The "Suspensions"

[Guest Shoreline]

Hurt their chances for individual awards?

No.

[Z and D for the C 712]

^

It's just one game, and it'a dumb suspension. They're okay. And who cares about the lady byng, I hope he doesn't win it this year.

[Kira 451]

I hope the Wings win the Cup this year at the Joe, remember this, boo so much Bettman has to leave the ice and Datsyuk will hand the cup to Lidstrom.

Anyhooo...

What would be even more ironic would be to have to hand the Cup to Nick and the Conn Smythe to Pasha... wouldn't that piss him off?????

[tingnoel 4]

there's a pretty good perspective on the "suspensions" here

[egroen 384]

Considering some of the names on the Lady Byng, I would consider it a great honor. Not so long ago, the Lady Byng was actually treated as the "Hart Runner-up".

Since this is not a "real suspension" it should not hurt them too much, but man, is there a lot of animosity out there from writers towards the Red Wings or what? I've visited other teams' forums and most of the fans from other teams are actually supporting the Red Wings, suprisingly. But literally 9 out of 10 sports writers are sticking up for Bettman and lambasting the Red Wings. Could also be just for the ratings? It's always tough to tell if that is what they are really thinking or if they just need attention-grabbing headlines.

If they would have played without the suspension, either one of Dats or Lids would have been capable of putting up some big numbers against a team like Columbus, so it will bother me at the end of the year if Datsyuk or Lidstrom is one or two points shy of a player voted into a first or second team all star over them, but I am a geek about these things.

[Winged_WheelNut 0]

there's a pretty good perspective on the "suspensions" here

i got an error on your link.

[esteef 2,679]

Honestly i dont know if i am happy with that. We are easily the best team year in and out in the league and Lids is the best defensive player and overall just an outstanding person comments like that dont reflect well the team well or the league.

edit: forgot a word, by bad homes

I think in light of the current situation it was perfectly acceptable. He made his point and didn't take any unnecessary shots at anyone. Exactly what I would expect from the Red Wings captain.

esteef

[lets go pavel 2]

I would agree, it shouldn't ... but it's hard to gauge how the writers will vote and whether they'll hold a grudge. To be honest, I don't think Lidstrom would win the Norris even without the suspension, not because he isn't deserving, but this year there seems to be a lot of publicity around a number of younger guys - Weber, Phaneuf, Chara, Green - and the impression I get from many of the articles is that it's time to give it to someone else. I don't think Pavel gets Hart unless Ovechkin and Malkin cool off considerably, and noone else heats up, and I'd be surprised if he gets Selke twice in a row. We won the cup last year, and a number of individual awards, and for whatever reason I just feel like there's going to be a backlash this year ...

[Zion 93]

Honestly I don't know if I am happy with that. We are easily the best team in the league, year in and year out, and Lids is the best defensive and overall player and just an outstanding person. Comments like that don't reflect well on either the team or the league.

Edit: forgot a word, my bad, Holmes.

Cleaned it up a little for you.

[MidMichSteve 1,115]

MidMichSteve, I'm quoting your last paragraph, and wondering if you could explain what you meant:

Do you mean that players will, in the future, see this as a must-show event and make more of a concentrated effort to be there; or do you mean that all players will be required to show up at the expense of receiving treatment for their injuries? Or did you mean something else altogether that I missed?

Personally, I would rather that if a player is injured and can't play that he let his replacement do the whole job, and he stay home and receive whatever he needs medically for his situation. If the injury is one which would allow him to go, and if he chooses to, then he would be welcomed there, but the media attention should be on those who are playing, not on those who are attending. It makes the replacements seem second-rate to me.

Also, who would determine if a player should go or stay home? Would the league defer to the medical staff? Or would they have some sort of blanket statement that all must attend, which would open a huge can of worms?

I don't like this rule to begin with, and quite frankly, I'm worried about the future implications if it is not clarified.

Sorry that I was unclear.

What I mean is a player should attend the ASG if he is healthy. I don't believe Nick or Pavel would have stayed home if either were able to play.

Yes, the team medical staff would be entrusted with the decision.

Now that the players are aware of the "Crosby Rule" they could avoid suspension if they were able to make an appearance.

[C-TownWing 0]

Lidstrom and Datsyuk not showing up put Marleau and Robidas on the team.

Fan voting put Giguere and Niedermayer on the team.

Pretty obvious to me which one cheats the fans, league, sponsors, etc. more.

The best FU to Bettman would be to win tonight (made more difficult by the fact that Mason's not suspended for skipping the YoungStars game), making the suspensions irrelevant and the "penalty" a restful 2 points.

[MidMichSteve 1,115]

Lidstrom and Datsyuk not showing up put Marleau and Robidas on the team.

Fan voting put Giguere and Niedermayer on the team.

Pretty obvious to me which one cheats the fans, league, sponsors, etc. more.

The best FU to Bettman would be to win tonight (made more difficult by the fact that Mason's not suspended for skipping the YoungStars game), making the suspensions irrelevant and the "penalty" a restful 2 points.

"Speak softly and carry a big stick". Sounds like the Wings to me.

[egroen 384]

Don Waddell with a great article and some juicy quotes:

http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/news/spo...1b8f2c6&p=1

Lidstrom said he knew he was risking a suspension, though the league refuses to call it that because the players won't be docked their pay.

However, the Wings' captain said he was quite surprised to learn of what the Wings players were calling the 'Crosby Rule' of avoiding a ban for just showing up to mingle at the festivities.

Team officials also said they were unaware that Pavel Datsyuk and Lidstrom had the option to avoid sitting out if they just showed up for the three days.

"I heard it through (media reports of) Sidney Crosby going there and not playing," Lidstrom said.

"I heard he wasn't going to be suspended, so that's how I heard. They never called me and told me that."

Hey, I called it the "Crosby Rule" here first! Though I like Drake_Markus' term "Crosby Clause" better.

I feel quite vindicated with this article, but I am sure there are some who still think Bettman did not show any favortism to Crosby, or that Holland is somehow too incompentant to properly convey or understand the full context of the rule as it was presented last February.

Funny quip from Osgood:

Monday, Detroit goalie Chris Osgood dared to say what many in Wings dressing room have been saying in off-the-record asides.

"In the new cap era, the league is built for different teams to win every year, so it wouldn't be good for the league if we won again would it?" Osgood said. "They want the fans to think their team has a chance to win every year.

Do you see a lot of (NHL) commercials with us in it? Most of them are of Pittsburgh scoring on us or Pittsburgh beating us and we're the team that won. I think we are probably the New York Yankees of the NHL. People dislike us a lot.

"We do have our fans around the league. Thank God we need them cheering for us, but we have a lot of people who like to see us lose and like to see us get guys suspended."

Edited January 27, 2009 by egroen

[esteef 2,679]

Don Waddel with a great article and some juicy quotes:

http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/news/spo...1b8f2c6&p=1

Hey, I called it the "Crosby Rule" here first! Though I like Drake_Markus' term "Crosby Clause" better.

I feel quite vindicated with this article, but I am sure there are some who still think Bettman did not show any favortism to Crosby, or that Babcock is somehow too incompentant to properly convey or understand the full context of the rule.

Funny quip from Osgood:

Monday, Detroit goalie Chris Osgood dared to say what many in Wings dressing room have been saying in off-the-record asides.

"In the new cap era, the league is built for different teams to win every year, so it wouldn't be good for the league if we won again would it?" Osgood said. "They want the fans to think their team has a chance to win every year. Do you see a lot of (NHL) commercials with us in it? Most of them are of Pittsburgh scoring on us or Pittsburgh beating us and we're the team that won. I think we are probably the New York Yankees of the NHL. People dislike us a lot. We do have our fans around the league. Thank God we need them cheering for us, but we have a lot of people who like to see us lose and like to see us get guys suspended."

Crosby hater!

Ozzie's comments are right on the money. Not like comments from an actual player will mean anything here though.

esteef

Edited January 27, 2009 by esteef

[Reds4Life 51]

Nice comments from Ozzie. God I really am starting to hate that ******* Crybaby and Pens.

[edicius 3,269]

Funny that Ozzie's been noticing that too, regarding the NHL commercials being, for the most part, centered on the Pens.

[Louisville 112]

I think what really bothers me is not the 'rule' per se. If the GM:s did indeed agree, then yes it should be enforced. But as stated by Ken Holland, it seems pretty damned clear that had any of the other Red Wings the NHL asked to go instead of Lidstrom and Datsyuk agreed to show up, (by all accounts Hossa, Rafalski and/or Zetterberg ) then this would not have been an issue and no suspensions would have been handed out.

I have to ask, how this would be clear? If I understand the rule correctly, then Datsyuk and Lidstrom would have still been suspended for not showing up. I don't think it would of mattered since those two still broke a NHL rule.

[egroen 384]

Nice comments from Ozzie. God I really am starting to hate that ******* Crybaby and Pens.

Me too! And literally up until this Friday I was someone who would try and stick up for Bettman and Crosby.

Q. Pavel Datsyuk and Nick Lidstrom will be kept out of their next game on Tuesday evening. How do you feel about that? And did you and Gary discuss that if you didn't come and take part in some of the events, that that would be the issue for you? And I think you play Wednesday next week.

SIDNEY CROSBY: Yeah, as for them, that's their decision. It's up to the player, up to the team in order to keep that in mind.

You know, for an event like this, for the All-Star Game, it's important to get everyone involved in it, and on board, especially from the players. So I don't see anything wrong with that, as long as everyone's aware of the situation. That's something that guys have to deal with.

As for me, I was planning on being here anyway. It wasn't a huge issue, so, there wasn't a lot of discussion with that.

Q. Do you agree with the rule in principle, though, that a player would have to miss the game prior or following the All-Star Game regardless of what reason they missed the game for?

SIDNEY CROSBY: Yeah, it's tough. There's always different scenarios. I think in the case of some guys it's due to rest. You know, in my case it was an injury. There's nothing I can really do with that. That's something that everyone has to deal with whether you're unlucky or not.

But, I think the standard for it is more towards making sure guys realize how important this is and setting a standard. I think there's nothing wrong with that. We all have the honor of playing in the League, and for some of us we get the opportunity to come here, so I think that's something that's well understood.

What an *******! You just got a free personal "get out of jail card free" from the commissioner himself and now you are gleefully throwing your own peers, who didn't happen to have Bettman's cell number on speed dial, under the bus and inviting league-wide criticism of them. Just shut your idiot mouth next time!

Edited January 27, 2009 by egroen

[liloz 0]

The NHLPA is filing a grievance report per tsn

http://tsn.ca/columnists/bob_mckenzie/?id=...os=topStory_nhl

When did Dats become the Captain?????

[DRW Dominance 255]

I was listening to Doug Mclean on the fan590 today. He stated that he talked to Holland last night and that Holland said he and the Wings were fully aware of what would happen had the two players not shown up. They were willing to have them miss 1 game so they could get more rest.

[mjlee 0]

I have to ask, how this would be clear? If I understand the rule correctly, then Datsyuk and Lidstrom would have still been suspended for not showing up. I don't think it would of mattered since those two still broke a NHL rule.

The implication of what Ken Holland said was that if someone from the Red Wings had shown up to play, Bettman and the NHL would not have suspended Lidstrom and Datsyuk. It was only after two other Red Wings players declined to go in their stead (citing already made plans) that a suspension was threatened and then carried out. In other words, it was the fact that there were no Red Wings players at the ASG that made the league decide to suspend Lidstrom and Datsyuk. Bettman basically said, if no one on the Red Wings comes and plays, we will suspend the two players we selected. If someone from the Red Wings comes and plays, there won't be a problem nor a suspension. That, at least was my interpretation of what Ken Holland and other Red Wings sources have said on the matter.

[Broken 16 381]

The implication of what Ken Holland said was that if someone from the Red Wings had shown up to play, Bettman and the NHL would not have suspended Lidstrom and Datsyuk. It was only after two other Red Wings players declined to go in their stead (citing already made plans) that a suspension was threatened and then carried out. In other words, it was the fact that there were no Red Wings players at the ASG that made the league decide to suspend Lidstrom and Datsyuk. Bettman basically said, if no one on the Red Wings comes and plays, we will suspend the two players we selected. If someone from the Red Wings comes and plays, there won't be a problem nor a suspension. That, at least was my interpretation of what Ken Holland and other Red Wings sources have said on the matter.

The league didn't "decide" to suspend them. You kind of make it sound as if they created the rule at the last minute to try and intimidate the Wings. The rule has been in effect since last season. They were (he was) enforcing the rule to the letter... the letter changed a little bit after Crosby's people called, but it didn't matter anyway since neither Lidstrom nor Datsyuk were going to be able to make the trip in any capacity anyway. Apparently, the league would have accepted replacements but none were willing to go, for whatever reason.

Hopefully they've learned a lesson this year and will:

A) Do away with the stupid voting policy

B) Actually give the game some meaning so that players might actually WANT to go (I still say that playing to see which Conference gets the Winter Classic the following year would be a step in the right direction... some kind of incentive is needed, I think, that doesn't involve a stupid rule that hurts the game)

C) Get rid of that stupid rule

Edited January 27, 2009 by Broken 16

[NeverForgetMac25 483]

When did Dats become the Captain?????

How did you get that from your attached article? It says nothing of the sort.

[Ms_Hockey 0]

My bad.....gotcha.

Sidenote: Can you imagine Datsyuk giving Bettman's speech? --"First off, congratulations Bruins for the Boston......Tea Good. Red Wings vin Cup, trust your eyes to Dr. Rahmani. Lidstrom to hold Cup, where you?"

Every time that commercial is on, my dad and I just about fall over laughing.

It makes me wonder how many times he had to recite it to get it right.

[WingNut 25 5]

Ken Daniels was on Home Ice today and made several excellent points on this topic. It is utter bulls*** how the league has handled this and they better make it right at some point.