing team's Player handling the puck), nor the fact that he is relied on for his "energy" and "grittiness" and ability to make "hits" excuses Mr. Kaleta from his conduct...
Bettman upholds Kaleta 10-game suspension:
I for one am not surprised.
Bettman has to uphold this otherwise he is throwing Shanahan under the bus
After reading the ruling in full, I have changed my mind.
Bettman makes a good case for a suspension being appropriate and the length being appropriate.
The NHLPA and Kaleta's argument was:
1. It was not avoidable (the head), because
2. The player (Johnson) shift his body immediately prior to hit, affecting the point of contact
3. The angle of approach could not have been changed (which Bettman chose not to comment on)
There was no argument, at least brought up by Bettman, about the inconsitent ruling on equally egregious or more egregious hits that were unpunished or underpunished. I have no reason to think the NHLPA and Kaleta will use this argument in another appeal and thus it is not likely an arbitrator will factor that in.
On merit alone, the 10-game suspension seems appropriate. It's a shame the NHL will not apply the same level of consequence across the board.