lets go pavel

It's not really an exception just for Crosby, it just happens to stem from their conversation, which certainly provides fodder for the conspiracy theorists. Yes, it would benefit Nick and Pavel too, had they known about it sooner. From everything Holland has said it is clear that they knew about the original rule and that Lidstrom and Datsyuk would have to sit out. What everyone, including Holland, is upset about is the change in the rule, which came too late to benefit our 2 guys, and the example the league seems to be making of them even though the rule changed so late.

The expectation that they should attend even though they are injured and not playing did not exist until YESTERDAY. At that point it quite likely was not so simple as just hopping on a plane ...

Again, injured players have never been expected to attend in years past if they weren't playing, and that expectation was not made clear this year either, at least until yesterday. It's fine if you think they should be there, I won't argue with that, but given the circumstances of the whole thing which have been pretty clearly laid out for you I think it's pretty easy to understand why they aren't there, and why people are upset over this.

The rule, as I understand it, that was decided upon at the GM meeting last year stated that any player who does not PLAY due to injury has to sit a game. Now it seems that you can avoid sitting the game out if you SHOW UP for the off-ice stuff, and by all accounts this revision stems from Bettman's conversation with Crosby. Call it a revision, call it an exception, call it whatever you want, but the main gripe is that it was created so late.

Did you bother to read any of the posts in the thread? Injured players have never been expected to attend in the past, and they were unaware that Bettman wanted them to show up just for the meet-and-greet. Had they known prior to yesterday that that was the expectation and that they would avoid the suspension by doing so I'm sure they would have been there. No one here is saying it's too much to ask ... we're upset because it was asked too late.

When I first read the title I thought Ottawa was looking at him to replace Gerber!

That's funny, I actually liked your example better! In any case, it's obvious Bettman f***ed up and made the wrong rule. The rule he apparently wanted was one that said everyone shows up, even if injured. The rule he came up with at the GM meeting said injured people have to prove they're injured by sitting a game. That might work to keep people from faking injuries, but it does nothing to make people with legitimate injuries attend. Obviously he realized this, and the "Crosby exception" is his attempt to fix his mistake, but not soon enough, and our guys get screwed in the process ...

Yes, and you could take the example a step further ... when you return to work there's a big sign above the time clock announcing that you and your co-worker have been docked pay for choosing not not to make up the time on the weekend, and thanking the other employee for his weekend work.

Duck Guy, I see where you're coming from, and while many of us disagree in principle with injured players being required to show up at all, I think most of us at least understand where the league is coming from. I think what many of us are pissed about here is the timing of everything, and how the poor timing has led to two of our players being villified by the league ... No, the understanding was that they had to PLAY. Lidstrom and Datsyuk were not going to play, and neither was Crosby. The Wings assumed they would all have to sit a game, and were okay with that, even if they didn't like it. Until .... Yes, and look at the timing. The Wings last game was Wednesday, do you think they sat around the Joe twiddling their thumbs for a couple days just in case Bettman decided to amend the rules? Lidstrom and Datsyuk, knowing they couldn't play in the ASG and were going to have to miss a game, were long gone when this whole exception popped up. I still don't agree that injured players should have to be there, but I understand where the league is coming from and see the merit in the exception ... if it's made available to all the players and in time for them to use it. It wasn't, which brings us to ... I have no problem with them having to miss a game because they didn't play in the ASG. I don't like it, but that was the rule the GM's agreed to. But Crosby should be out too. I understand that Bettman created the exception in reality to help the teams and players avoid the suspension, and if that had been in the understanding since the last GM meeting as well I would not be complaining. But it wasn't, and the unfortunate side effect of the late timing is that it makes Lidstrom and Datsyuk's "crimes" out to be worse than they are. If the rule is that you have to miss a game if you don't PLAY in the ASG, then Lidstrom and Datsyuk miss a game. They aren't being suspended, their integrity and priorities aren't being questioned, and quite frankly we aren't having a 17 page discussion about it (more like 5 pages bitching about the rule). This was the rule they were operating under when they made their plans for what to do during the break. But when the rule gets changed at the last minute to "all you have to do is show up", it makes Lidstrom and Datsyuk look all that much worse for not being there, even though they didn't know about the exception ahead of time. How many posts in this thread have said "all they had to do was get on a plane and shake a few hands". Yes, that is all they had to do, had they known about it in time to actually do that. But they were injured and under the impression that they would have to miss a game, so the logical thing for them to do was take the time and rest up. By the time the exception presents itself, it's too late. Again, the issue here is the timing ...

I'm not villifying Crosby, I'm villifying Bettman for creating a loophole for Crosby at the last minute, when it was likely too late for anyone else to take advantage of it. It's easy for you to say Dats and Lids should just hop on a plane today, but how do you know where they are or what they're doing? According to Holland the team knew they might miss a game for not playing and were prepared to deal with that, but they had no idea there was a loophole until the two guys in question were long gone. Had the team known that Pavel and Lids could avoid this by showing up for the off-ice stuff I would guess they'd have been there, but Bettman just made that part up.

Yeah, it is nice that the exception that keeps Crosby from being suspended also makes our guys look like jerks for not even showing up, even though they didn't know that would help until they were probably half way around the world ...

The rule was created to prevent players from faking injuries. They aren't faking injuries, but they are being penalized anyway. Bettman made an exception for Crosby, why can't an exception be made for Lidstrom and Datsyuk? Of course they could have avoided this, especially if Bettman had made a stink over it a few days ago, but the point is they shouldn't have to avoid it. They shouldn't be penalized if Crosby isn't. From every interpretation I have seen of the rule, it says if a player does not PLAY in the ASG they must sit out a game to verify their injury. How does Crosby showing up and shaking hands exempt him from this burden of proof? How is it that because he shows up and smiles we can believe he is truly injured, but Datsyk and Lidstrom have to sit out a game to prove their injuries? Bulls***.

Typically when you execute an innocent person for murder it's not because the rules say you have to, it's because you don't know they're innocent until after the fact. In this case it seems that just about everyone realizes this is ridiculous and that they are "innocent", but the league is just going to go ahead with the "execution" anyway, as if it's somehow too late to fix the mistake. They waited this long to announce the problem, I'm sure it's not too late to acknowledge their mistake.

I looked through it, albeit briefly, after your first post and didn't see any mention of a player's obligation to attend. There is an attached All Star Game letter, but it deals with player compensation and benefits.

Sounds like the Wings knew this was coming and decided their players' health come first, regardless of the consequences ... Detroit GM Ken Holland said Lidstrom, 38, has been dealing with tendinitis for a number of seasons and wanted to use the All-Star break to try and get into a position where he can play pain-free down the stretch. Holland knew there was the potential for Lidstrom to miss a game after the break, but didn't pressure his star defenseman to play. "Nik Lidstrom has been an incredible ambassador for our team and for our game. I respect his decision," Holland told ESPN.com on Friday. Holland was less enthusiastic about the policy that will sit his star defenseman for a game. "I disagree with the decision, but I'm not running the league," he said. ESPN article

But Mike Komisarek is going to be there ... who else do they need?

I think most are pissed about the rule, and it doesn't help that this is the first most of us knew about it. But I agree, if the GMs agreed to this a year ago they don't have much to complain about ...

From Helen St. James ... link The Red Wings will not have All-Stars Nicklas Lidstrom and Pavel Datsyuk available next week when they play at Columbus. That's because the NHL, in an effort to ensure its star players will attend the All-Star Game events (it's this weekend in Montreal, the game is Sunday) has decided to enforce an understanding that anyone who pulls out must miss either the game before or after the All-Star break. Lidstrom and Datsyuk officially pulled out after Tuesday's game, in which they both played. I just now was told by an NHL spokesman that Lidstrom and Datsyuk "are sitting out due to 'nagging injuries,' which will preclude them from participating in the first game following the break." Sounds like they're not actually suspended for the Columbus game, they just can't play? Maybe it's just semantics, but perhaps it avoids besmirching their "permanent record".

I don't think Crosby was planning on going either, it sounded like he only decided to go to avoid the suspension ...

Agreed, that part's ridiculous. If you want to penalize them, fine them. Fine their team.

I agree with you here. Personally I think this rule is horses***, but if the GMs agreed to it then there's not much of a leg to stand on.

It's not like any of them are going to understand a word Pavel would say anyway

I'm not sure he's actually "suspended" ... it sounds like he just has to sit out, and if he doesn't then there will be further punishment?

The Columbus game counts in the standings, the ASG does not. We are in a race with SJ for home ice advantage throughout the playoffs, which could play a role in our postseason success. It could come down to a point or two. Even the throwaway games mean something in the standings. The ASG might matter to the NHL, but the Columbus game matter to the Red Wings. Asking them to play in it is not too much to ask, but when they're hurt there are plenty of other players who can fill their spots.

Okay, a question then ... if the rule is that they have to miss either the game before or after the ASG if they don't play, I don't see how they can be suspended yet, because technically they won't break the rule unless they actually play in the Columbus game. If they sit out, as the rule says they have to, then they would be scratches, not suspensions ... right?