Holy @#%*!

[going_top_shelf 6]

So I was flipping through the channels like a half hour ago and came across that show on Versus, Holy %&@!*. They were showing a piece on Brian Berard who had a chunk of his eye mashed out by a stick. As it turns out, it was Marian Hossa's stick that gouged out Berard's eye. I was just wondering if anyone remembered that and what your thoughts were on Berard now.

[rage 24]

I knew he had the eye injury. Is it true he can't see out of that eye??

I didn't know it was a result of playing in the NHL.

Interesting that it was Hossa that did it.

Edited March 17, 2009 by rage

[wingnut22 81]

I've seen that one a few times. He said on there that he can see like shadows and shapes and stuff but not much else. I dont know how long ago that was filmed though, or if he can see better now out of it.

[seeinred 1,488]

Here's crappy video of it. Hossa didn't do anything wrong here. I don't know if there was even a penalty called, but there shouldn't have been.

Edited March 18, 2009 by SeeinRed

[P. Marlowe 748]

Wikipedia:

On March 11, 2000, while Berard was playing for the Leafs in a game against the Senators in Ottawa, the stick of Marian Hossa clipped Berard in the right eye, severely injuring it. In the hospital room after the incident, after being told he might lose his eye, Berard reportedly told his friends that he would play hockey again. Despite being optimistic about his future in hockey, he ended up receiving a $6.5–million settlement from his insurance company, what many considered to be a career-ending settlement.

During the next season, he underwent seven eye operations, improving his vision in the eye to 20/600. He started working out again in April 2001 and started skating again months thereafter. He was later fitted with a contact lens that allowed him to meet the league's minimum vision requirement of 20/400.

When it became apparent that he might play again, the Leafs stated they were interested in his services, but Berard opted to play for a team that was currently rebuilding and was a bit closer to his home of Woonsocket. Upon signing a tryout contract with the New York Rangers, Berard returned his insurance settlement and risked a comeback to the NHL. He played well enough that his tryout contract turned into a $2-million contract for the 2002-03 season.

He then enjoyed successful one-year stints with both the Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks before signing with the Columbus Blue Jackets before the 2005–06 season. As a result of his perseverance, Berard was awarded the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for his dedication to hockey in 2004.

Berard's playing in Russia now.

[Guest MrSandMan]

I knew he had the eye injury. Is it true he can't see out of that eye??

I didn't know it was a result of playing in the NHL.

Interesting that it was Hossa that did it.

He said he can distinguish light and dark, but that's about it.

[Lidstromrules16 7]

Hossa must have felt really bad after that.

As for Berard, I heard he has a real eye for the net now........

I know, bad taste, bad taste

[redwashington2000 42]

I was thinking to post the same question, I dont know if Marian ever helped the guy out??

[finalfilppula 2]

my cousin was at that game. lots of blood, she says.

[Yzerfan1999 81]

Here's crappy video of it. Hossa didn't do anything wrong here. I don't know if there was even a penalty called, but there shouldn't have been.

I would have to disagree. High Sticking penalties are not called on intention, its based on control of your stick, which Hossa clearly didn't have.

I am not saying Hossa is an ass for doing it, because it was a freak mistake, but its still a penalty.

EDIT - And yeah...I remember watching that game and feeling bad for Berard. I think Cherry tore a strip off Hossa the next week too - whatever thats good for.

Edited March 18, 2009 by Yzerfan1999

[xBrave_Heartx 0]

He should of kept the money and played in the A

[Jarret_G 0]

I would have to disagree. High Sticking penalties are not called on intention, its based on control of your stick, which Hossa clearly didn't have.

I am not saying Hossa is an ass for doing it, because it was a freak mistake, but its still a penalty.

EDIT - And yeah...I remember watching that game and feeling bad for Berard. I think Cherry tore a strip off Hossa the next week too - whatever thats good for.

A high sticking penalty can't be called on the regular wind-up or follow through of a shot....just the rules. I'd look up rule reference cuz that's what i like to do...but i'm tired.

I watched that game that night..it was pretty bad. Berard had the potential to be a great defenseman too.

[seeinred 1,488]

A high sticking penalty can't be called on the regular wind-up or follow through of a shot....just the rules. I'd look up rule reference cuz that's what i like to do...but i'm tired.

I watched that game that night..it was pretty bad. Berard had the potential to be a great defenseman too.

Exactly. Shots and passes are the only times you're off the hook for what your stick does. Hossa turned around and ripped a slapshot. s***ty luck for Berard, but not Hossa's fault even in the slightest.

[CopenhagenWing 38]

I think Cherry tore a strip off Hossa the next week too - whatever thats good for.

Of course he did. Hossa is a Euro.

[Mike 0]

Of course he did. Hossa is a Euro.

A great Euro player at that.

[NeverForgetMac25 483]

Every time I see that replay it makes me cringe. There was no ill-intention, but talk about bad luck and a poor decision on Hossa's part.

[Guest GordieSid&Ted]

I would have to disagree. High Sticking penalties are not called on intention, its based on control of your stick, which Hossa clearly didn't have.

I am not saying Hossa is an ass for doing it, because it was a freak mistake, but its still a penalty.

EDIT - And yeah...I remember watching that game and feeling bad for Berard. I think Cherry tore a strip off Hossa the next week too - whatever thats good for.

As others have already pointed out. Look up the rulebook. It's not a penalty.

[Hank 0]

So I was flipping through the channels like a half hour ago and came across that show on Versus, Holy %&@!*. They were showing a piece on Brian Berard who had a chunk of his eye mashed out by a stick. As it turns out, it was Marian Hossa's stick that gouged out Berard's eye. I was just wondering if anyone remembered that and what your thoughts were on Berard now.

I remember that play like it was yesterday.

Hossa was extremely careless with his stick when trying to spin around and swipe at the puck. It caught Berard in the eye and the rest his history.

Berard, up to that point, was going to be a sick dman.

Two years prior, he won the Calder trophy with a 48-point season finishing 9th overall for defensmen scoring.

And that was on a bad Islanders team during the dead-puck era.

And he was strong too. He could hit, skate like the wind, drop the gloves on occasion and had great offensive instincts.

There's a very good chance that if that incident never occured, we'd be mentioning Berard in the same breath as Neidermayer, Phaneuf and Mike Green.

Edited March 18, 2009 by Hank

[Jarret_G 0]

I remember that play like it was yesterday.

Hossa was extremely careless with his stick when trying to spin around and swipe at the puck. It caught Berard in the eye and the rest his history.

Berard, up to that point, was going to be a sick dman.

Two years prior, he won the Calder trophy with a 48-point season finishing 9th overall for defensmen scoring.

And that was on a bad Islanders team during the dead-puck era.

And he was strong too. He could hit, skate like the wind, drop the gloves on occasion and had great offensive instincts.

There's a very good chance that if that incident never occured, we'd be mentioning Berard in the same breath as Neidermayer, Phaneuf and Mike Green.

But not Lidstrom.

Seriously though...he was one of my favorite d-men when he was with the Islanders. The ironic part is that he was drafted by the Senators first overall...i'm not sure how he ended up with the Islanders but sort of a twist of fate how he got injured by the team that drafted him.

He was still great with Boston...he can QB a powerplay better than anyone i've ever seen.

[MacK_Attack 108]

Exactly. Shots and passes are the only times you're off the hook for what your stick does. Hossa turned around and ripped a slapshot. s***ty luck for Berard, but not Hossa's fault even in the slightest.

Except Hossa missed the puck.

Absolutely there is fault on Hossa's part. He took a wild, useless flail at that puck. He didn't "rip" a slapshot. I have the game on tape with much better clarity, and he turned and flailed at the puck and barely got a piece of it, if at all, as you'll notice the puck when squirting off to the other corner.

Perhaps not a penalty by the rulebook, but it was a dumb, careless shot to attempt. He had no control of his stick.

Edited March 18, 2009 by MacK_Attack

[Carman 387]

Good players don't get high sticking penalties vs the Leafs. IE. Gretzky in 93'. Poor leafs=(

[Jarret_G 0]

Actually, i think Hossa did have control of his stick. Look at slapshots taken by other guys around the league...the probably come up higher. Whether or not it was a penalty is clear....it wasn't, it was a normal follow through on a shot attempt, just unfortunate that there was a guy standing so close to him. Whether or not that should be a penalty is a different matter, and a whole nother topic.

If Berard had of gotten the stick in the chin and received 6 stitches....we wouldnt be talking about this incident, not even the day after it happened.

To say Hossa had "poor control of his stick" is ridiculous. He was going off for a line change and wanted the puck to get in deep....how do you do that? shoot it. What do you do when you shoot...take your stick back, hit the puck, and follow through. That is what he did and, although the injury was quite sever, you cannot penalize, disown, fault or point fingers at Hossa for doing what he did. That's like blaming Olli Jokinen for cutting Richard Zednik's neck, or Holmstrom (i think it was homer) for tipping a puck into Yzermans eye...it's just bad luck

[Opie 308]

Count me as another one who thought Berard was going to be a beast.

I really liked this guy, always pick him up in the NHL games.

I felt really bad for him.

MY G/f and I were talking about this last night (we often watch holy #@$!) the man has one perfect eye and one that only sees shapes and black or white. That must be one screwed up view of things. But then we started to talk about his career after the injury, he was able to still have a solid NHL career, not great, not horrible but solid. Imagine if he didn't get hurt.

I also agree with Mack Attack, that was an out of control swing by hossa, and as much as it wasn't a penalty it should have been. Not a called penalty but in the rule book that should be a high sticking call, careless with the stick.

I am sure Hossa felt bad and I am not saying it is suspension worthy or anything but it should have been 4 minutes High sticking.

[Turretin 0]

Opie:

Who is your Babcock quote in your sig referring to?

[Opie 308]

Actually, i think Hossa did have control of his stick. Look at slapshots taken by other guys around the league...the probably come up higher. Whether or not it was a penalty is clear....it wasn't, it was a normal follow through on a shot attempt, just unfortunate that there was a guy standing so close to him. Whether or not that should be a penalty is a different matter, and a whole nother topic.

If Berard had of gotten the stick in the chin and received 6 stitches....we wouldnt be talking about this incident, not even the day after it happened.

To say Hossa had "poor control of his stick" is ridiculous. He was going off for a line change and wanted the puck to get in deep....how do you do that? shoot it. What do you do when you shoot...take your stick back, hit the puck, and follow through. That is what he did and, although the injury was quite sever, you cannot penalize, disown, fault or point fingers at Hossa for doing what he did. That's like blaming Olli Jokinen for cutting Richard Zednik's neck, or Holmstrom (i think it was homer) for tipping a puck into Yzermans eye...it's just bad luck

Get it in deep? off for a line change? he was standing in the slot attempting to shoot on net?

Having a player fall onto your skate or a tip going into an eye are completely different than some one taking a slapshot and hitting a guy in the face with your stick. He had control(this we agree on) over his stick, Olli was falling to the ground after hitting some one, he had absolutely no control over his body, and homer has a lot less control over the deflection of his shot than we like to give him credit for, it has a lot to do with physics and there is no need to get into that now.