Wilson gets 20 games

[VaCaps Fan]

Alan May is the keeper of the torch for old time caps hockey!

 

[RandyHolt]

I think the reduction of Watson’s suspension is bad for Wilson. Even if they are totally unrelated, people are idiots.

Yep. It's not a conspiracy to suggest the league cares about their image. It's a fact.

The league caught heat for the reduction and went into damage control. I know I was stunned to see a reduction. Damage control that was very public and very stern. No conspiracy theories are needed to see how much they hated the negative publicity of the reduction. All their rulings and press releases are rooted in fear of the game getting a bad name. The leagues longest running fear is hearing "I went to a boxing match and a hockey game broke out."

Has anyone else besides me wonder why the woman admitted it was her fault the very next day, after 5 months of silence. Well, anyone besides Rids who knows it was a random... coincidence

Willy is meeting with Bentsie, right - maybe there is a 2nd meeting with some non NHLer, which both comprise the appeal process. Otherwise, Willy is screwed. I stick to my guns - Willy will take the brunt of the fallout from the reduction, if anyone associated with the league has any say.

 

[g00n]

 

[Calicaps]

A domestic assault case should have zero bearing on an on-ice hockey hit of a player skating dangerously through the middle of the ice with his head down. The NHL is so dumb.

 

[RandyHolt]

OK I found out the process...

Once Bettman makes his ruling, Wilson can then take his case to a neutral arbitrator for a final decision.

He told The Washington Post on Sunday that he's not enjoying the league's process. “It’s definitely an experience that you hope you never have to go through,” Wilson said. “There’s a lot of learning. All of a sudden you’re surrounded by lawyers and stuff like that. I’m a hockey player and I want to play hockey. … [The appeal is] going to take on the business side of it. I have to focus when I come to the rink every day, and then obviously when something comes up with the situation, I have to address that in the best way that I can.”

The appeal process is moving much faster than I thought it would. Unless Bents drags his feet for a few weeks on his ruling. I'll stick to my original prediction of 1 game, announced right before the 20th game.

 

[VaCaps Fan]

Randy Holt should be wilson’s Lawyer!

 

[Jags]

It's almost as if Alan May completely ignored that fact that this was Matheson's first suspension while Wilson has been suspended 4 times in ~100 games!

Exactly. It's not the Department of Fairness. The Department of Player Safety's job is to stop unsafe things. So if a guy like Wilson proves difficult or reluctant to change, it stands to reason that he'll eventually be punished more than other players until he finally learns his lesson. It doesn't have to equate in any way to the punishment of other players for other types of infractions.

I'm frustrated by a lot of the other aspects of it, too, but the core principle they're trying to get across is easy to comprehend: Devastating head hits are bad, so please stop.

Wilson's argument seems to be, "I'm trying to toe the line and you keep moving the line," or, "you won't even tell me where the line is." Well, sorry, but then the solution is to stop toeing the line. Maybe they DO hate you and maybe there IS some invisible Tom Wilson Rule that's mean and unfair to you. Tough shit. Adjust your behavior accordingly or go get a real estate license or whatever.

No one's saying don't hit. What they're saying is that there's a HUGE gray area between not hitting and liquefying brains. Learn to live in that area and you'll be fine.

 

[VaCaps Fan]

Well said Jags!

 

[RandyHolt]

I hope his superstar lawyer went over his previous crimes with a fine tooth comb, mocking the DOPES productions while pointing out no intent to injure. Including how close those were to clean hits.

In particular, noting the reckless abandon with which his so called victims have a complete disregard for their own safety. And how that makes their heads more likely to get hit.

Tom's defense: I am just a natural born hitter.

 

[shtorm2005]

 

[Calicaps]

Exactly. It's not the Department of Fairness. The Department of Player Safety's job is to stop unsafe things. So if a guy like Wilson proves difficult or reluctant to change, it stands to reason that he'll eventually be punished more than other players until he finally learns his lesson. It doesn't have to equate in any way to the punishment of other players for other types of infractions.

I'm frustrated by a lot of the other aspects of it, too, but the core principle they're trying to get across is easy to comprehend: Devastating head hits are bad, so please stop.

Wilson's argument seems to be, "I'm trying to toe the line and you keep moving the line," or, "you won't even tell me where the line is." Well, sorry, but then the solution is to stop toeing the line. Maybe they DO hate you and maybe there IS some invisible Tom Wilson Rule that's mean and unfair to you. Tough ****. Adjust your behavior accordingly or go get a real estate license or whatever.

No one's saying don't hit. What they're saying is that there's a HUGE gray area between not hitting and liquefying brains. Learn to live in that area and you'll be fine.

So your position is that Tom should magically divine what the league wants from him even if they won't say it outright and then expect them to acknowledge when he's conformed? If they won't set the parameters, they can punish him at will, arbitrarily. It's not about fairness; it's about feasibility. If you accept that the goal posts keep moving, then you cannot expect Tom to reliably kick the field goal.

 

[Hivemind]

So your position is that Tom should magically divine what the league wants from him even if they won't say it outright and then expect them to acknowledge when he's conformed? If they won't set the parameters, they can punish him at will, arbitrarily. It's not about fairness; it's about feasibility. If you accept that the goal posts keep moving, then you cannot expect Tom to reliably kick the field goal.

If I read his post correctly, his point is that Tom needs to stop trying to flirt between what is and isn't acceptable. Tom needs to stop trying to lay the biggest legal hit possible, because there's so much potential for it to go wrong. Tom needs to learn that hitting entirely in the grey area is going to end up going over the line sometimes, and if he keep going over the line that his punishments will get more an more severe. Tom needs to move back from the edge of what's legal to the obviously legal, like basically every other player in the NHL.

 

[twabby]

So your position is that Tom should magically divine what the league wants from him even if they won't say it outright and then expect them to acknowledge when he's conformed? If they won't set the parameters, they can punish him at will, arbitrarily. It's not about fairness; it's about feasibility. If you accept that the goal posts keep moving, then you cannot expect Tom to reliably kick the field goal.

You're making it seem like the league is asking Tom Wilson to do the impossible or they're being unclear about their expectations. All they're doing is saying he should stop clobbering dudes in the head.

You can make the argument that other players get away with hits (Kucherov's hit on Vatanen comes to mind), but that doesn't mean Wilson's being wrongly punished. It means that other players need to stop getting away with it.

 

[DCRedhawk21]

I would prefer to have Wilson back earlier than 20 games into the season, but the message is pretty clear: stop putting yourself in positions and throwing hits that increase the likelihood that someone will end up injured. You can argue whether that's fair or in accordance with the rules as they are currently written, but I don't think the message is mixed.

 

[g00n]

You're making it seem like the league is asking Tom Wilson to do the impossible or they're being unclear about their expectations. All they're doing is saying he should stop clobbering dudes in the head.

You can make the argument that other players get away with hits (Kucherov's hit on Vatanen comes to mind), but that doesn't mean Wilson's being wrongly punished. It means that other players need to stop getting away with it.

Several players have confirmed this so she's not making it up.

If he's hitting people in the head as a result of hits he was told were ok, but something happens and the guy gets hurt, how is that not confusing when he's punished?

 

[hockeykicker]

lol what

 

[ovikovy817]

Hope to hear some good news tomorrow morning.

 

[McVechkin]

Hope to hear some good news tomorrow morning.

How quick does GB usually rule on these appeals?

 

[VaCaps Fan]

After a phone call with Crosby...

 

[Jags]

So your position is that Tom should magically divine what the league wants from him even if they won't say it outright and then expect them to acknowledge when he's conformed?

No, and I totally get where you're coming from and agree with you in principle. But there's no point in pretending that he doesn't have enough information to make the changes he needs to make. Stop blowing up guys' heads. It's that simple.

You're right that the league and the DoPS need to get their acts together in certain ways. But it'd be silly for Tom to wait for that day (that is likely either never coming or a long ways off) before making the simple changes he needs to make to get back on the ice and stay there.

If you accept that the goal posts keep moving, then you cannot expect Tom to reliably kick the field goal.

Sure. But to use your analogy, if the NFL made it impossible for one team or one kicker to kick field goals, regardless of how unfair that is, it'd behoove them to start planning to go for it on fourth down.

Waiting for the world to become fair and just is certainly an option if Tom wants to keep getting suspended. Or he can deal with the way the world is in the meantime and play hockey.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

After a phone call with Crosby...

That’s right after they hang up with Mario.

 

[Portable Mink]

I see 4 games coming off.
I think the evidence for a reduction is there and Gary knows it. He is standing firm but also hoping it doesn’t go neutral.

 

[maacoshark]

No, and I totally get where you're coming from and agree with you in principle. But there's no point in pretending that he doesn't have enough information to make the changes he needs to make. Stop blowing up guys' heads. It's that simple.

You're right that the league and the DoPS need to get their acts together in certain ways. But it'd be silly for Tom to wait for that day (that is likely either never coming or a long ways off) before making the simple changes he needs to make to get back on the ice and stay there.
Its not as simple as you make it sound.


Sure. But to use your analogy, if the NFL made it impossible for one team or one kicker to kick field goals, regardless of how unfair that is, it'd behoove them to start planning to go for it on fourth down.

Waiting for the world to become fair and just is certainly an option if Tom wants to keep getting suspended. Or he can deal with the way the world is in the meantime and play hockey.

Its not as simple as you make it sound.

 

[RandyHolt]

I think Gary is pushing back at a fine defense from Tom's legal team. That's why this is dragging on. Wouldn't he otherwise have egg on his face, if he just got done giving Tom 20 games, only to rescind his own punishment mere weeks later?

Make no mistake. He is the lead dope at DOPES. High profile cases will always go through his office IMO. If not, why the hell wouldn't they.

 

[AtNightWeFly]