Would Enforcers have prevented Kassian's kick?

[Fixxer]

Like you mean, Ulf Samuelsson played while there were enforcers, what changed about his game? Only cool thing happening to him was Domi fixing him once, but he sadly was suspended IIRC (Bryan Burke was in charge of the NHL player's "safety" committee back then).

 

[Fixxer]

People always seem to forget that a in-his-prime Milan Lucic was on the ice when Savard got decapitated, too. I'm sure Cooke was absolutely terrified as he ended that dude's career.

Lucic was more of a dirty guy than an enforcer, so he didn't see anything wrong with the Cooke hit, so he didn't seek revenge. I mean, Lucic was a great fighter, but a POS too.

 

[Panthera]

Yeah, enforcers would magically stop Kassian from ever doing anything dangerous. It's not like dangerous plays existed prior to the last few years, after all.

 

[Bedards Dad]

There is NO place for enforcers in this game. That is, players who are known and used in roles solely as a FIGHTER. I will defend to my grave that the threat of players WHO ARE KNOWN TO FIGHT deters cheap shots in certain circumstances and fighting should be part of the game in limited instances. (not back and forth for a dozen seconds watching them exchange punches, I mean just a few good punches).

But staged fights? Fights after clean hits? Unprovoked fights? Players being forced to fight? There's NO place like that in this NHL and it makes the league look like a 2nd tier joke of a sport to a casual audience.

And I admit that what will deter cheap shots the most will never be enforcers, but much stricter suspensions for head shots.

Not sure why you quoted me? I agree with you and this the OP is searching for someone to agree with him, even though the vast majority feel enforcers bring nothing to the game.

 

[ForumNamePending]

I can honestly say all of the worst incidents I've seen on the Ice were in the era of enforcers and, on many occasions the enforcer was responsible for said incident.

This comment reminded me of that article in the Players Tribune a few years ago that was held up as some sort of magnum opus by those who argue for the importance and nobility of the enforcer and the "code", but the gist of the article was basically "without players like myself, who is going to protect other players from players like myself?"... I thought it was all a bit stupid.

 

[Beukeboom]

Like you mean, Ulf Samuelsson played while there were enforcers, what changed about his game? Only cool thing happening to him was Domi fixing him once, but he sadly was suspended IIRC (Bryan Burke was in charge of the NHL player's "safety" committee back then).

The main difference imo, is that in the era of the enforcers, playing a foul game came with a higher cost, and demanded more from the guys doing it. Samuelsson, Barnaby etc were willing to pay the price in order to do their "thing." They both got beat up pretty badly at times.

Enforcers won't prevent guys like that from doing foul things, but they will prevent the softer pests that we have now. I can't see guys like Luke Kunin running around in the days of Domi and Probert. I think it will also deter cheap shots and antics from the average player. Nowadays you see suspendable hits from a wide array of players, from soft to tough. All the soft to semi tough ones would probably think twice if you had Domis in the game.

 

[replacement]

People got kicked in the 70's and 80's too... So...

 

[tellermine]

Yes.
Fear works.

 

[Fixxer]

The main difference imo, is that in the era of the enforcers, playing a foul game came with a higher cost, and demanded more from the guys doing it. Samuelsson, Barnaby etc were willing to pay the price in order to do their "thing." They both got beat up pretty badly at times.

Enforcers won't prevent guys like that from doing foul things, but they will prevent the softer pests that we have now. I can't see guys like Luke Kunin running around in the days of Domi and Probert. I think it will also deter cheap shots and antics from the average player. Nowadays you see suspendable hits from a wide array of players, from soft to tough. All the soft to semi tough ones would probably think twice if you had Domis in the game.

I get it now. And, in "recent" years, just having a guy like Pronger on the ice kept the other guys quiet, so I get what you mean. Probably kind of like Roenick kneeing Modano... and later getting his jaw broken by Hatcher. That would keep softer players from running at star players. Now, it's Parros taking care of it... but not with it's fist like in his playing days... and he's shown to be as good as his predecessors at handing suspensions .

 

[gorangers0525]

No, enforcers have been useless since day one, and have just been a sideshow at best. Most of the cheap hockey plays are instinctual, accidental, or adrenaline fueled.

 

[Bedards Dad]

Yes.
Fear works.

You this this guy is afraid of anyone?

Fear requires some sort of intelligence and self preservation.

 

[ChuckLefley]

Yes, hockey is terrible without enforcers these days. All those sting swinging incidents, jumping players from behind, cross checks to the face, etc. happen way to often now that they have players who can all play hockey.

 

[Martin Skoula]

That's what you want, Colton Orr on the ice against McDavid and Kassian so he can take an instigator penalty after getting scored on.

 

[Fixxer]

You this this guy is afraid of anyone?

Fear requires some sort of intelligence and self preservation.

He wasn't afraid of Atchoo Tkachuk. Anyway, people seem to want to make hinm seem like the worst guy in the world. did he injure anyone considerably? Cooke has a long hit list and guys like Torres, but Kassian is a punk but he has not done any damage (yet). The kick could have been awful, but it was nothing.

 

[Bedards Dad]

He wasn't afraid of Atchoo Tkachuk. Anyway, people seem to want to make hinm seem like the worst guy in the world. did he injure anyone considerably? Cooke has a long hit list and guys like Torres, but Kassian is a punk but he has not done any damage (yet).

He is a dirtbag. Is he has big of a dirtbag as Cooke, no, but that's not relevant. His action(s) have shown he has zero regard for anyone else safety on the ice and doesn't have the maturity to control himself. An enforcer isnt going to change that, but a 10+ game suspension is a good start.

 

[Fixxer]

He is a dirtbag. Is he has big of a dirtbag as Cooke, no, but that's not relevant. His action(s) have shown he has zero regard for anyone else safety on the ice and doesn't have the maturity to control himself. An enforcer isnt going to change that, but a 10+ game suspension is a good start.

I agree that he is a reckless guy and isn't really safe for others out there. He's not the only one but this season, he just seem to make himself noticed more than usual. Hope he can play with an edge but not such an edge as he displayed lately. lol
Without that physical style of play, which he needs under control, he just doesn't have a role in the NHL.

 

[FanTheFlames]

Kassian is just an idiot nothing more to it... He got tangled up and decided to kick someone in the chest with a knife on his foot. I mean outside of kicking him in the throat there isnt a single thing worse he could have done.