Get ready folks, hitting is about to exit our game

[dragonballgtz 273]

So this hit gets Joe one less game then the Doan hit which was way worse.

More players are going to start to embellish hits that are good. Even more are going to start playing with their heads down because they think they will be safe from this rule.

Horrible. I was all for the league doing away with hits like the ones on Booth and Savard, but this is completely different. I should of known better than to think the league could implement and enforce a new rule without completely going overboard.

Don't you remember when the new interference call was starting to be made. Every game was darn near a special teams event.

Edited November 5, 2010 by dragonballgtz

[esteef 2,679]

That's exactly what it was supposed to convey. Thornton was assessed a game misconduct, as required by the rules, so I think he should have been only suspended for 1 game.

I see. But if the call is made and the auto game misconduct will always be assesed, it shouldn't really have any bearing on the suspension duration, if there is one. Maybe they thought the hit was severe enough or blatant enough? Maybe Joe's a repeat douchebag? Who knows?

esteef

[Statts 4]

Don't you remember when the new interference call was starting to be made. Every game was darn near a special teams event.

Yes but the repercussions are worse IMO. Like you said, players are going to start to think it's ok to skate with your head down while skating through the neutral zone and hitters are going to opt out of laying someone out who is doing so for fear of being suspended.

[uncle ovipositor 6]

This is another hit where although I don't think there should be a penalty, Joe Thornton should show some respect for the player he is about to hit. YES Perron should should have his head up, yes it was a suicide pass but Thornton knows what the outcome is about to be. This is just lack of respect knowing you are going to cream a guy who doesn't know it is coming.

So, your problem with it is that it was impolite? Heaven forfend!

It's a physical sport and if players can't be bothered to look in front of them then they're going to get hit. It's not just that he should have been looking, it's that his goalie should have been banging out the final 5 seconds before Thornton came out of the box and his D man shouldn't have fed him a suicide pass. You seem to agree with that. How do you hold Thornton responsible if Perron did none of the basics of protecting himself? Perron was on his way through the neutral zone and Thornton's job is to stop him, but you seem to think he should have just gotten out of his way.

If Perron had his head up, he would have taken a hit but been okay. As it stands, he missed a single shift.

[TX Wing 26]

Two games...what a ******* joke of a league. Honestly, last time I checked it was the Nation HOCKEY League not the National ***** PUCK League... Thornton gets paid to lay people out each night and Perron gets paid to keep his ******* head up. Who didn't do what they were supposed to?

Edited November 5, 2010 by TX Wing

[Guest mindfly]

I'll give up on the NHL soon... what a ******* disaster it has become...

[ricky0034 89]

from Sniper Archetype on Hfboards:

[Konnan511 1,736]

Couldn't disagree more with this.

I'm 6'4", and the last thing on my mind when I was about to make body contact with an opponent was 'oh - better to lower myself a tad so I don't run the risk of injuring the poor guy'...If anything I kept my elbows in, and tried to used my frame moreso than my shoulder so I wouldn't risk dislocation.

For a taller player to lower his stance would only increase the chance for a lower back injury, and - or being the guy getting knocked on his ass by altering his balance...As for widening your stance - I found that if I missed contact with my opponent I'd risk going knee-on-knee, and that ain't good either.

Guys just gotta keep their heads up.

What are you talking about? I never once said anything remotely to that. I never said anything about not wanting to injure anybody, I just didnt want to be that douchebag that hits guys in the head when i can crush them on the chest instead and delivery and equally painful and devastating check.

You're a hockey player, you back always gunna be F'd up. Bending over to make a hit won't sacrifice your spine if you make the proper adjustments while delivering the hit. It's like lifting up boxes, you can bend over the proper way to lift the box, or you can do it the lazy way and hurt yourself.

[wingfan13 44]

So, your problem with it is that it was impolite? Heaven forfend!

It's a physical sport and if players can't be bothered to look in front of them then they're going to get hit. It's not just that he should have been looking, it's that his goalie should have been banging out the final 5 seconds before Thornton came out of the box and his D man shouldn't have fed him a suicide pass. You seem to agree with that. How do you hold Thornton responsible if Perron did none of the basics of protecting himself? Perron was on his way through the neutral zone and Thornton's job is to stop him, but you seem to think he should have just gotten out of his way.

If Perron had his head up, he would have taken a hit but been okay. As it stands, he missed a single shift.

My problem is that there is a lack of respect in the todays game for other players.

[Carman 387]

My problem is that there is a lack of respect in the todays game for other players.

Based on what?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeYe8UH4Jyo

Looks like the only thing that's changed is media coverage and better cameras.

[wingfan13 44]

Based on what?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeYe8UH4Jyo

Looks like the only thing that's changed is media coverage and better cameras.

Some of those hits are clean, some of them are by dirty players. What is your point ? I guess my comment of "in todays game" should not have been said like that. It doesn't change my opinion on the hit.

[jollymania 162]

The suspension is just disgusting, this is getting sickening, the sport is being ruined

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

Based on what?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeYe8UH4Jyo

Looks like the only thing that's changed is media coverage and better cameras.

you're right. that 5 minute youtube clip accurately represents decades of hockey.

well played sir.

[Carman 387]

you're right. that 5 minute youtube clip accurately represents decades of hockey.

well played sir.

Thanks. Glad to see I have people that see my point of view.

Your support is appreciated.

[dragonballgtz 273]

Agreed.

Don Cherry has been on this same issue for nearly a decade...Your absolutely right about reducing the amount of padding in both elbow, and shoulder pads; if it hurts as much to deliver the hit as it does to receive it - then many players will start thinking twice about using their shoulder/elbow as a potential weapon.

It didn't stop Howe

[clutchngrab 12]

I feel bad for Perron because he doesn't see it coming but Jesus Christ he has the puck come to him and he's moving forward. Of course it's a ******* blind side hit because PERRON IS ******* LOOKING BACKWARDS AT THE PASSER while moving forward. This is an utterly stupid call, Thornton's elbows are not his shoulders, which is what actually makes contact, he follows through with his elbow coming upward after the hit (last time I checked following through with your elbow moving upward doesn't constitute an elbow when the elbow doesn't even make contact -- the elbow moving up is merely an affect of balancing one's self from the jolt of hitting someone with your shoulder), and yes, this is marginalizing clean hits just because a guy gets hurt. Unbelievable.

Edit: I also have a feeling of deja vu because I remember off the top of my head Jiri Hudler being hit many times looking the wrong way.

Agreed. 1) This is shoulder not elbow. 2) most of this is a result of Thorton being a big guy and the angle that they met. 3) Thorton did not intend to injure. If you look closely, he doesn't come close to leaving his feet and does not in any way "drive" into Parron. Tough break for David, but mostly his fault.

[Konstantinov 4]

Wow. The most painful part of that video was watching Perron embellish the hit by laying on the ice for whatever amount of time like a *****. Seriously? The hit was clean, like someone has said, what is he (Thornton) supposed to do, let him skate by with the puck? Clearly by the video yes it is mostly his arm that makes contact. But his arm does not equal his elbow, and if Perron had his head up instead of looking back at the passer, this hit would not even be an issue. Bettman and the other fairy f***s who are used to commissioning / administrating basketball are seriously putting a bad name to the game. Just let 'em play! I could see maybe a 2 minute minor fairness-wise for the hit. MAYBE. That Thornton got suspended for this is totally f***ed, as much as I dislike Thornton. Would we want this to happen to one of our guys, God forbid he actually make contact with someone who doesn't have their head up and is off in la-la land while the puck is coming their way?

Edited November 6, 2010 by Konstantinov

[Guest Howard He Do It?!]

The suspension is just disgusting, this is getting sickening, the sport is being ruined

Really? This is what is ruining the NHL? That's why the sport is more popular than ever. Just because you disagree with the decision doesn't make it a bad one and doesn't mean that the sport is being ruined.

What a ***** fest this thread has become. Was it an elbow? No. The newer video with the better camera angles proves that. Was it a lateral hit to the head that is against the rules? YES! Some of you need a lesson in basic geometry.

Edited November 6, 2010 by Howard He Do It?!

[ltgator333 3]

IMO- Thornton ran Perron over, he may or may not have intended to make contact with his head but he sure as heck did with his shoulder, and I doubt it made much difference to him. It was a blindside because Perron wasn't looking, which is more Perron and his fellow player that threw him the puck's fault than Thornton's. The problem with this hit- Thornton has played the game long enough to know that Perron would be caught unaware and would be absolutely wrecked in a way that had potential for injury. What could he have done different? He could've had Perron on his can with one arm, but brought the whole body because he could.

Wrong thing to do at the wrong time and place. Everyone should know the powers that be in the league are looking to make examples. The only thing that doesn't sit with me is that I'm sure there's been other hits as bad or worse, why this one and not the others? Again it comes down to consistency.

[mystre 0]

he's moving East-West - look at the frames. If anything, he moves left - towards center ice.

Edited November 6, 2010 by mystre

[Barrie 900]

I hate the whole, "he had his head down" argument. A hit to the head is a hit to the head!

[theman19 47]

not to add fuel to the fire, but TJ oshie was involved in another perfectly legal, clean hit that i'm sure is going to warrant a suspension.

I don't have the video, but it's him hitting krejec (or however you spell that) from boston, he nails him as the bruin comes in for the puck.

[Dano33 41]

So what's a taller player like Big Joe to do when a smaller opponent is leaning forward yet with his head turned, and has the puck in/around his feet?

Once again it's hockey, and at this level these guys should have their noggins on a swivel...Thornton played the body; clean check all the way.

Shoulder to shoulder. Period. It's not that hard. Destroying a guy is not the only way of separating him from the puck. I don't care if it's Chara on Theron Fleury, a hit to the head is dirty.

[esteef 2,679]

Even then there's the chance for contact with an opponent's head.

As I also stated a few pages earlier - this game moves too fast for players trying to target 1 specific area of the body to hit; size of the players, speed at which they are moving, and the path/angle that they are skating in relation to one another are all variables that factor in when they collide...In most cases aiming for center mass - aka the chest is usually the safest way for a player to seperate an opponent from the puck; if the player "targets" the opponents shoulder, and "whoooops" missed his target, and his opponent gets by, and creates a scoring chance - that guy is gonna get an earful from his coach.

Once again there's abosolutely no ill will on Thorton's behalf; elbow tucked in, both feet on the ground, nailed Perron fair and square...Gotta keep your head up.

No ill will? How do you know this? Apparently the league thought differently because he was suspended. You act as though players/former players have no involvement in making these rules and it's just a bunch of suits who've never played the game messing everything up. Every one of these incidents will involve some sort of judgement from the ref calling the penalty to the league doling out further punishment. In this case it was determined by the ref and later by the league that Joe could've not targeted the head on an unsuspecting player to make the play. The hit was dangerous and unnecessary and was not a case of a player simply skating with his head down. The hit on Selanne is a perfect example of a player "not keeping his head up" not this one.

esteef

[Hockeytown0001 7,652]

How long till scoring is outlawed, so that nobody's feelings are hurt?