Tom Wilson appeal last 7 hours, Bettman to make ruling in a week. (upd: suspension upheld)

[Sam Spade]

The facts we know are he destroyed ZAR and was laughing on the bench. You can believe whatever story they made up to save face if you want to. Don't call it facts. You're defending a *******.

So tired of all the hand-wringing about whether Wilson was laughing at Aston-Reese. There's a video of MAF laughing after Johnson knocked DiPietro out, it happens, I'm sure MAF wasn't laughing at DiPietro lying on the ice being attended by the trainer.

Aston-Reese squared up with Wilson thinking he could go toe to toe with him, he got blown up, it wasn't even a penalty but since the boy got hurt it was what it was.

 

[MattMartin]

The facts we know are he destroyed ZAR and was laughing on the bench. You can believe whatever story they made up to save face if you want to. Don't call it facts. You're defending a *******.

That excuse is so tired. I remember Fleury laughing after DiPietro got knocked out and someone using a lame excuse that he was laughing at the music being played. I'm sure everyone remembers the next time they played and obviously the Islanders players didn't buy that excuse either.

Edit: As I'm typing this a new contender comes with same said excuse. See above.

 

[Penguin Suited Up]

I didnt really get too much into Watson's but didnt his GF speak on his behalf, and that's what helped get it reduced? Wilson's was on TV and he's had 4 suspensions in a hear. I dont think the situations are similar

You’re right. One situation is a stupid hockey player repeatedly making stupid hockey plays, the other is domestic violence. Not similar at all and one should clearly be more punishable than the other.

 

[Tobias Kahun]

Should of been extended 62 games

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Now onto an impartial judge.

 

[Cellee]

Now onto an impartial judge.

Where to after there?

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Where to after there?

Infinity and beyond?

 

[Cellee]

Infinity and beyond?

I'd love to shoot Tom Wilson into outer space.

 

[Night Shift]

I can remember a game late regular season 2016, Pens were in Washington..Nick Bonino chased the puck behind the net. Tom Wilson tracked him, glided and targeted him with a smirk on his face decides to board him on the play

Bonino appeared injured on the play but finished the game and the season healthy.(not notwithstanding the awesome playoffs by Bonino that summer) Nothing was ever said about that play but I remember how pissed off I was watching that.

Wilson is scum and got what he deserved

 

[HTFN]

When someone pulls out this kind of false equivalence to make their case, you just know they are trying to make a point about how it isn't fair.



I rest my case

What on earth are you talking about? I'm not even trying to talk about the Wilson hit, I'm talking about real damn life. You do a disservice to the term and cheapen the real world significance of it when applying it to all scenarios equally just because a victim can be found, and create a grey area that starts making certain elements of the practice seem even more reasonable to some people than they already are.

The term should hardly apply to professional sports at all, until players start finding players out in every day life and trying to slam them into the walls just because they're hockey players who should have known it was going to happen. The difference between the risk you assume in stepping on the ice and stepping out of your house are drastically different. No, I don't care about the Wilson hit in this regard, I dislike what you're doing personally because it has real world ramifications that I disagree with.

 

[Night Shift]

That excuse is so tired. I remember Fleury laughing after DiPietro got knocked out and someone using a lame excuse that he was laughing at the music being played. I'm sure everyone remembers the next time they played and obviously the Islanders players didn't buy that excuse either.

Edit: As I'm typing this a new contender comes with same said excuse. See above.

You're not talking about the crazy brawl in long island? I forgot what year that was but Brent Johnson was in net for the Pens

 

[sfvega]

I'm sure this ruling just completely blindsided poor Tom right in his head.

 

[Don'tcry4mejanhrdina]

You're not talking about the crazy brawl in long island? I forgot what year that was but Brent Johnson was in net for the Pens

He is. There was a brawl, DiPietro skated over to fight Brent Johnson with a big smile on his face like it was a joke, Johnson wasn't joking, dropped DiPietro with 1 punch and Fleury was laughing on the bench about it. Later on the Isles sent goons to fight Johnson.

 

[The Macho King]

Hes just too big and strong.

 

[Pia8988]

The NHL gave Wilson numerous chances and even worked with him to cut it out, but Tom Wilson was too stupid to change. Next time will be massive 40-82 games.

 

[iamjs]

The NHLPA a union, Sundqvist is a nobody while Wilson is a Cup Champion.

Most unions will care about one thing "who makes more money? We have to stand behind the one making the most money". Unions don't protect their members, they protect their interests first, if that comes at the expense of a member, so be it.

Sundqvist lifted the Cup before Wilson.

 

[Syrinx]

So tired of all the hand-wringing about whether Wilson was laughing at Aston-Reese. There's a video of MAF laughing after Johnson knocked DiPietro out, it happens, I'm sure MAF wasn't laughing at DiPietro lying on the ice being attended by the trainer.

Aston-Reese squared up with Wilson thinking he could go toe to toe with him, he got blown up, it wasn't even a penalty but since the boy got hurt it was what it was.

That excuse is so tired. I remember Fleury laughing after DiPietro got knocked out and someone using a lame excuse that he was laughing at the music being played. I'm sure everyone remembers the next time they played and obviously the Islanders players didn't buy that excuse either.

Edit: As I'm typing this a new contender comes with same said excuse. See above.

If you don't think there's a difference between a dirty hit and a goalie fight between willing combatants, I don't know what to tell you.

 

[zizbuka]

That's not completely true. The union is legally obligated to represent its collective membership as best as possible.

I think the point is, there's only 1 member of the union being processed. This is more like a criminal case; defendant vs state. Some people seem to think it's like a civil case; person vs person, and the PA only cares about 1 of those. They have to defend Wilson, he's the only one who needs defending here.

For the record, I think Wilson's next infraction should be his last, but I don't think the NHL has the balls to try that.

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

Hey Tom, don't be sad, keep your head up.

 

[deepelemblues]

Hey Tom, don't be sad, keep your head up.

tom should not have skated into the hearing admiring his (head)shot

 

[mouser]

I think the point is, there's only 1 member of the union being processed. This is more like a criminal case; defendant vs state. Some people seem to think it's like a civil case; person vs person, and the PA only cares about 1 of those. They have to defend Wilson, he's the only one who needs defending here.

For the record, I think Wilson's next infraction should be his last, but I don't think the NHL has the balls to try that.

No, it’s not like a criminal case, which is one point I was trying to convey though I didn’t use that language. Labor unions are unique beasts in the legal system. They are not obligated to defend every single member to their utmost ability. They do have an obligation to make the decisions on what grievances they pursue or not in a non arbitrary good faith way.

As a simple example the PA union could choose to take the position that head injuries to their members are not good for the collective membership and therefore they won’t pursue a grievance on behalf of a player suspended for concussing another member. Of course if they did something like this then they would have to consistently apply the same principles going forward—they couldn’t just pick and choose which suspended players to defend based on arbitrary reasons.


Note: I’m not advocating the NHLPA should have not appealed the Wilson suspension. I fully agree with their decision to pursue an appeal on behalf of Wilson. I’m just trying to educate on how union legal obligations to defend an individual member differ from obligations other entities like a law firm or public defender would have.

 

[Crosbyfan]

What did he say for 7 hours? "Please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please?"

I think Wilson was explaining how the head is part of the human body, and therefore it is impossible to hit more head than body, or even target more head than body.

 

[ThirdManIn]

Yeah but if you couldn't drive for those five months............

To be fair, if they couldn't drive after a speeding ticket it would be because they did something extraordinary to get it in the first place.

 

[Acallabeth]

Sundqvist lifted the Cup before Wilson.

LOL did he get to the ice from the bench or the press box to do that? Wilson was crucial in his team championship. Sundqvist is a nobody formally on the Cup-winning Pens roster.

 

[Bedards Dad]

Wait people are still in here defending Wilson? What's wrong with those people?