Kronwall deserved it?

[Inultus 12]

There was a comment made after the article about Laraque's suspension (here) that said that Kronwall deserved it because "he's been running around, leaving his feet and popping guys from behind and putting them out of commission for a number of years now."

Is this true? The only time I know of that he has hurt someone was when he hit Havlat. Are there other times? IMO, the Havlat hit was clean, but you be the judge.

*edit* could a moderator possibly fix my spelling error in the title? thanks.

Edited November 25, 2009 by Inultus

[stevkrause 1,247]

he never hits from behind and usually the only lift off his feet is when he makes contact from the sheer force... he's a hard nosed clean player and definitely doesn't "run" people...

anyone who thinks he "deserved" it is an f'in joke and should stop watching hockey

[Echolalia 2,961]

Anyone can call that either way and have a good argument. Hit to the head, but Havlat wasn't looking up, left the ice before the his vs because of the hit, puck possession vs no puck possession.

As being as unbiased as I possibly can I think its a legal hit. Kronwall didn't get suspended, and during this whole war on cheap hits that's going on right now I haven't heard Kronwall on Havlat get mentioned once, so at the very least the NHL and major media think its clean.

[Kira 451]

Whoever said that should be the next person that Nik knocks into next week.

[dat's sick 1,002]

Kronwall's "dirtyness" is way overblown by some people.. he has a couple of questionable hits, but the vast majority of them are clean.

He's has never done anything even close to being as deliberately dirty as what Laraque did.

[Green Wing 26]

When Kronwall first started delivering the big hits, he had one or maybe two in which he may have left his feet slightly. I remember even the coach mentioning it that he had to be careful about it. Since them he's been making totally clean, killer hits.

These people who say Kronwall is dirty or a cheap-shot artist are probably just butt-hurt that their player got nailed by him. Oh, and clueless too.

[dobbles 252]

i think we need to be a little more honest with ourselves here guys... this "he might have slightly left his feet this one time when he accidentally hit someone slightly too hard" stuff is not being honest. while i don't think he is a dirty player by any means, he has left his feet to hit several times. a couple of them may have even merited short suspensions. honestly, its things like that that cause fans of pretty much every other team to think that the wings get favorable calls.

however, i think there is a big difference between kronwalls hits and what laraque did. with hitting, things happen so fast, that often you catch a guy the wrong way and a clean hit becomes a penalized hit in milliseconds. however, what laraque did is dirty no matter how you slice it.

[titanium2 867]

Kronwall's hits have never led to a player to be out of the game for as long as he will be.

[NGKEIB 32]

And crucially, on his big hits that have injured people, most of them have been clean. You could make a case that the time he broke Carter's nose he used his elbow etc., but on the whole I would say he is a clean player, even if some of his hits aren't. And for those hits that aren't clean, I still get the impression that the reason he has left his feet is because he has timed it badly etc.

[ltgator333 3]

Kronwall's hits have never led to a player to be out of the game for as long as he will be.

That's the single most important peice of information to this discussion. I mentioned that in a

comment on the youtube vid of the incident, and almost everyone made it clear that they

don't let facts like this get in the way of making up their minds.

[Guest Lidstromboli]

kronwall has left his feet several times in the past and it wasn't because of the "sheer force" bulls*** that most wings fans like to conjure up

he generally isn't a dirty player though, and those sorts of hits seem to become more and more of a rarity with him so that's a good thing. he doesn't go out trying to injure people and i don't think i've seen him board anyone. the people who go out of their way to cry about kronwall and claim he's a cheapshot artist are either trolling/are morons or have only watched a few highlight videos on youtube

[KATIEBARTHEDOOR24 426]

For any player that thinks Kronwall's hits are dirty then just fight the sombitch. There is no need to take his legs out.

[Doc Holiday 0]

Dear god not this again.

Players don't deserve injuries in this league. If the NHL learned how to punish players properly (such as suspending Kronwall when he DID deserve it, or at least fining him) then there wouldn't be so many discussions about if said player deserved to get injured.

[Hockeymom1960 5,107]

Dear god not this again.

Players don't deserve injuries in this league. If the NHL learned how to punish players properly (such as suspending Kronwall when he DID deserve it, or at least fining him) then there wouldn't be so many discussions about if said player deserved to get injured.

You mean when YOU thought he deserved it.

[GMRwings1983 8,804]

For any player that thinks Kronwall's hits are dirty then just fight the sombitch. There is no need to take his legs out.

Have you ever heard of the instigator rule? That's why players don't have to answer for their hits anymore.

Oh and I doubt Kronwall would have squared off against Laraque.

Just for the record, I do think some of Kronwall's hits in the past have been slightly dirty, although I don't want to see him get hit dirty in retaliation, especially by some idiot who he's never had anything to do with in the past.

[Doc Holiday 0]

You mean when YOU thought he deserved it.

No, when he actually deserved a suspension.

[KATIEBARTHEDOOR24 426]

Have you ever heard of the instigator rule? That's why players don't have to answer for their hits anymore.

Oh and I doubt Kronwall would have squared off against Laraque.

Just for the record, I do think some of Kronwall's hits in the past have been slightly dirty, although I don't want to see him get hit dirty in retaliation, especially by some idiot who he's never had anything to do with in the past.

One punch and its over, there's no need even square up.

[Guest micah]

1) Anyone who says Kronwall deserved to be kneed is an idiot.

2) Anyone who denies that Kronwall has a history of dirty hits is an idiot.

Purposely kneeing another player is not sending a message, it is attempting to injure. There is no place in the game for that. Kronwall certainly deserved penalties, beatdowns and perhaps even suspensions for a few of his dirty hits, but he did not deserve what he got in any way, shape or form.

[GMRwings1983 8,804]

One punch and its over, there's no need even square up.

How would that be any better for the Wings?

Also, Laraque would then be breaking the enforcers code by picking on a guy that's not a fighter.

[Z Winged Dangler 2,082]

Dear god not this again.

Players don't deserve injuries in this league. If the NHL learned how to punish players properly (such as suspending Kronwall when he DID deserve it, or at least fining him) then there wouldn't be so many discussions about if said player deserved to get injured.

Dear God,

please remove the fight instigator rule...let the players take control and demand each others respect.

k thanks.

[edicius 3,269]

Oh, for @#$%'s sake...

Does Kronwall's skates leave the ice before a hit? Sometimes. But it's become more and more infrequent as time goes by. And if you watch replays of his hits, more often than not, the illusion of flight that we see is post-hit, not pre-hit.

Havlat had his head down. The hit may - may - have been a little high, but in my opinion, it was a clean, legal check. Unlike dirty, cheapshotting, intent-to-injure kind of knee-on-knee plays like those carried out by Laraque and Cooke.

[Drake_Marcus 890]

Foolish. Kronwall's never made a play as dirty as sticking the knee out on someone.

He's been accused of hitting high, but that's different than sticking the knee out. Sticking your knee out on someone has only one possible intent-- injury. A high hit is still a borderline acceptable play in hockey, and as far as Kronwall goes his hits that are argued to be high aren't clear cut cases.

Does Kronwall make the odd borderline acceptable hit? Yes. Does he make indisputably dirty hits? No. Does he make dirty plays? No.

[Guest micah]

Dear God,

please remove the fight instigator rule...let the players take control and demand each others respect.

k thanks.

Indeed. Professional hockey was better without the rule. It was not a goonfest, there were not fights at faceoffs for no apparent reason (though enforcers might still fight for no apparent reason, at least it seemed organic), men were simply either expected to be able to answer for their actions or the team had to employ someone who could protect them. That's how life and hockey should be. Do something dumb, expect to answer for it immediately. Behave well, nobody bothers you.

[Guest micah]

How would that be any better for the Wings?

Also, Laraque would then be breaking the enforcers code by picking on a guy that's not a fighter.

The "code" doesn't (or shouldn't) keep enforcers from going after smaller players if in direct response for a cheap shot on a teammate. Dats doesn't go easy on s***ty goalies, toughguys shouldn't go easy on little cheapshotters.

[KATIEBARTHEDOOR24 426]

How would that be any better for the Wings?

Also, Laraque would then be breaking the enforcers code by picking on a guy that's not a fighter.

Enforcers code? I'm guessing he doesn't play by many codes for sticking his knee out.