2013-14 NHL Season - With a Wing and a Fehr

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

I'm just really tired of the need to fight after every good hit.

Not just referring to this incident.

Granted, Orpik earlier in the game refused to fight Thornton after knocking Erikkson out of the game on a (more or less) clean hit, but the sucker punch happened in a scrum that happened after Neal BLATANTLY gave an intentional knee to the head of a prone Marchand.

 

[MattS]

Re: 2013-14 NHL Season - With a Wing and a Fehr

However, I can't help but wonder how many teammates he is supposed to watch get concussions, broken ankles and have their careers ended with hardly a hint of punishment from the league before he takes matters into his own hands.

Oh, well that makes it Ok then. Got it.


This mess is a big ****-sandwich and everyone has contributed to the making. The problem is that the players and the NHLPA keep sticking up for the players who do all this crap. The owners by way of the coaches and GM's keep "players" who do it on the teams. And the league doesn't really try to curb it. I don't feel sorry for any of them since they keep doing it over, and over, and over again. Pathetic all of them.

And best of all is that the only highlights that are shot in any detail on ESPN are going to be of this MMA type BS happening. Great PR!

 

[MinnesotaNorthStar]

Re: 2013-14 NHL Season - With a Wing and a Fehr

Yes, that's exactly what I said.

Thornton is looking at 10 games, possibly as many as 15. He deserves that penalty. However, I can't help but wonder how many teammates he is supposed to watch get concussions, broken ankles and have their careers ended with hardly a hint of punishment from the league before he takes matters into his own hands.

That is what you said. Saying Thornton should show it to the league during his hearing is saying that. Even Thornton isn't making excuses for what he did.

 

[Jon]

Re: 2013-14 NHL Season - With a Wing and a Fehr

I haven't seen anyone with a straight face defend Thornton.
But it's comical to suggest that the game magically turned into 2002 SMT/Skating Goons game just on one clean hit.

 

[Chickens@NU]

Re: 2013-14 NHL Season - With a Wing and a Fehr

I haven't seen anyone with a straight face defend Thornton.
But it's comical to suggest that the game magically turned into 2002 SMT/Skating Goons game just on one clean hit.

Clean to borderline hit. I agree with that (someone said it here i think). Thorton's actions inexcusable. Class act who obviously wasn't at that time. It was dirty and cheap and that is something he's never done. (Unlike half of the Penguins or Marchand at times).

I still think that one way to minimize these types of dirty hits and plays is to remove the instigator penalty. We're seeing these types of plays more and more since they instituted that GD rule and it needs to go away. Hope Orpik has a speedy recovery. This was inexcusable.

 

[Priceless]

Re: 2013-14 NHL Season - With a Wing and a Fehr

That is what you said. Saying Thornton should show it to the league during his hearing is saying that. Even Thornton isn't making excuses for what he did.

That is the latest dirty hit against the Bruins. Would it make you feel better if the team instead sends Shanaban a video of Kelly's ankle being broken and Marchand being kneed in the head? ST22 will earn every game he gets. No one is defending his actions. However the cesspool of dirty hits in the league don't deserve to be laid at his feet. If they had stepped in and administered punishment for the cheap shots of the past they might avoid future incidents like we saw the other night.

 

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: 2013-14 NHL Season - With a Wing and a Fehr

How many games is Neal going to get? Nice knee to the head.

 

[MattS]

Re: 2013-14 NHL Season - With a Wing and a Fehr

That is the latest dirty hit against the Bruins. Would it make you feel better if the team instead sends Shanaban a video of Kelly's ankle being broken and Marchand being kneed in the head? ST22 will earn every game he gets. No one is defending his actions. However the cesspool of dirty hits in the league don't deserve to be laid at his feet. If they had stepped in and administered punishment for the cheap shots of the past they might avoid future incidents like we saw the other night.

I agree that a big chunk of this mess is at the hands of the NHL, but you completely dismiss the actions of the NHLPA and all the players who keep doing this. It's on them just as much as the league.

 

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: 2013-14 NHL Season - With a Wing and a Fehr

I agree that a big chunk of this mess is at the hands of the NHL, but you completely dismiss the actions of the NHLPA and all the players who keep doing this. It's on them just as much as the league.

Yeah, you really start to wonder why all the millionaires want to beat the crap out of the other millionaires all the time. Drive heads into the ice. Knee someone to a concussion. Drive someone's skull into the glass. Doesn't really makes sense, does it?

 

[Priceless]

Re: 2013-14 NHL Season - With a Wing and a Fehr

I agree that a big chunk of this mess is at the hands of the NHL, but you completely dismiss the actions of the NHLPA and all the players who keep doing this. It's on them just as much as the league.

I give the league more of the blame but I would agree that the NHLPA would help immensely if they stood up for the vast majority of their members who play clean hockey. But some would argue the union is there to represent the individual regardless. Players are going to walk that fine line (and occasionally cross it) but it is up to the league to determine where that line is. If player safety is more than just lip service and a real concern, that line needs to be moved.

 

[MattS]

Re: 2013-14 NHL Season - With a Wing and a Fehr

I give the league more of the blame but I would agree that the NHLPA would help immensely if they stood up for the vast majority of their members who play clean hockey. But some would argue the union is there to represent the individual regardless. Players are going to walk that fine line (and occasionally cross it) but it is up to the league to determine where that line is. If player safety is more than just lip service and a real concern, that line needs to be moved.

If the union wants to defend the few who are thugs then all the players get what the deserve. The union is not some entity that exists in a vacuum. The players are the union and they can make changes just as much as the NHL can. It's not the NHL that keeps trying to maim the players, its the players doing it to themselves. Again, I think that it is the players, union, and NHL's fault.

It doesn't matter where the line is placed. Guys who do things like Thornton did, pass by the "line" so far back they can't even see it or remember passing it. It's time for other players, in this case Bruin players, to really come out publically and flat out say that Thornton was wrong, he's not a good teammate, and he deserves to be suspended for the remainder of the year (for example). Maybe then other players might take notice. But until that brotherhood of covering for each other ends I don't think there is much the NHL can do outside of attempting to suspend players for season(s).

 

[Priceless]

Re: 2013-14 NHL Season - With a Wing and a Fehr

Neal gets 5 games for kneeing Marchand in the head. Yep. Player safety.

 

[Rimbaud]

Re: 2013-14 NHL Season - With a Wing and a Fehr

Neal gets 5 games for kneeing Marchand in the head. Yep. Player safety.

You do realize that the NHLPA helped put all the suspension/fine rules in place that Shanahan has to follow, right? The players don't want to be policed, they don't want to be suspended and lose their paycheck, and they don't want to be fined.

 

[groovemaster]

Re: 2013-14 NHL Season - With a Wing and a Fehr

If the union wants to defend the few who are thugs then all the players get what the deserve. The union is not some entity that exists in a vacuum. The players are the union and they can make changes just as much as the NHL can. It's not the NHL that keeps trying to maim the players, its the players doing it to themselves. Again, I think that it is the players, union, and NHL's fault.

It doesn't matter where the line is placed. Guys who do things like Thornton did, pass by the "line" so far back they can't even see it or remember passing it. It's time for other players, in this case Bruin players, to really come out publically and flat out say that Thornton was wrong, he's not a good teammate, and he deserves to be suspended for the remainder of the year (for example). Maybe then other players might take notice. But until that brotherhood of covering for each other ends I don't think there is much the NHL can do outside of attempting to suspend players for season(s).

Don't hold your breath waiting for Bruins players to come out and say Thornton isn't a good teammate.

 

[Priceless]

Re: 2013-14 NHL Season - With a Wing and a Fehr

You do realize that the NHLPA helped put all the suspension/fine rules in place that Shanahan has to follow, right? The players don't want to be policed, they don't want to be suspended and lose their paycheck, and they don't want to be fined.

Yes, this is the maximum number of games allowed for a telephone hearing. But nothing says Shanaban had to have the hearing by phone...

Under these guidelines, Thornton is a first time offender and due about 8-10 games (several of which he would have already served by the time there's a hearing) which isn't enough either.

 

[Jon]

Don't hold your breath waiting for Bruins players to come out and say Thornton isn't a good teammate.

Yeah, when is the last time that happened in a team sport?

 

[Rimbaud]

Re: 2013-14 NHL Season - With a Wing and a Fehr

Yes, this is the maximum number of games allowed for a telephone hearing. But nothing says Shanaban had to have the hearing by phone...

Under these guidelines, Thornton is a first time offender and due about 8-10 games (several of which he would have already served by the time there's a hearing) which isn't enough either.

I agree. But he's still handcuffed by the rules that are placed in front of him. Heck, the NHLPA still tries to (or threatens to) appeal suspensions of heavy duty repeat offenders. The players want to be the ones knocking each other out of the league rather than the league suspending someone for a week without pay.

 

[MattS]

Re: 2013-14 NHL Season - With a Wing and a Fehr

Don't hold your breath waiting for Bruins players to come out and say Thornton isn't a good teammate.

Of course not. I wouldn't expect any of what I said needs to happen to actually happen. It was just an example. Monkeys will fly out of my butt before someone in the sports world actually acted with honor.

 

[Priceless]

Re: 2013-14 NHL Season - With a Wing and a Fehr

OK, I understand now. Union=bad. Management=good. A bunch of union goons from the teamsters probably worked poor Shanahan over and have threatened his family if he gives out a severe penalty.

Damm commies.

 

[J.D.]

Re: 2013-14 NHL Season - With a Wing and a Fehr

It doesn't matter where the line is placed. Guys who do things like Thornton did, pass by the "line" so far back they can't even see it or remember passing it. It's time for other players, in this case Bruin players, to really come out publically and flat out say that Thornton was wrong, he's not a good teammate, and he deserves to be suspended for the remainder of the year (for example). Maybe then other players might take notice. But until that brotherhood of covering for each other ends I don't think there is much the NHL can do outside of attempting to suspend players for season(s).

Thornton himself knows he crossed the line. He admitted it after the game. James Neal? Not so much. Claude Julien basically acknowledged that both incidents are not what we're looking for in our game. Thus there is absolutely no need for teammates to come out and do what you're asking for. Shawn Thornton had never been suspended prior to this incident. He has no history. He lost it, but he didn't make any excuses. Suspended for the rest of the year? What?