Bergeron Hurt

[Yzermaniac192005 0]

I know most of you think that looks horrible but take it from someone who broke his neck and can't play hockey anymore because of it. Thankfully I'm not paralyzed, I actually walked away from the hit - but I got crushed almost exactly that way. He is incredibly fortunate to not have broken a vertabre or two or worse. This is one of the things I hate about hockey - how players (and fans) want to see the other team get crushed into the boards. We forget that if someone slips (like I did) or turns a little bit, suddenly you lose your balance and all it takes is a hit to change your life. Bergeron is incredibly lucky he is not hurt worse - but players need to have more respect near the boards.

-- Sorry, I realize I'm a little bias but honestly, don't you guys think players need to lighten up near the boards? I love open ice hits but that s*** near the boards is ridiculously dangerous.

[Lou_Siffer 1]

-- Sorry, I realize I'm a little bias but honestly, don't you guys think players need to lighten up near the boards? I love open ice hits but that s*** near the boards is ridiculously dangerous.

Not sure if im totally understanding you right, but are you talking about all hits against the boards including ones where guys back are not even turned? If thats what you mean, definitely not.

[Chase 0]

The hit looked pretty borederline to me... tough call. But I dont think it deserves a suspension. Looks more like a freak accident the way he went into the boards.

[toby91_ca 620]

It's the hits where the player is a few feet from the boards that you need to really worry about.

Normally, when the player is right up against the boards, the hits are actdually not that bad....they seem huge, but normally when you are on the receiving end, it really isn't as bad as if it would have been a big open ice hit.

[Yzermaniac192005 0]

Not sure if im totally understanding you right, but are you talking about all hits against the boards including ones where guys back are not even turned? If thats what you mean, definitely not.

No no no haha I meant the hits you see where someone is vulnerable. Meaning off balance or with their back turned. I'm all for hitting, trust me, I loved it when I could play - But all I'm saying is when a guy is already off balance, players need to back off for the sake of injury - but I realize you can't penalize that because its very borderline. I'd love to see hitting from behind taken out completely though. Its too damn dangerous.

[vangvace 12]

Regardless if it was an accident, or intentional, Jones has a few thing working against him:

1. Downie

2. Boulerice

3. Jones also plays for the Flyers

4. NHL supposed 'crackdown' this year

It was a hit to the head. If the NHL is really going to be tough on hits to the head, Jones will be suspended.

If the first three are taken into account, then bad on the league. If he gets more than 5 games I would fight it.

[vangvace 12]

If it wasn't dirty, why did Jones come during the intermission and apologize and say that he doesn't play like that?

Mandatory move when a player gets hurt. And he doesn't have a history of dirty play.

Just like you can't go in front of the camera and express joy in a blow-out.

Spector's article

After more thought, I would rather see the Flyers punished over this kid.

Edited October 29, 2007 by vangvace

[eva unit zero 271]

Yup. I think he'll get something like 10 games for that.

5-10 games is what I'm thinking should be handed down.

[auxlepli 17]

Burnside chimes in with his two cents.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/columns/stor...&id=3085130

For all the praise being heaped on Flyers GM Paul Holmgren and coach John Stevens for turning around a Philadelphia franchise that finished dead last in 2006-07, these incidents suggest this franchise has no real control over its players.

What else are we to conclude from the fact that three players scouted and signed by the Flyers have engaged in behavior that could have ended players' careers?

[wingslogo19 281]

Well IMO i think it was abit of a cheap shot. But the thing i don't like about some players, is that they know the player is coming and turn there back. That's the dumbest thing you can do

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

Well IMO i think it was abit of a cheap shot. But the thing i don't like about some players, is that they know the player is coming and turn there back. That's the dumbest thing you can do

true, but that's not what happened in this case. Bergeron was going in to play the puck and was facing it the whole time. It's not like he suddenly turned his back. Jones clearly hit him on the numbers.

EDIT: not sure if this has been posted yet.

Jones gets two games per TSN

Edited October 29, 2007 by haroldsnepsts

[auxlepli 17]

Two games is weak suspension.

http://sports.myway.com/news/10292007/v3509.html

A farce IMO. I'm disappointed with the League yet again, particularly Colin Campbell this time.

[Skiing - Puck 0]

I got the news of the suspension on my phone via a text messsage from ESPN earlier today. Two games is weak, it loks like we are headed back to old suspension standards. I also think that we are seeing the re-emergance of the Broadstreet Bullies in Philly, after all they know have three notible suspensions this year (Downie, Boulerice, Jones).

Edited October 29, 2007 by Skiing - Puck

[wingslogo19 281]

true, but that's not what happened in this case. Bergeron was going in to play the puck and was facing it the whole time. It's not like he suddenly turned his back. Jones clearly hit him on the numbers.

EDIT: not sure if this has been posted yet.

Jones gets two games per TSN

Oh i know that, I was just saying that its dumb for any player to turn there back that's all

[BringHomeTheCup! 0]

If the first three are taken into account, then bad on the league. If he gets more than 5 games I would fight it.

Why would that be bad on the league? I think you have to take those into account. They sent the bar with the Downie suspension, maintained it with Boulerice, and the fact that Jones is the third Flyer involved in a play like this takes any chance of coincidence.

2 games is a joke. Jones deserves at least 10. This is weak.

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

I don't think two games is that bad really. I would've preferred 3 or 4, but there was no malice in this hit. It was a bad play by Jones, but it's nowhere near what Boulerice did.

[BringHomeTheCup! 0]

I don't think two games is that bad really. I would've preferred 3 or 4, but there was no malice in this hit. It was a bad play by Jones, but it's nowhere near what Boulerice did.

What should it matter if there was any malice involved or not? If the NHL is really trying to crack down on head shots, Jones should have gotten more than 2 games. It's a joke, and a disgrace. It's things like this that make the NHL the laughing stock of the four major North American sports.

[vangvace 12]

Why would that be bad on the league? I think you have to take those into account. They sent the bar with the Downie suspension, maintained it with Boulerice, and the fact that Jones is the third Flyer involved in a play like this takes any chance of coincidence.

2 games is a joke. Jones deserves at least 10. This is weak.

Downie and Boulrice recieved 20+ games because they pruposefully went out of thier way to cause an injury. While pissed off I might add. Jones, not so much.

As for Jones being on the Flyers. The only way/time it should matter in something like this is if the league were to decide to take action on the GM or coach.

[Opie 308]

What hasn't been mentioned is this could be the end of Bergeron's career, or the start of the end.

As we have seen with the likes of Lindros in the NHL and guys like Steve Young in the NFL grade 3 concussions can be career ending.

Maybe not instantly but it definitely can be the start, if Bergeron takes another one of these it could spell the end for a very young very talented player.

As much as the league has cracked down on hits to the head they need to start cracking down on hits like this one.

2 games is weak in my opinion, I have watched the replay many times. How often do you see a guy in that position being hit from behind with little jab like checks. Jones could have easily done that and kept Patrice pinned to the boards and forced him to ditch the puck. I am not expecting every player to play at the level of a Lids, Sakic, Lemieux, Yzerman, etc.. but at least play with the same level of respect for the game and for each other. This league seriously needs to crack down on the young players who have no respect for other players or the game. Maybe getting rid of the instigator penalty would help, but I don't see a lot of these young guys playing with respect, and the Flyers as an Org are showing how classless they are.

The season is what 9 games deep and they have 3 guys that have had to be suspended for malicious hits.

This hit was not as bad as Downie or Boulerice but it is still bad and should have been closer to 10.

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

What should it matter if there was any malice involved or not? If the NHL is really trying to crack down on head shots, Jones should have gotten more than 2 games. It's a joke, and a disgrace. It's things like this that make the NHL the laughing stock of the four major North American sports.

I brought up malice in comparison to the hits like Boulerice.

And it wasn't a headshot, it was a hit from behind. The blow to the head was from Bergeron falling into the dasher.

Still a penalty, still worthy of suspension, but it's not like Jones delivered a blow to his head.

[seeinred 1,488]

I don't think two games is that bad really. I would've preferred 3 or 4, but there was no malice in this hit. It was a bad play by Jones, but it's nowhere near what Boulerice did.

QFMFT. It was a nasty looking hit, but hits from behind happen ALL THE TIME. They happen to get a lot of attention when serious injuries occur, just like pretty much everything else. Jones didn't crush Bergeron, he just laid a regular old check on him at precisely the right (wrong) distance from the boards. It sucks that Bergeron got injured, but a suspension of 10 games like some people want would be a giant step in the pussification of the NHL, essentially saying, "We don't care how it happens, if someone gets injured, you're screwed." And that would suck.

[BringHomeTheCup! 0]

Downie and Boulrice recieved 20+ games because they pruposefully went out of thier way to cause an injury. While pissed off I might add. Jones, not so much.

As for Jones being on the Flyers. The only way/time it should matter in something like this is if the league were to decide to take action on the GM or coach.

Jones may not have shown the intent to injure that Boulerice did, but the actions were just as brutal and results were far worse. While I am strictly against having results having anything to do with the punishment, I'm a strong supporter in punishing for what potentially could happen. That is, what Boulerice did, he wasn't punished for the injury sustained, rather for how brutal the act has or in other words, the potential injury it could have caused. I think this is one of those situations. Anyone who has ever played a game of hockey knows that there are numerous opportunities to take advantage of someone who is out of position, and hurt them. Jones should have let up, but he didn't. Now Bergeron will pay the price.

Regardless how right or wrong it may be, I do think that Jones should have been punished more harshly simply for being a Flyer. Listen, obviously he didn't learn from the first hand experiences that he went through earlier this season. And a message needs to be sent to the Flyers organization, from the players all the way to the owners. I would also fine and suspend John Stevens.

[vangvace 12]

What hasn't been mentioned is this could be the end of Bergeron's career, or the start of the end.

As we have seen with the likes of Lindros in the NHL and guys like Steve Young in the NFL grade 3 concussions can be career ending.

Maybe not instantly but it definitely can be the start, if Bergeron takes another one of these it could spell the end for a very young very talented player.

As much as the league has cracked down on hits to the head they need to start cracking down on hits like this one.

2 games is weak in my opinion, I have watched the replay many times. How often do you see a guy in that position being hit from behind with little jab like checks. Jones could have easily done that and kept Patrice pinned to the boards and forced him to ditch the puck. I am not expecting every player to play at the level of a Lids, Sakic, Lemieux, Yzerman, etc.. but at least play with the same level of respect for the game and for each other. This league seriously needs to crack down on the young players who have no respect for other players or the game. Maybe getting rid of the instigator penalty would help, but I don't see a lot of these young guys playing with respect, and the Flyers as an Org are showing how classless they are.

Agrred Here's an article that talks about hits from behind. Hits from behind It doesn't come into play on this hit in particular, but these type of hits in general.

Don Cherry, Canada's most popular hockey voice, offers another excellent idea. He suggests a plastic tube-like coating that would fit over the dasher but leave a pocket of air between the plastic surface and the wooden rail itself. That way, the air pocket would absorb much of the hit, and the head injuries suffered in that way would be significantly reduced.

I think it might work well, but then again with modern tech I wonder if the dashers and glass could be changed to remove the rail and/or give a little more.

[OsGOD 3]

I applaud the NHL on the consistancy

Consistancy to be unconsistant...

Heres to you Mr. NHL unfairly biased suspension giver outter!

Edited October 30, 2007 by OsGOD

[seeinred 1,488]

I applaud the NHL on the consistancy

Consistancy to be unconsistant...

Heres to you Mr. NHL unfairly biased suspension giver outter!

I don't see the inconsistency. It was a hit from behind during the normal course of play. No deliberate intent to injure. I would say almost every big suspension ever handed down has either been from assaulting an official or really nasty stick work. The 2 notable exceptions are Dale Hunter and Bertuzzi, and I'm pretty sure we can agree that this wasn't as bad as any of those.

Remember how many Lemieux got for his hit on Draper?