I just wanted to throw some thoughts in on certain news stories around the hockey world this past little while.
1. Suspensions
This is really starting to get on my nerves. Everyone, fans and media alike, have been wondering why there have been many more suspensions than ever. They see the number rise from last year’s playoffs and realize it is only the 1st round. Naturally the first assumption is that there is more violence this year than others. I’m not convinced of that completely. There has been a lot more physical play than in other years which has led some cheap shots being thrown.
However, the number of suspensions I find have less to do with what is going on, in the rink and more to do with the complete culture change surrounding suspensions. Ever since Brendan Shanahan took over as the head disciplinary guy for the NHL, whenever a big hit happens on the ice, clean or otherwise, the immediate thought goes to suspension. Most of these so called dirty hits are borderline which makes it very difficult to really judge how bad they are.
In my mind suspensions are for the most blatant of things. For example things like Bertuzzi hitting Moore, McSorely on Brashear, Janssen on Kaberle, Domi on Neidermayer. These are things everyone and their dog can see is illegal and deserve to be suspendable acts. Under today’s rules the Matt Cooke hit on Savard and the Mike Richards hit on Booth would also be obvious suspendable acts.
As for the not so obvious ones, leave it on the ice. Yes some are against the rules, and yes the result still can end up with someone getting hurt. However, referees are there to enforce the rules as well as Shanny. The not so blatant hits in my mind are not worth the time and news coverage for the NHL to have a hearing on. The inconsistency that the NHL is hearing about now is due to the fact that they are taking on too much. Let the referees call the penalty and leave it at that.
2. Predictions
I know I’m a tad late to the party on this, but I wanted to throw out my predictions to the playoffs from before the playoffs started. You have my word that they are from prior to the first game of the playoffs (you can ask Scoop Cooper if you like).
Round 1:
New York Rangers over Ottawa in 5
Boston over Washington in 5
New Jersey over Florida in 6
Pittsburgh over Philadelphia in 7
Los Angeles over Vancouver in 6
St. Louis over San Jose in 6
Chicago over Phoenix in 7
Nashville Over Detroit in 7
Round 2:
New York over New Jersey in 6
Boston over Pittsburgh in 7
St. Louis over Los Angeles in 5
Nashville over Chicago in 6
Round 3:
Boston over New York in 7
Nashville over St. Louis in 6
Stanley Cup Finals:
Nashville over Boston in 6
Don’t know how well this will all work now, given the results that we’ve already seen, but I still really like Nashville.
3. Back to the Rough Stuff
As I said in Scoop’s blog earlier in the week, the rough stuff is awesome. To me the NHL is the only league that doesn’t capitalize on what fans want to see from their sport and that is the hatred that the teams have for each other. A lot of times it feels like the marketing staff and the higher ups are too afraid of not being politically correct to really take a foothold on what they are good at.
The Philadelphia Flyers game day staff have it right though. Prior to Game 4, they decided to play the Brendan Shanahan suspension videos as part of their pre-game show, which only fosters the hate in the building. As well during the rough stuff in game 3, you hear things like the bell from a boxing match and Hulk Hogan sound effects for WWE to rile up the crowd. I love watching it, and it seemed to me the fans in the building loved it too.
The NHL is the only sport in which their logo is not a player playing the sport. It is a shield. The symbolism of that shield is to make it seem like this is a warrior’s game. To me, this is a modern day gladiator battle, two teams battling for their cities honour and the obvious right to hold the Stanley Cup. That’s what makes this game special and that’s what you have to sell. With all of that said, no, I don’t like to see cheap shots, or head shots. But leave the belligerence, truculence, and the will to fight in order to do whatever it takes to win.
4. Hall of Fame voting
It’s getting close to the time where the Hockey Hall of Fame Selection Committee makes their selections for the class of 2012. This year you have the likes of Brendan Shanahan, Joe Sakic, Mats Sundin, Jeremy Roenick, Curtis Joseph among the newly eligible candidates. There are still players such as Alexander Mogilny, Pavel Bure, Carl Brewer, Dave Andreychuk who have been eligible for a while and not inducted yet. My guess is that Sakic, Shanahan, and Sundin are locks to be in the Hall, and they will add one more from the list of guys who have waited a few years.
As for the builder, many people still want Pat Burns to get in but there are still others who deserve the call. Someone like Fred Shero who revolutionized the game with Philadelphia Flyers is always someone that is talked about. However, my choice, as I’ve noted before would be Don Cherry, as he is the most influential broadcaster since Foster Hewitt (who is the only broadcaster to be inducted as a builder). He’s burned many-a-bridge Mr. Cherry has, but whether you love him or hate him, you can’t argue with the affect he has on the game at every level.
For a list of some of the people eligible you can see it
“here”
5. Torres
This hit to me is one of the more boarderline hits I was talking about. Mr. Shanahan said that the puck had already left, however the only time the NHL had suspended a player for a late hit was the Janssen on Kaberle hit a few years back, and that hit was quite a bit later than this one. NHL said it was a hit to the head, but the head was not the principle point of contact, the shoulder was. Under rule 48, the head must be targeted AND the principle point of contact. The NHL would have a tough time deciding the intent of whether he targeted the head unless Torres said so. The injury was caused more by the fall after the hit than the hit itself. For those watching TSN after the hit, you would have seen the panel cringing at the whiplash affect upon falling rather than the hit itself. As far as Torres leaving his feet, the NHL made a decision that he left his feet prior to contact. I was unsure with the camera angles I had, but with that I will give Mr. Shanahan the benefit of the doubt.
This situation seems more like a witch hunt by the media, to the point where the NHL felt this is a guy they could appease everyone. Personally, 25 games is WAAAAY overkill.
6. Prospect Talk
I’ve had the pleasure of watching Bruins prospect, Dougie Hamilton the past three years, while I have been studying at Brock University. This kid is going to be a stud once the Bruins feel he’s ready to make the show. He’s a smart kid (99% high school average) with a ton of hockey sense, which is always good especially as a defenseman. He is comparable to another former Ice Dog, Alex Pietrangelo, in the way he is able to do everything for the Ice Dogs. Unlike Alex, he doesn’t have to shoulder the responsibility of carrying the team as he has help from his brother, Freddie Hamilton, Islanders’ prospect Ryan Strome, and Coyotes’ prospect Mark Visentin. His ability to get shots through crowds, hand eye coordination, and using his 6’5, 200 pound body to angle opposing players out of harm’s way is really going to be a scary prospect on an already strong Boston defense. It’s just too bad the Leafs couldn’t hold on to that draft pick.
7. Trivia
First person to email me the correct answer will get a pair of HHOF passes. When the NHL was first created in 1917, what were the inaugural teams?
You can email me at
[email protected] and you can follow me on twitter @Kirshenblatt
Join the Discussion:
»