Minnesota @ Wisconsin: 1/22 & 1/23

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

Keith Ballard's career ended with one big hit last year. He's far from the only hockey player to have a career ended by a dangerous hit. I wear a rubber band on my wrist to this day in support of Jack Jablonski. He'll likely never walk again.

I don't think the reaction is over the top enough. They need to eliminate these hits from the game. If that means being "over the top" in a "Gopher kind of way", then so be it.

I'm not going to say you're insensitive, but you clearly don't appear to get the severity of this type of head trauma. How many NFL and NHL players have taken their lives or died because of head trauma while playing?

Let me know how "over the top" we have to get for people like you to understand and we'll make sure we take it to that level. And it isn't a Gopher vs Badger fan thing either. I've seen comments from Gopher fans that don't think the hit was a big deal. The same people who didn't think Seeler's hit earlier this year was a big deal.

PS - Thank you Gurt for your measured words on this topic. Your words are being shared in multiple forums today. Much respect for you my friend.

Fair enough

 

[dxmnkd316]

Re: Minnesota @ Wisconsin: 1/22 & 1/23

As proudest tradition in college hockey

The what?

 

[Happy]

Re: Minnesota @ Wisconsin: 1/22 & 1/23

I haven't said it until now since I agree that it's a bad hit that has to be punished to make the game safer, but...

To be fair, the Gopher fan reaction here has been pretty over the top, in a distinctly Gopher fan kind of way.

I don't know how to put it without making it seem like they shouldn't be upset over the hit in general, but reading here you'd think Wittchow threw an elbow from the blindside and took a payment from Alvarez in the tunnel.

For the last two years, MN has been playing for the Big Ten Championship. Wisconsin has been crap. when we play wi, they seem to go way out of their way to cripple our players. Reilly was our leading scorer last year, until a dirty Wisconsin hit took him out. It has now come to a point where I already know we are going to beat Wisconsin, but then we find out how many players are going to be hurt. Get MM fired, so you can play a better class of hockey.

 

[5mn_Major]

Re: Minnesota @ Wisconsin: 1/22 & 1/23

I feel for the fans and many of the UW players. Frankly it does appear Eaves is in good part guilty. He shouldn't sit by idly. He should be disciplining participating members of the team. If nothing else, these are major penalties that end games for UW. So for that reason alone...

But he not only doesn't discipline his players, he is appealing their punishment. Expect more dangerous infractions.

 

[Bonin21]

Re: Minnesota @ Wisconsin: 1/22 & 1/23

Reilly was our leading scorer last year, until a dirty Wisconsin hit took him out.

Reilly has not been the same hockey player since, and there is a rumor he'll hang up the skates with a year of eligibility left after this season.

 

[The Rube]

Re: Minnesota @ Wisconsin: 1/22 & 1/23

I feel for the fans and many of the UW players. Frankly it does appear Eaves is in good part guilty. He shouldn't sit by idly. He should be disciplining participating members of the team. If nothing else, these are major penalties that end games for UW. So for that reason alone...

But he not only doesn't discipline his players, he is appealing their punishment. Expect more dangerous infractions.

I feel for the GOOD fans. Gurt, Almington (mostly retired), con1977 (retired). The ones that actually understand hockey. The players? Of course. Most of them...this is not what they signed up for. The cheap players...eff 'em. Eaves is part guilty in that he allows this, and even appeals this. On the other hand, he wants to keep his job. Shady? Yeah. Survival? Yeah. No one wants to get fired. He's doing what he needs to do to stay employed. Mainly, bow to Alvarez and fall in line.

 

[Slap Shot]

Re: Minnesota @ Wisconsin: 1/22 & 1/23

I haven't said it until now since I agree that it's a bad hit that has to be punished to make the game safer, but...

To be fair, the Gopher fan reaction here has been pretty over the top, in a distinctly Gopher fan kind of way.

And I guess I'd expect nothing less than this characterization from a rival fan? I think it's odd anyone would say the reaction was over the top. I thought it was fairly measured given the severity of the hit and that it was the second such one by the same player against the same team nearly a year later to the day. No one suggested someone retaliate, end his life or his career - they simply called it out for what it was and said he deserved more than the standard 1-2 game suspension. Methinks if it were BSU fans saying the same things no one would blink, but since it's Gophers fans doing it it's "typical". The same fans that said the Seeler hit was dirty and deserved a suspension. No bid deal in the end but...

 

[SteveO]

Re: Minnesota @ Wisconsin: 1/22 & 1/23

Keith Ballard's career ended with one big hit last year. He's far from the only hockey player to have a career ended by a dangerous hit. I wear a rubber band on my wrist to this day in support of Jack Jablonski. He'll likely never walk again.

I don't think the reaction is over the top enough. They need to eliminate these hits from the game. If that means being "over the top" in a "Gopher kind of way", then so be it.

I'm not going to say you're insensitive, but you clearly don't appear to get the severity of this type of head trauma. How many NFL and NHL players have taken their lives or died because of head trauma while playing?

Let me know how "over the top" we have to get for people like you to understand and we'll make sure we take it to that level. And it isn't a Gopher vs Badger fan thing either. I've seen comments from Gopher fans that don't think the hit was a big deal. The same people who didn't think Seeler's hit earlier this year was a big deal.

PS - Thank you Gurt for your measured words on this topic. Your words are being shared in multiple forums today. Much respect for you my friend.

Lucia's comment in the article on the suspension, "you can't make that hit anymore", supports new NCAA legislation that the responsibility lies with the player making the hit to avoid contact with the head and neck area of an opposing player. Inevitably players are going to test the limits of their responsibility and must be reminded by the coaching staff that these type of hits are no longer acceptable in NCAA hockey.

Given the alarming trend of "dangerous hits" over the last two seasons in series with Wisconsin obviously Eaves is not enforcing that message with his players, especially with repeat offenders like Wittchow. His attempt to appeal Wittchow's 3 game suspension handed down today by the Big Ten echoes his disregard for the safety of student athletes.

Two of the worst seasons in Badger history may have led Badger fans to call for Eaves to step down, but when a coach turns a deaf ear to player safety issues it adds significant impetus to the call for his dismissal. Fire Mike Eaves. Appreciate your comments mnstate0fhockey.

 

[mnstate0fhockey]

Lucia's comment in the article on the suspension, "you can't make that hit anymore", supports new NCAA legislation that the responsibility lies with the player making the hit to avoid contact with the head and neck area of an opposing player. Inevitably players are going to test the limits of their responsibility and must be reminded by the coaching staff that these type of hits are no longer acceptable in NCAA hockey.

Given the alarming trend of "dangerous hits" over the last two seasons in series with Wisconsin obviously Eaves is not enforcing that message with his players, especially with repeat offenders like Wittchow. His attempt to appeal Wittchow's 3 game suspension handed down today by the Big Ten echoes his disregard for the safety of student athletes.

Two of the worst seasons in Badger history may have led Badger fans to call for Eaves to step down, but when a coach turns a deaf ear to player safety issues it adds significant impetus to the call for his dismissal. Fire Mike Eaves. Appreciate your comments mnstate0fhockey.

Well said SteveO. Thank you.

 

[burd]

Re: Minnesota @ Wisconsin: 1/22 & 1/23

Both topics in this discussion (UW's awful hockey situation and dangerous hits) are depressing. To have them linked in a UMinn/UW series thread, with their shared tradition of college hockey at its best and most exciting, is just brutal.

 

[gopher wes]

Re: Minnesota @ Wisconsin: 1/22 & 1/23

For the last two years, MN has been playing for the Big Ten Championship. Wisconsin has been crap. when we play wi, they seem to go way out of their way to cripple our players. Reilly was our leading scorer last year, until a dirty Wisconsin hit took him out. It has now come to a point where I already know we are going to beat Wisconsin, but then we find out how many players are going to be hurt. Get MM fired, so you can play a better class of hockey.

To be (a little bit) fair they are only a couple seasons removed from winning the B1G Tourney and earning a #1 seed in the NCAAs. I don't think anyone could have predicted how far they've fallen since that time though....

 

[gopher wes]

Re: Minnesota @ Wisconsin: 1/22 & 1/23

I haven't said it until now since I agree that it's a bad hit that has to be punished to make the game safer, but...

To be fair, the Gopher fan reaction here has been pretty over the top, in a distinctly Gopher fan kind of way.

I don't know how to put it without making it seem like they shouldn't be upset over the hit in general, but reading here you'd think Wittchow threw an elbow from the blindside and took a payment from Alvarez in the tunnel.

Idk, I don't think it's over the top. I took it as Timothy saying if the roles were reversed that "goofer" fans would be crazed in defending a Gopher play making that hit. Based on an example from earlier this year I was just pointing out that isn't the case.

 

[J.D.]

Re: Minnesota @ Wisconsin: 1/22 & 1/23

I didn't even realize there was another incident from this series. USCHO has the Cavallini hit on Novak. To me, that one is worse than the Wittchow one.

 

[J.D.]

Re: Minnesota @ Wisconsin: 1/22 & 1/23

in fact, watching it a few more times, i think it was worse by a good margin.

 

[firstpusk]

Re: Minnesota @ Wisconsin: 1/22 & 1/23

Idk, I don't think it's over the top. I took it as Timothy saying if the roles were reversed that "goofer" fans would be crazed in defending a Gopher play making that hit. Based on an example from earlier this year I was just pointing out that isn't the case.

My wife and I were in the crowd that night. It happened on our end of the rink. Our reaction to the Seeler hit was, "That's stupid. He's gone." What is the official supposed to do? Ignore it. Nope. It was a good call. No one in the crowd around us expressed any other sentiment. A lot of us played the game when we were young or had our kids play. We aren't really that tolerant of such shenanigans.

 

[gopher wes]

Re: Minnesota @ Wisconsin: 1/22 & 1/23

My wife and I were in the crowd that night. It happened on our end of the rink. Our reaction to the Seeler hit was, "That's stupid. He's gone." What is the official supposed to do? Ignore it. Nope. It was a good call. No one in the crowd around us expressed any other sentiment. A lot of us played the game when we were young or had our kids play. We aren't really that tolerant of such shenanigans.

Wrong, we are "crazed goofer fans".

 

[SteveO]

Re: Minnesota @ Wisconsin: 1/22 & 1/23

in fact, watching it a few more times, i think it was worse by a good margin.

Contact the Big Ten and dispute their ruling. Good luck, but don't be butthurt if they hang up on ya buddy.

 

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

in fact, watching it a few more times, i think it was worse by a good margin.

THAT is what I expected the outrage to be about when I saw it. There's no doubt about the lack of discipline on that one and those are the types that can leave broken necks.

 

[5mn_Major]

Re: Minnesota @ Wisconsin: 1/22 & 1/23

There's been quite a bit said about the specific hits. And a message has been sent to the players. But the broader trend is the big go forward problem. Its clear that Eaves is not going to further send a message to his team (heck, he defended them). And likewise, its clear Alvarez is not going to send a message to Eaves. Its time for the B1G to send a message to both to arrest what is a dangerous trend.

 

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

Re: Minnesota @ Wisconsin: 1/22 & 1/23

The B1G could fine UW, right? Might be the only way to get Alvarez's attention.