Kovalchuk Hit

[eva unit zero 271]

My only thought when I first saw it was that it sort of looked like Kovalchuk was trying to avoid hitting Rosival. When you consider that his comments contradict that, you can't call this anything but a blatantly dirty hit.

That said, I expect one of two outcomes:

1) The league will investigate the hit, he will be allowed to play in the next game and the ASG during the investigation, and the league will discipline him AFTER the ASG.

2) The league will suspend him only for the next game.

The first course is what I would do of the two available outcomes. There's a good chance that he sits out thursday's game anyway, even if he's not suspended. Waddel isn't stupid enough to send out his star player against the team he just laid a dirty hit on two nights later for a game with little importance.

[toby91_ca 620]

The first course is what I would do of the two available outcomes. There's a good chance that he sits out thursday's game anyway, even if he's not suspended. Waddel isn't stupid enough to send out his star player against the team he just laid a dirty hit on two nights later for a game with little importance.

Why would you say the game has little importance? Atlanta is 3 pts out of 8th (Rangers are in 8th). A win by NY puts them 5 up on Atlanta, a win by Atlanta puts them within 1 pt of NY. I see this as a big game, other than the fact that it is only January.

[eva unit zero 271]

Why would you say the game has little importance? Atlanta is 3 pts out of 8th (Rangers are in 8th). A win by NY puts them 5 up on Atlanta, a win by Atlanta puts them within 1 pt of NY. I see this as a big game, other than the fact that it is only January.

I see it as less important than having Kovalchuk healthy for the rest of the season. If I were the coach, Kovalchuk doesn't play from now until after the ASG.

[Duck Guy 86]

1 game..

[Reds4Life 51]

He deserves at least 3 imho. But 1 is still better than nothing.

Edited January 23, 2008 by Reds4Life

[seeinred 1,488]

He should get a game, 2 tops. Sure it was a dirty hit, but it's obvious he wasn't trying to kill Rozsival. He wasn't going that fast when he hit him. These things do happen, and they should be punished when they do, but I think any suspension at all on him would be enough of a message. If this was Downie or Pronger or Tootoo I'd be right with you calling for 5-10, but it's Ilya Kovalchuk, he's not a dirty player and there's no need to crucify him for a 1st offense like this.

[seeinred 1,488]

That seems like a perfect suspension to me.

Edit: well I look like a double-posting ****** now that the threads have been merged

Edited January 23, 2008 by SeeinRed

[Turkey 0]

1 Game Suspension for Kovalchuk

One game per Tsn. At least it was something. I do think this emphasizes the lack of a coherent framework for estimating how many games a given infraction is worth.

[Duck Guy 86]

i would of liked to see 2 or 3 but at least there was a suspension.

[wingsfan40 0]

1 game seems a little weak...ah well

[GMRwings1983 8,804]

The league is going out of its way to include stars in the all-star game, which explains why someone like Niedermayer was picked. It would be crazy now for them now to suspend Kovalchuk for the game.

[edicius 3,269]

Not a big surprise. I like Kovy, but it should have been at least 5 games. But, again, no surprise. Marquee players are treated differently. We *cough* only need to look to last year's postseason to realize that.

[Detroit # 1 Fan 2,204]

I kind of liked it... I mean, people always give the euros the "soft" stereotype, and Kovalchuk is the exact opposite. I really like him now that he's shown that he's a huge snipe and he's tough to boot. I dont want him to make a habit of throwing dirty hits, but I hope he conitnues to play tough.

[SweWings 45]

That hit doesn't make a lot of sense. Temporary brain stoppage.

[Viperar 16]

I kind of liked it... I mean, people always give the euros the "soft" stereotype, and Kovalchuk is the exact opposite. I really like him now that he's shown that he's a huge snipe and he's tough to boot. I dont want him to make a habit of throwing dirty hits, but I hope he conitnues to play tough.

i really like the quote in your sig, hope it comes true

[eva unit zero 271]

2) The league will suspend him only for the next game.

I win!!

[Grittzkey 1]

Nice hit.

man up or gtfo.

[Turkey 0]

Nice hit.

man up or gtfo.

That's ridiculous. Kovalchuk left his feet, hit the head, and drove his target into the boards. That's not a clean hockey play. I say again, he's lucky he didn't seriously injure anyone or this suspension would be longer.

I don't know how a real hockey fan can value the players so little, that they are willing to see careers ended by dirty hits just for the sake of entertainment.

[seeinred 1,488]

That's ridiculous. Kovalchuk left his feet, hit the head, and drove his target into the boards. That's not a clean hockey play. I say again, he's lucky he didn't seriously injure anyone or this suspension would be longer.

I don't know how a real hockey fan can value the players so little, that they are willing to see careers ended by dirty hits just for the sake of entertainment.

Not every hit from behind is a devastating, "Oh my God how could he have such little disregard for the sanctity of human life" kind of hit. In this case it happens that Rozsival was a "safe" distance from the boards so that he wasn't going to break his neck. It was worth the 5, game misconduct, and the suspension, but no more. There was no wanton disregard for player's safety here any moreso than say, a nice 2-hander to the legs or something.

[Grittzkey 1]

That's ridiculous. Kovalchuk left his feet, hit the head, and drove his target into the boards. That's not a clean hockey play. I say again, he's lucky he didn't seriously injure anyone or this suspension would be longer.

I don't know how a real hockey fan can value the players so little, that they are willing to see careers ended by dirty hits just for the sake of entertainment.

Sure it's not a hit that is encouraged, But its Ilya Kovalchuk we are talking about, Seeing skilled players who lay the smack down is always a fun thing to watch..

The player wasnt injured, Ilya's intent wasnt to make the guy scream in pain, He was just caught up in the game. Its not like he turned into Steve Downie over night or anything.

The game misconduct was about all he deserved. He isnt the kind of player who needs a suspension to tell him he done something bad.

[Datsyukian Geek 2]

Weak hit or not, this isn't football. There's over 80 games played in the regular season, I don't see why a 3-game suspension can't be the minimum for any suspension-worthy infraction. One game? Thanks for the rest, now Ilya will be right back out there scoring like a fiend from the next game on. *eyeroll*

[imisssergei 0]

Not every hit from behind is a devastating, "Oh my God how could he have such little disregard for the sanctity of human life" kind of hit. In this case it happens that Rozsival was a "safe" distance from the boards so that he wasn't going to break his neck. It was worth the 5, game misconduct, and the suspension, but no more. There was no wanton disregard for player's safety here any moreso than say, a nice 2-hander to the legs or something.

You might want to watch this clip again. There is no way this is a 'safe distance' from the boards. Anywhere from a foot to a distance nearly equal to the players height is in the 'break your neck' zone. Especially when the player is not only hit from behind, but also looking down and not standing upright.

I love Kovalchuk, but he deserved more than 1 game. Put him in a Flyers jersey with Downey on the back and he is gone for 10+.

[imisssergei 0]

Sure it's not a hit that is encouraged, But its Ilya Kovalchuk we are talking about, Seeing skilled players who lay the smack down is always a fun thing to watch..

The player wasnt injured, Ilya's intent wasnt to make the guy scream in pain, He was just caught up in the game. Its not like he turned into Steve Downie over night or anything.

The game misconduct was about all he deserved. He isnt the kind of player who needs a suspension to tell him he done something bad.

That makes ZERO sense when talking about the length of the suspension. A player is suspended based on the acted, not what type of person he is.

Should Kovalchuk only be assesed 1 minute minor penalties because he isn't the type of player who needs the full 2 minutes to tell him he did something wrong?

No. Just like the length of a penalty is a result of the act, so should a suspension be. A player does not deserve a reduced sentence because of his name. This is just one of many reasons why the NHL is viewed as such a joke to many people.

[seeinred 1,488]

You might want to watch this clip again. There is no way this is a 'safe distance' from the boards. Anywhere from a foot to a distance nearly equal to the players height is in the 'break your neck' zone. Especially when the player is not only hit from behind, but also looking down and not standing upright.

I love Kovalchuk, but he deserved more than 1 game. Put him in a Flyers jersey with Downey on the back and he is gone for 10+.

I've seen it plenty. Rozsival was close enough to the boards that he wasn't in any mortal danger. I agree about the Downie point though, but that's the way it goes. You do stupid s*** a lot, and you're gonna get nailed for it harder than a guy who does it once.

[Guest GordieSid&Ted]

What is wrong with the NHL today? Hits like this need to be eliminated. Kovalchuk left his feet to hit Rozsival from behind. For a second there, I thought I was watching a Flyers game.

If Randy Jones can get a 5 game suspension I think it was, how can this only be a 1 gamer?

Absolutely absurd. This is a classic case of Campbell taking into account that Roszival got up and returned to the game. So long as the league punishes by resultant injury and not by the act itself the game will be s***.

If Campbell were a judge and some dude tried to shoot his wife and the gun jammed or backfired, he'd probably give the guy a slap on the wrist because he didn't actual kill the poor lass.

Campbell is a ******* idiot.