NHL Player Safety hearing for Raffi - gets 41 games/won't appeal

[LadyStanley]

Guess they'll be "warming up" the teleconference software.

Click to read more...

 

[Linkster]

Law of New Math says... 25 games.

Since the number 23 belongs to Michael Jordan, 25 now belongs to Raffi: "nineteen, twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two, Jordan, twenty-four, Torres, twenty-six, twenty-seven..."

 

[LadyStanley]

http://nhl.nbcsports.com/2015/10/04...aring-potentially-setting-up-long-suspension/

NBC thinks that Torres' hit is being looked at as violation of three rules: interference, charging, and illegally hitting (same as his last suspension)

Illegal hitting -- blindside, east-west hit? Yep. Hard to challenge that one.

What about the targeting the head part?

 

[Coily]

http://nhl.nbcsports.com/2015/10/04...aring-potentially-setting-up-long-suspension/

NBC thinks that Torres' hit is being looked at as violation of three rules: interference, charging, and illegally hitting (same as his last suspension)

Illegal hitting -- blindside, east-west hit? Yep. Hard to challenge that one.

What about the targeting the head part?

Was not charging, targeting. If that's targeting then every hit when the head moves is "targeting".

Only thing is he hit him from the side east-west.

Doesn't matter though, people see the end result and go insane.

 

[Mach12]

He's gonna get a suspension. Don't know if it's deserved or not - didn't look closely enough - but he's gonna get suspended.

 

[DonskoiDonscored]

He should be suspended. Only should be 10 or so games though

 

[hohosaregood]

Charging I can understand cuz Torres was going real quick there. Headshot makes sense too since that's what the video is showing. But interference? Really? Silfverburg flubbed a pass less than half a second before he got hit.

 

[LadyStanley]

Charging I can understand cuz Torres was going real quick there. Headshot makes sense too since that's what the video is showing. But interference? Really? Silfverburg flubbed a pass less than half a second before he got hit.

That's how the rules describe the blindside hit.

 

[richo]

Didn't see the game but saw the video. I wouldn't have thought anything of it if there wasn't another hearing. Maybe a penalty, but come on. This league has just about lost me. When I was a kid playing in New England in the 70s and 80s we were taught to keep our head up to avoid getting hit hard. Conversely, we were also taught that if we saw someone with their head down to line him up and take him out. Head injuries were rare because everyone kept their head up. Now guys have their heads down all the time and there are more injuries. Wonder why? Let guys play, adjustments in play will be made and head injuries will go back down. This current suspension craze just makes the situation worse and worse.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

Wait...Torres is gonna miss games? What a shock. lol

 

[Quid Pro Clowe]

Nhl has to make an example early on before the inevitably regress on suspensions around January. Torres is an easy target.

 

[hohosaregood]

That's how the rules describe the blindside hit.

Well, I'll be. Alright I got nothing.

 

[Sojourn]

Didn't see the game but saw the video. I wouldn't have thought anything of it if there wasn't another hearing. Maybe a penalty, but come on. This league has just about lost me. When I was a kid playing in New England in the 70s and 80s we were taught to keep our head up to avoid getting hit hard. Conversely, we were also taught that if we saw someone with their head down to line him up and take him out. Head injuries were rare because everyone kept their head up. Now guys have their heads down all the time and there are more injuries. Wonder why? Let guys play, adjustments in play will be made and head injuries will go back down. This current suspension craze just makes the situation worse and worse.

I'm not going to comment on the hit, however... I think you're mistaking ignorance with occurrence. There is a big difference between being unaware of head injuries, and them actually taking place. To put it simply, we're seeing more concussion type head injuries now because we are better informed, and we know what to look for. In the past, we didn't. Players, of all sports, would routinely play through symptoms that we now know are symptoms of concussions. More than that, we're more aware of how dangerous concussions can be.

Protecting players from potentially life threatening injuries, and certainly life changing ones, is not a craze. It's a necessity.

 

[hohosaregood]

Funny thing if Torres ends up being suspended for more games than he ever plays for the Sharks.

 

[Bowie22]

Funny, I felt we should have sat Torres against Ducks beforehand.

**** happens I guess

 

[Grave]

Could see the NHL giving him 15-20 games, though I think he only deserves maybe 5.

 

[LadyStanley]

http://blogs.mercurynews.com/sharks/2015/10/04/raffi-torres-suspension-history/

Pashelka summarizes Torres' suspension history


If he does get the 15-20, I can see the player/union and/or DW pushing for an appeal. (Which will go to Bettman for review.)

He's not a "repeat offender" (multiple transgressions in 18 month period) primarily because he's been out injured. But the league will take into account his history of suspensions. Will that mean they increase by 1-2 games what "John Smith" might get for the history, or will they "throw the book" at him because of his reputation?

 

[SactoShark]

I honestly don't care about Torres, and consider him less a Shark than even Brown.

And with all due respect to Sharks' fans, that hit was horrible and I don't care what happens to him. I'd actually rather the sideshow end and not talk about **** like that anymore.

 

[sjsharky]

I was somewhat agnostic about the play until I saw this angle:


http://gfycat.com/RipeGoodGopher

I'm sorry, but that's freaking dirty. Even with my teal glasses on, I can say he deserves a lot of games for this, especially considering it's a preseason game.

 

[LeeIFBB]

Don't forget to adjust for the suspension adder for small market teams and Doug's comments regarding Raffi's suspension on the Stoll hit.

 

[sr228]

http://blogs.mercurynews.com/sharks/2015/10/04/raffi-torres-suspension-history/

Pashelka summarizes Torres' suspension history


If he does get the 15-20, I can see the player/union and/or DW pushing for an appeal. (Which will go to Bettman for review.)

He's not a "repeat offender" (multiple transgressions in 18 month period) primarily because he's been out injured. But the league will take into account his history of suspensions. Will that mean they increase by 1-2 games what "John Smith" might get for the history, or will they "throw the book" at him because of his reputation?

I think the "repeat offender" label is intended more for how they calculate lost wages than how long the player might be suspended.

If this was Torres' 2nd suspension in the last 3/4/5 years then ya,his past is unlikely to be taken into account but this will be his 5th (!!) in 5 years...and he missed almost 2 years of on ice play.

I hope they throw the book at him as it's clear suspending him does no good & once he's back out on the ice he'll continue to be a reckless, dirty player and the NHLPA and/or Sharks org wouldn't have a leg to stand on if they appeal whatever he gets.

 

[The Great John Scott]

Don't forget to adjust for the suspension adder for small market teams and Doug's comments regarding Raffi's suspension on the Stoll hit.

And because the Sharks complained about those terrible waived-off goals.

 

[hockeyball]

I think the "repeat offender" label is intended more for how they calculate lost wages than how long the player might be suspended.

If this was Torres' 2nd suspension in the last 3/4/5 years then ya,his past is unlikely to be taken into account but this will be his 5th (!!) in 5 years...and he missed almost 2 years of on ice play.

I hope they throw the book at him as it's clear suspending him does no good & once he's back out on the ice he'll continue to be a reckless, dirty player and the NHLPA and/or Sharks org wouldn't have a leg to stand on if they appeal whatever he gets.

Yup. He's a *******, always has been, always will be. When we signed him I said it was stupid primarily because of the liability he is. Not only has he barely played as a Sharks because of his injuries, but when he has played he's only done so just long enough to get a suspension. He hasn't done one iota of good for this team, and has barely played in the playoffs at all. I'd kill to have that cap back so we could use it on a good right side defender or something.

 

[OffSydes]

Throw the book at him whilst ending his career.

 

[hockeyball]

Throw the book at him whilst ending his career.

Seriously, if they just threw him out of the league I really wouldn't even care. He's not going to stay healthy anyway.