toby91_ca

Perhaps, but his injury wouldn't cost him any money, the suspension does. I don't know, 5 games is a pretty stiff suspension and it will cost him about $250,000, it's no slap on the wrist. I can see the argument for more because it isn't one of those plays here he's a split second off or the guy he's hitting moved at the last minute, etc., it's a play that is absolutely able to be eliminated 100% so a guy doing it is an idiot and should be punished. However, I'm guessing it wasn't really, really long bedause there was no injury on the play (I'm assuming, I haven't checked and haven't watched Shanny's video) and it wasn't that "hard" of a hit (meaning....it wasn't like the Domi elbow to Neidermayer or Dale Hunter on...can't remember his name).

Yup, he's had some terrible luck, but not sure I'd go with retirment, especially since he can collect on his contract for many years to come. It's pretty funny though, at 30 years old, he's played about the same amount of games as 21 year old Stamkos. I know goalies play less games and wouldn't have come in as a starter the same time Stamkos started, but it still looks crazy. My guess is that if he was healthy, his games played would be double.

I think he's just trying to light a fire under the players and get them going vs. really be interested in trading them. That doesn't make them untouchable of course, but I don't think there as available as the comments may appear.

Balance is important though, you don't want to have 4 lines of all skilled scorers (maybe you do?). If you want to run and gun and take your chances, maybe that's what you do, but that is a very risky game plan. I think you do have a bit of a point though, maybe they should go a little more skilled, but I think it is important to add some perspective to the stats you referenced (i.e. only x of the top 10 scorers invited)...not all of those top 10 scorers were elibile, see below: WHL - of the top 10, 2 are overage and 2 are non-Canadian OHL - of the top 10, 2 are overage and 2 are non-Canadian QMJHL - of the top 10, 4 are overage and 1 is non-Canadian

Not sure what you think I get.... I won't go as far to question why Cole gets suspended on not Datsyuk...completely different plays. I can understand questionning whether Datsyuk's hit was clean or not though...that could potentially be debatable, but whether it is suspension worthy or not isn't debatable in my opinion.

Really??? I can only hope that you are joking, since Ralph Wilson Stadium is home to the "Buffalo" Bills. If you are not joking, does that mean the Bills never host any games? Do the Ottawa Senators never host any games? I'm sure the list would be very long if I kept going. Now, I'm assuming you are referring to the city of Buffalo not having hosted the Winter Classic rather than the Buffalo team not hosting. Either way though, why bother with the technicality? Why would the Wild wear another team's jersey? Wouldn't that be like the Rangers playing in Islanders jerseys?

Not that it matters at all to whether there should have been a suspension or not, I can't agree with you on these points. The puck actually leaves Abby's stick before contact is made and on your assertion that there would have been a penalty even if it was a clean body check......no way in hell. Firstly, I'm not sure where in the interference rules it suggests that you can't hit a player that is already engaged with another player (I'll give you the benefit of the doubt there though). Secondlyl, he wasn't engaged with any other player anyway. Another player tried to catch him and get a stick on him, but really didn't get to him. If that was a clean hit, there would have been no penalty called...I'm guessing here...about 1,000 out of 1,000 times. Maybe if you had it happen a million times tehre may have been a penalty called once, but I doubt it.

Here's the thing about the Datsyuk hit....I don't think it's clear cut (regardless of what others say) what the principal point of contact was (head or body), but let's say it was the head for a minute. Just because you conclude it was an illegal hit to the head, it doesn't mean and automatic suspension. There is a minor penalty for elbowing when you elbow someone in the head, it's not always a suspension....you have to consider the force behind it and potential to cause injury. If I was reffing and I determined that Datsyuk through a head shot there, I would have given him 2 minutes. It wasn't overly violent or forceful, there was no way that would hurt anyone (including Lindros).

In terms of drawing fans for road games, Detroit currently sits at #5 in the NHL, not #1.

I'm confused as to what you are looking for. What I think you are looking for would be available pretty much anywhere, hockeydb.com, for example. However, I doubt I understand exactly what you are looking for.

Actually looked pretty hard to me, a lot more significant than most spears which are normally just little pokes.

I can live with the 2 minutes to Neil, but Ovie should have gotten 5 minutes. There is no grey zone here. Spear with no contact is a double minor, spear with contact is a major.

And that's one of the reasons I like hockey and hockey players a lot more

As already pointed out, no, suspended for a different hit in the same game. However, the hit on Skinner was pretty borderline as it looked to me like he led with his elbow. His hit on Poni was absolutely pathetic though and deserves suspension for sure.

Just for the record, both teams thought it was pretty classless, even his teammates didn't want to defend it.

How does momentum propell you that far off the ice? The answer is because he jumped into the hit, which is very dangerous. I have no problem at all with suspension. What isn't mentioned at all in the Shanahan video, and maybe I'm wrong, but it looked like there was a elbow/forearm to the head as well (in the angle on the other side of the glass). In terms of the inconsistency between the Lucic and Tootoo incidents, I have no problem with that either. The Lucic hit was worse in my opinion, but Miller was in his crease on the Tootoo hit, which I think makes a bit of a difference, but the bigger difference is that the GMs met after the Lucic hit and made it pretty clear that they want those types of things suspended in the future, so that's why you see Tootoo suspended.

Man, Ovie has you fooled too? I should be pretty obvious that it was on purpose (not necessarily at full speed unless you are really watching though). In terms of your reference to "stabbing" - it was a stabbing motion, whether you stab forward or backward, it's still a stab.

I'm assuming you are being sarcastic as none of those would be suspendable. However, the 3rd hit on the 3 hits in one shift video should definitely have been a penalty.

I'm not sure why everyone focuses so much on whether a guy leaves his feet before contact or not, I don't think it really matters. I've always thought a lot of Kronwall's hits in the past were borderline. I don't like guys jumping/launching themselves into other players, regardless of when the feet leave the ice. I understand feet will leave the ice on a lot of hits on the follow through, but when a guy launches himself way up there, I think that's a problem and yes, I think some of Kronwall's hits have been problematic for me.

Rule 62.1 - Spearing - spearing shall mean stabbing an opponent with the point of the stick blade, whether contact is made or not. How does it not fit that definition? He should have gotten a major penalty since a spear that doesn't make contact is a double-minor, one that does is a major. In terms of supplemental discipline, I'm not so sure, he does have a history, but I think it would have to result in injury before you get a suspension. Perhaps the best to have dealt with it would be a fine and then it counts should he do something suspendable in the future. I don't get the only call for diving though. I understand they might not have seen the spear, but if they didn't, then they are really not sure why he went down and in that case, how could they call anything? My guess is that at full speed, Ovie does really disguised it well and the ref thought that Ovie's stick got close to him on the way by and Niel tried to sell something. Edit....grammar, although, probably still bad.

I would guess that Ryan is off the market for now after the coaching change.

Ummm....pretty sure he was referring to body checks to the head....not standing still in a scrum and getting your forearm up in someone's face. There's an absolutely huge difference there. By your logic, if Crosby gets into a scrum and guys are punching him in the face, he can't punch them back because that would make him hypocritical since that would be considered a head shot. I know what he did wasn't a punch, but it wasn't really an elbow to the head either. Edit: that said, there are a lot of people out there that think the league is contradicting themselves by taking a hard stance on headshots (i.e. bodychecks to the head) while still allowing fighting (guys punching each other in the head).

Can you show me where he said these types of plays should be out of the game?

Both of these guys are kind of dicks, but Dubinsky is more of a dick in my opinion.

Not really my assumption, from someone else's mouth and they heard Pittsburgh and then assumed the other 3.....the basics were that he'd accept a trade to a "good team" that had a chance to win.