Lebda hit from behind, suffers concussion

[superstarsingh 23]

Good luck to Lebda and I hope he is back soon.

[Matt 1,048]

Sorry, but I gotta go with the Blues fans on this one then. I don't like Ville but it was a good, and fair, check.

You're kidding right? Lebda never saw him coming -- he (Lebda) saw the Blues player coming in from behind the net to his left and turned to help protect himself from *that* player coming in.

If it was a "clean, good check" then Nieminen wouldn't have been given a 5-minute major and game misconduct, would he? He had plenty of time to hold up on Lebda after he turned, but that's not his M.O. He was dialed in and followed through with it, anyway.

If Lebda didn't get injured, probably would've just been a minor penalty me thinks.

Wrong. As soon as the hit was laid Marouelli (who I believe was in that end) was standing in the opposite corner and his arm rocketed up as soon as the hit was laid. It was going to be 5-minutes regardless of the severity of the injury.

But I will say this, behavior off the ice, even if it is apologizing, doesn''t erase any behavior on the ice.

Absolutely!

[HockeyCrazy3033 168]

Chelios wants NHL disciple Nieminen for hit on Lebs.

http://www.mlive.com/redwings/stories/inde....xml&coll=1

Yep.

*Update*

Lebda is said to be out for at least a week so he'll more than likely be ready to go for the playoffs. GREAT news!

And now for the BS news. Campbell was on HNIC and said they reviewed the hit. He didn't think it was all that dirty therefore there will more than likely not be a suspension. What a bunch of crap.

[Viperar 16]

Chelios wants NHL disciple Nieminen for hit on Lebs.

http://www.mlive.com/redwings/stories/inde....xml&coll=1

Yep.

*Update*

Lebda is said to be out for at least a week so he'll more than likely be ready to go for the playoffs. GREAT news!

And now for the BS news. Campbell was on HNIC and said they reviewed the hit. He didn't think it was all that dirty therefore there will more than likely not be a suspension. What a bunch of crap.

atleast lebda is back for the playoffs...good news indeed

[maltbyrocks18 0]

as far as the hit goes.. he could of let up. and when players just turn around at last second to avoid being hit its bulls*** and i get screwed when im playing hockey by taking pentalies because of those ******* all the time. still, he could of and should of let up.

i think its good he visited lebda and apoligized, but he should still get the game suspension and all of course regardless. That awkward moment though for them two when veille walked in to the hospital room must of been horrible! what do you think he said?? "uhhh.... my bad?"

[WINGEDONE9 0]

If it was a CLEAN HIT NO PENALTY would have been called.

This Below is from MLIVE.

"DETROIT -- Ville Nieminen is no stranger to controversial hits. His latest one has Detroit Red Wings defenseman Chris Chelios imploring the NHL to punish him.

Nieminen received a five-minute major penalty for boarding and a game misconduct Saturday, when the St. Louis Blues forward hit Wings defenseman Brett Lebda from behind, driving his head into the metal partition that separates the glass at 6:32 of the first period.

A bleeding Lebda was down on the ice for about 10 minutes before being wheeled off on a stretcher. He sustained a concussion, but was otherwise said to be doing well at the hospital, where Nieminen even visited him.

An irate Chelios tried to mix it up with Nieminen after the play, but officials stepped in.

"It's a case of who did it again,'' Chelios said. "He hits from behind -- that's what Nieminen is known for. Everybody knows that's the type of game he plays and now he got caught for it and I'm sure he's going to get suspended. The league's going to have to do something about it.''

Nieminen was suspended for one game in the Wings-Calgary playoff series in 2004 when he charged then-Detroit goaltender Curtis Joseph with four seconds remaining in Game 4. He was also suspended for Game 5 of the Stanley Cup finals vs. Tampa Bay that year after ramming Vincent Lecavalier's head into the glass".

Ville is a cheap shot artist always has been always will be.

[WendelClark 0]

These are from nhl.com rulebook found here:

http://www.nhl.com/hockeyu/rulebook/alphaindex.html

Rule 48 Checking from Behind

A check from behind is a check delivered on a player who is not aware of the impending hit, therefore UNABLE TO DEFEND HIMSELF, and contact is made on the back part of the body. When a player intentionally turns his body to create contact with his back, no penalty shall be assessed

1. Any player who cross-checks, pushes or charges from behind an opponent who is unable to defend himself, shall be assessed a major and a game misconduct. This penalty applies anywhere on the playing surface.

2. Any player who incurs a total of two (2) game misconducts for Checking from Behind under Rule 48(a) in either Regular Season or Playoffs, shall be suspended automatically for the next game of his Team. For each subsequent game misconduct penalty the automatic suspension shall be increased by one game.

Rule 44 Boarding

# A minor or major penalty, at the discretion of the Referee, based upon the degree of violence of the impact with the boards, shall be imposed on any player who checks an opponent in such a manner that causes the opponent to be thrown violently in the boards.

(NOTE) Any unnecessary contact with a player playing the puck on an obvious "icing" or "off-side" play which results in that player being knocked into the boards is "boarding" and must be penalized as such. In other instances where there is no contact with the boards, it should be treated as "charging".

# When a major penalty is imposed under this Rule for a foul resulting in an injury to the face or head of an opponent, a game misconduct shall be imposed.

# Any player who incurs a total of two (2) game misconducts for Boarding under Rule 44 (b), in either Regular Season or Playoffs, shall be suspended automatically for the next game of his Team. For each subsequent game misconduct penalty the automatic suspension shall be increased by one game.

# When a major penalty is imposed under this Rule, an automatic fine of one hundred dollars ($100) shall be imposed.

It was a DIRTY HIT!! (according to the rules, and me)

Also, check out a lot of the other things in there. Very interesting read about tons and tons of penalties you see go by not called. Also learned some new stuff like 'illegal puck'

get well quick lebby!

Edited March 25, 2007 by WendelClark

[Matt 1,048]

Campbell's a joke. Neiminen's a repeat offender. Ask Lecavalier.

Practically the exact same play: Both players were digging at the puck along the boards, and in both instances Neiminen went in hard with the forearm up and drove the head of each player into the glass -- and both got cuts from it.

So, basically, Campbell's telling me that in the Stanley Cup Final that play deserves a suspension, but not in a regular season game? The rules are followed much stricter during the regular season than the playoffs, so this makes absolutely no sense to me.

[JSchlenske 0]

Did Lebda even have the puck? I forgot which Wing was in the corner but he chipped up past Lebda and thaen Lebdaturned for the puck and that is when he got hit. Did anyone else notice that?

[Kp-Wings 3]

As I look at the hit again, I do change my thoughts. Neiminen was rocketing right at him, and should have pulled up or eased into the hit a little, not blasted him.

I don't really feel a 20 game suspension should warrent or anything like that, but something like at least 3 games should make the point. Neiminen has done this sort of thing multiple times. I could understand if this was the first time, but it's not.

[poxer 0]

I didn't see the game because for some reason they decided to play HS basketball and CCHA hockey or something. But my friend told me about the hit and said the player that hit him went to the hospital to see him and apologize. If thats true then I have respect for him for doing that.

[Kp-Wings 3]

I didn't see the game because for some reason they decided to play HS basketball and CCHA hockey or something. But my friend told me about the hit and said the player that hit him went to the hospital to see him and apologize. If thats true then I have respect for him for doing that.

If you're talking about FSN, no they didn't have the game. FOX 2 Detroit covered the game today.

[theman19 47]

colin campbell is offically starting to piss me off.

First this guy wants to take fighting out of hockey and then he lets the result of doing that slide under the radar. Idiot

[StaticWithABeat 0]

colin campbell is offically starting to piss me off.

First this guy wants to take fighting out of hockey and then he lets the result of doing that slide under the radar. Idiot

No kidding...NHL leadership in general has been ridiculous, especially with the GM talks..."Nevermind flying elbows to the head and boarding hits that have left dozens injured, we have much more important issues at hand, such as changing the draft for no reason!"

[TNBT 3]

They aren't useless at all, but they are a pain for readers signing on after the game.

This thread's fine. It's worthy of discussing beyond the gdt.

I don't have anything to say about your post, but I like your Chris Simon avatar.

So Brett will be out for 2-3 weeks as is mandantory with concusion.

So do we go with Lilypads or call up Meech/Quincey?, until Brett is cleared to play.

It will probably be easier for them to just go with Lilja, but I'd rather see Quincey get some more games.

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

Well, I stand corrected to an extent after watching the replays one more time and getting grilled for being one of the only one's taking up for Niminnen on this sole instance in this thread.

Ville could've let up a bit prior to the hit/not thrown the elbow or hit him a bit lower in the middle back area, but on the devil's advocate side, I still stand by my opinion that we've seen much worse hits as well in the past.

1-2 game suspension is probably the right amount of justice.

[Zion 93]

I also think that Lebda saw him coming and still turned to play the puck. Ville, a rough (but not dirty) player, did not let up on the hit in time.

He's a good guy, though, so it doesn't surprise me in the least that he went to the hospital to (I'm guessing) apologize and make sure Brett was okay.

[auxlepli 17]

Hmmm still not posted to NHL.com. Let fans see the hit Colin.

[wingsfan40 0]

Lebda was hit from behind and cut bad, then taking away on a stretcher. I hope he is O.K. He was responsive when he was taken out. When will players stop these retarded head shots, oh wait when some one dies.

Well hopefully he is alright

[Zetter is Better 0]

Damn........ I would have loved to see Cheli fight Nieminen! I haven`t seen Cheli drop the gloves in a long while. It also would have made up for the lack of suspension.

How `bout Markov there throwin` the punches in OT. How many fights has Markov got into before he ends it before it really starts?

[Matt 1,048]

I also think that Lebda saw him coming and still turned to play the puck.

Wrong. Watch it again. You'd think if Lebda actually saw Nieminen coming he would've at least protected his face from getting slammed into the partition, wouldn't you? He didn't see him coming -- he was focused on the Blues player coming in from the left.

Ville, a rough (but not dirty) player...

Ask Lecavalier, Joseph, etc., how "rough" the hyena is. He's been doing this type of thing (hitting from behind, to the back of the head, etc.) for a few seasons now.

[metalwinger_13 0]

This right here is why people arent fans of the new NHL. You dont hand out sufficent punishment for what was done. They need to come up with a system that works for everybody not just a few bad spots here and there. I saw by going off the 5 game suspension Tootoo got, i say give him 10 games including start of next year. But i also would fine him. thats what the NHL needs to do to help cut down on these cheap shots. Hit the players back where it counts the most, the pocket book. I think once they start to do that well see a much better hitting game and less liberties taking on players with the back to the play etc.

[zata40 3]

I missed to beginning of the game, does anyone have a clip of the hit?

[Louisville 112]

Mlive:

When Blues coach Andy Murray was asked about the hit, he said: "Unnecessary ... unnecessary."

[HockeyCrazy3033 168]

Lebda's feeling good and wants to play Thursday.

Fantastic news :!:

http://www.redwingsonline.com/apps/pbcs.dl...1128/SPORTS0103