Patrice Cormier with shocking hit on Mikael Tam

[cusimano_brothers 1,655]

The IHL really stood their ground in not honouring the OHL's suspension of Liambas, didn't they?

[Hockeytown0001 7,652]

Lifetime ban. The elbow was so obvious and so obviously intentional that Tam's family should sue the QMJHL blind if there are no serious repercussions.

[zettie85 106]

Lifetime ban. The elbow was so obvious and so obviously intentional that Tam's family should sue the QMJHL blind if there are no serious repercussions.

I'm pretty sure you can not sue the league or the team for something like this. I'd imagine that waivers are set in place for such instances of injury.

Lifetime ban from the CHL sure but from hockey no. Cormier did a terrible thing for sure and it looked completely intentional but stuff like this has happened before. Take Tie Domi on Scott Neidermayer or Pavel Bure on Shane Churla with "The Mother of all Elbows".

Edited January 18, 2010 by zettie85

[NeverForgetMac25 483]

The fact that he lined himself up and made that lengthy run at Tam shows how severe the punishment should be for this.

Disgusting act on his part.

[VM1138 1,921]

I see charges being filed in this case. Absolutely brutal, cheap and unnecessary. There was no way any part of that was accidental.

What is with all the injuries in hockey lately? This season it seems like every week people are being taken off in stretchers and brutally injured. The game hasn't become that much more physical, it's just getting very weird, this season.

[Pucks 66]

Disgusting! It's a shame that hockey has so many of these neanderthals hidden amongst the athletes. Good riddance. Where's the sportsmanship here? Pathetic.

[ltgator333 3]

So you are ok with Cormier leaving the CHL and go to the AHL/ECHL without any repercussions? If this was a one shot mistake, then I see your point, I just don't think there is anything the CHL can do that would have an appropriate punishment. I'm not asking for anything huge from the law, but it's not like Cormier is undeserving of punishment.

Edit:Hopefully other leagues would honor that suspension, but that's a major assumption.

It's not an assumtion, I assume the majority of leagues would but, there might be some smaller league that unfortunately would not honor the suspension. It's what I would like to see happen to make suspensions, which are the proper course of action in incidents at this level of severity, more of a real punishment for the action. I would at very least like to see leagues in North America honor eachother's suspensions.

This incident, imo, it's borderline that the law be involved. If the victim pressed charges or wished to, by all means that's their right to do so and the prosecution may be able to build a case. I don't think they should just take charge of the situation.

[lfd250 1]

Nice choice of team captain there Canada.

[hooon 1,089]

I know we all want to throw Cormier under the bus, and rightfully so, but if his coaches in the CHL or the team he was drafted by never speak up, then the kid has no idea what is right or wrong as stupid and wrong as it sounds.

If no ones ever told him that hockey shouldn't be played this way, then you let him continue to play hockey, this kid probably has nothing else in life. Dumb dumb dumb move, but if no one has told this under 20? year old not to do this sprt of dirty hockey move, then you can't blame him too much, even though we all know and should have the common sense to NEVER ever do something like this.

I understand what you mean to an extent, but nobody, NOBODY is dumb enough to not know that this kind of hit is wrong. I think its more a matter of teaching him to control his emotions on the ice (though I don't think he should be given another chance).

To me, this is a criminal offense. This goes beyond anything that should ever be seen in hockey, and is more than just a 'heat of the moment' thing. I know it wont happen but I think this guy should see a jail cell for this... for however long. Its a huge detriment to the game and needs to stop.

It kind of baffles me that head shots are getting sooo much attention in the hockey world, yet they seem to increase in frequency. Its almost as though the extra attention towards head shots has given certain players the idea that its OK, a 15 minutes of fame sort of thing. Afterall, what repercussions are there? The thing is, the NHL has to lead by example. If they were to instill a no-tolerance policy, than I believe other leagues would follow.

In this case I don't think this guy should ever be allowed on or near the ice again. Best of luck to Tam, I hope he can get back on the ice some day. Amazing to think that you dedicate your life to a game that you love, you are this close to achieving your wildest dreams... and some goon does something like this for no apparent reason.

[MacK_Attack 108]

considering if you ban him he'll just go play in the AHL and not miss a beat.

I don't think he can. The transfer rules state that he can't play pro until his junior team's season is over.

Liambas could play pro because nobody owned his rights and he was an over-ager.

[Yzerfan1999 81]

Disgusting hit. Suspend him for the year, playoffs, and then have a hearing to allow him back when they feel he is ready for the AHL. I'd go the Bertuzzi route here, don't kick him out of hockey for life, but make him sit and think long and hard about this.

Whats rich is that its none other then Patrick Roy pursuing criminal charges against the kid - not sure if anything will become of that, but its good to scare him at least.

Watching the hit makes me feel sick. I really hope Mikael Tam makes a full recovery.

[SweWings 45]

I really don't get how you can purposefully go out and do something like that. Disgusting.

[heed316 7]

Was there even anything that led up to this elbow or did he just decide to hop off the bench, skate half way across the ice, and try to take Tam's head off?!

[Electrophile 3,554]

What I don't get about the people who always say "Criminal charges? Are you kidding me?" Is this:

Why do people feel that just because this stuff happens during a sporting event that it should not be punished by law? Sure, hitting is allowed in hockey. Good clean hits that hurt people are never looked twice at (Ohlund's hit on hank for example). Players know what they should and shouldn't do, just like in the real world. Hitting somebody like that is purposely intending to cause them harm and that's not exactly what the hitting in hockey is all about. Just because he's doing it during a game doesn't mean he's not breaking a law. I suppose you are the same people who said Mike Tyson shouldn't have gotten in any trouble for biting off Evander Holyfield's ear? It's not part of the sport to purposely try to hurt someone.

It's also against the law to purposely try to injure someone. So, what does it matter if it was done on the streets or during a sporting event? I guess having a team logo on your sweater grants you special rights to injure people as a citizen now? Anyone sticking up for this kind of stuff, are obviously delusional on how society actually works. Either that or they are so involved in the sport that they can't differentiate between that and real life itself.

Took the words out of my mouth. Of course hitting/fighting/physicality are part of hockey......but at some point it STOPS being about hockey and starts being about something far different. That's when the law needs to step in. If these players can't control themselves, then they need to be controlled by someone else. This is ridiculous - I'm all for a good, clean hit and a clean fight.....but this s*** right here? I don't think so. This was Bertuzzi-esque.

Edited January 18, 2010 by Electrophile

[TX Wing 26]

for those of you crying "heat of the moment" cormier just came off his bench and took a clean run at tam. there is spur of the moment reaction and then there is what cormier did. i am not saying he deserves a lifetime ban but he does deserve a full 2-3 year ban from all international leagues.

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

for those of you crying "heat of the moment" cormier just came off his bench and took a clean run at tam. there is spur of the moment reaction and then there is what cormier did. i am not saying he deserves a lifetime ban but he does deserve a full 2-3 year ban from all international leagues.

I'm not sure there were people crying "heat of the moment" but either way, it's not a valid excuse. Hockey is a fast paced, intense sport. If players couldn't control themselves even in the heat of the moment, plays like this would be happening practically every game.

[Tommy_Like_Wingy 25]

Cormier has a history of these dangerous cheap shots. If it were up to me he'd never play again. But if he thinks he'll get away with this s*** at the NHL level he'll be the one convulsing on a stretcher.

[Guest Blackhawkdown]

Ban him from ever playing hockey again? There are a lot of instances like this that don't get punished half as bad. nIt was terrible on Cormier and looked very deliberate but he isn't the first and won't be the last. Some guys are just boneheads.

This is why I think he should be banned from the sport. If players start seeing that doing s*** like this will get you banned from the sport you love, maybe we will start seeing less and less of it. There just isnt any place in Hockey for this, or players like this. Does somebody have to lose their life before they start taking serious action? (this post isnt directed at you, just commenting on what you said that I bolded)

It just makes me sick to see when players think just because Hockey is a violent sport, and fighting is allowed, that they can do whatever they want, even if its a cheap shot that could end somebodys career/life. If you do something that cheap and career threatening, then why should you be allowed to continue your career? I have always thought that the punishment should fit the crime. If this guy never plays again, then neither should Cormier. If this guy is out a year, then Cormier should be aswell. And so on.

[XxGoWingsxX 0]

Took the words out of my mouth. Of course hitting/fighting/physicality are part of hockey......but at some point it STOPS being about hockey and starts being about something far different. That's when the law needs to step in. If these players can't control themselves, then they need to be controlled by someone else. This is ridiculous - I'm all for a good, clean hit and a clean fight.....but this s*** right here? I don't think so. This was Bertuzzi-esque.

Exactly, if the offending player here walked up to someone on the street and did that he'd be met with assault charges. Possibly more if the guy ended up injured like Tam. The fact that he's playing in a game shouldn't matter here. He did wrong and it's still against the law. No matter where you are. That's not to say that minor jabs and elbows and little things that happen in the heat of the game should all be punished by law. Only when someone's sole intent to injure another player like this instance, should the law be involved.

[mjlegend 155]

I'll pile on here. 20 games, minimum. You can't suspend him for the Sweden hit (the IIHF didn't feel it necessary) now. What a pointless, textbook unnecessary elbow to the head. If Cormier never plays on Canada ever again, I wouldn't mind.

The fact this is in junior means the punishment will be a lot more severe. Colin Campbell probably lets him off with a warning for this.

[MacK_Attack 108]

The fact this is in junior means the punishment will be a lot more severe. Colin Campbell probably lets him off with a warning for this.

Well, there's a difference between a junior suspension and an NHL suspension. The difference is simple, money.

Cormier gets around $60/week from his junior team. Because of that, the only way to really a punish a junior player is via suspension.

In the NHL, where players are making millions, they are suspended without pay. That means that not only is that player being punished by missing games, but they aren't paid, either. That can cost a player hundreds of thousands of dollars.

I would assume that Cormier wouldn't get paid while suspended for this, but it's such a pittance that it really doesn't make a difference. He signed an ELC with the Devils, so he's got his signing bonus in the bank.

[grwingfan 21]

Suspend him for the rest of this season and have the NHL ban him from the league for 3 additional seasons. He can go play in the KHL.

[mjlegend 155]

Well, there's a difference between a junior suspension and an NHL suspension. The difference is simple, money.

Cormier gets around $60/week from his junior team. Because of that, the only way to really a punish a junior player is via suspension.

In the NHL, where players are making millions, they are suspended without pay. That means that not only is that player being punished by missing games, but they aren't paid, either. That can cost a player hundreds of thousands of dollars.

I would assume that Cormier wouldn't get paid while suspended for this, but it's such a pittance that it really doesn't make a difference. He signed an ELC with the Devils, so he's got his signing bonus in the bank.

I could care less about that. So Mike Richards or Colby Amrstrong or (insert favorite elbowing cheap shot guy here) doesn't get to buy another yacht. Boo hoo. Bert got a ton of time for his shot to the head, deservedly so IMO, plus he missed the playoffs. The money being paid to the offending party should be the last consideration Campbell takes into account.

I want hitting but blind elbows to the head aren't part of what I want to see in an NHL game. The public at large - many of whom might be potential NHL fans - have lost their taste for headshots like this and other hits in the NHL which have gotten piddly one or two game suspensions. Like Bob McKenzie said a few weeks ago, the NHL is going to be dragged kicking and screaming into the public debate.

[MacK_Attack 108]

Suspend him for the rest of this season and have the NHL ban him from the league for 3 additional seasons. He can go play in the KHL.

The NHL likely can't do anything. I don't think the NHLPA would sit idly by if the NHL tried to suspend Cormier for an act that didn't occur in their league.

[plopster 136]

I'm sorry, but I am just completely ill after seeing that. Literally sick to my stomach. I could not be more repulsed by another person right now. I know people on here are saying lifetime ban from the game is too steep, and criminal charges can be iffy because of hits similar to this by other players. Seriously though, that hit someone mentioned by Bure, the guy was up and alert shortly after that, its no excuse, and I would have been the first teammate to demolish that f***** for it, this instance is way over the line, so far the line is now a dot. When I read something about someone like "The shock was so big that the diagnostic places him between a severe concussion and a brain death." I'm sorry but another human being could have been extremely close to dead on the ice, his life ended. And for what? to what end? Because some punk kid who thinks he is bigger than the game, than his team, the league, that he needs to let his out of control ego go after someone? There is no possible way to even suggest that this doesn't warrant a criminal investigation and charges being filed. He didn't even attempt to check him, the video tells the tale. This in no way can be condoned, a 2 year ban doesn't even fit this. That was as close to premeditated murder in a sport as you can get. He cannot be allowed to hide behind the fact that he was playing an organized sport in a major sports league, from the appropriate punishment for his crime. I guarantee you Tam does not play another game of hockey again for a long long time, and that he will have lifetime brain damage of some sort. All because the hockey world lets people continue to play after they do something like this. The boy should see the inside of a jail for a while, and never play a game of hockey again other than pickup games in his backyard. There is nothing anyone can say to justify any other outcome. NOTHING

Edited January 18, 2010 by plopster