Saturday, March 03, 2007

Dear NHL...

Dear NHL,

I would really appreciate it if you would start throwing the freakin' book at players guilty of late hits and/or elbows OR shoulders to the head. I love a good physical game as much as anyone, but I have no desire to see someone paralyzed or killed on the ice.

Thanks,
Heather B.

Seriously, Cam Janssen's hit on Tomas Kaberle? Ridiculous. I watched it once at regular speed and once in slow motion and then couldn't watch it again because it was stomach turning. In my original HLOG questionnaire, I named Darcy Tucker as the member of the NHL I would most like to punch but I think I would've stood on my couch and applauded if he had climbed over the glass and punched Janssen about the head for a while. Colin Campbell, please keep spinning your Wheel of Justice until it lands on "Suspension - 5 Games or More" and spare me any bull about finishing checks and keeping your head up.

Video for anyone who didn't see the hit here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8Mx_x8g7y0

5 comments:

Steph said...

It's funny, such a big deal has been made about the "new NHL" and how things have gotten toned back from what they used to be - and yet there is so much of this sort of thing happening, especially with shots to the head.

This one is just disgusting, I can't believe that all went by without any kind of call. And Kaberle...I really just hope he's all right.

Anonymous said...

Haha, totally googled this blog, I wish you could put that on the news or something because it is definately some honest valuable insight.

I'm a big toronto fan and taking out the best defensive player just to feel tough about yourself doesn't seem just for some reason.

I wish someone from the leafs stood up for him, Wade Belak being the only one who can rough people up.

I'll say it again, well written.

Cheers.

Paige said...

This doesn't make sense to me:

Lindy Ruff is critisized and penalized for putting out his "tough" line after the hit on Drury. But after Kaberle was nearly killed, the Maple Leafs are critisized for not standing up for him.

My head is hurting... it's just so confusing. I am happy they gave him a suspension though.

Heather B. said...

Steph: I really think there's a lot of confusion about who should be policing these things. The league is implying that they want to do it with the instigator penalties and other things, but then they DON'T DO IT! For Bettman and Campbell to pull Bryan Murray and Lindy Ruff aside before the re-match last week and tell them they don't want a repeat of the Bertuzzi/Moore situation and then turn around and give Janssen three lousy games for a completely unnecessary and malicious hit is the height of hypocrisy. The guys on the ice and on the benches are not the only people responsible for making sure Bertuzzi/Moore doesn't happen again.

Anon: Glad you think of us for all your hockey needs! :-) I'm just really disgusted at Janssen's total lack of respect for the fact that he has the health of the other guys on the ice in his hands in moments like that. There's finishing a check, and there's acting like an idiot.

Paige: I hear ya. I think if coaches and players had any confidence that the league would pass out serious consequences for late hits/hits from behind/headshots/etc. things like the brawl at Buffalo would be less likely to happen.

Derek B Felix said...

I think Janssen knew he messed up there. His hit on Kaberle was late and deserved to be a major and game misconduct. And that's where part of the problem lies. And the refs didn't even talk to reporters afterwards. A joke.

The suspension I can deal with. What I can't is the hypocrisy Gary Bettman's New NHL shows, where stars such as Ovechkin and Briere go unpunished for cheapshots.

Superstars are not above the law. The NHL needs to stop sucking up to their corporate sponsors!