I share the concern about concussions in general. I really would like to see the league focus on getting them out of the game. it wouldn’t take any structural changes to the sport to remove head contact like it would in football, I think if they really just start dishing out tough and consistent punishments for head contact, it would go away.

I will say, I feel like Boqvists concussion this year had to have been extremely minor. I’m usually extremely concerned to the point of being neurotic about head injuries, but to me it looked like he didn’t take much of a hit to the head. I feel like they were probably just being cautious.
- LaheysBRandy

Game is played way too fast to control hits to the head. Even if everyone was attempting to avoid those hits they would still happen on accident. All it takes is a split second or someone ducking/lowering their trajectory. It’s impossible to control IMO.

I share the concern about concussions in general. I really would like to see the league focus on getting them out of the game. it wouldn’t take any structural changes to the sport to remove head contact like it would in football, I think if they really just start dishing out tough and consistent punishments for head contact, it would go away.

I will say, I feel like Boqvists concussion this year had to have been extremely minor. I’m usually extremely concerned to the point of being neurotic about head injuries, but to me it looked like he didn’t take much of a hit to the head. I feel like they were probably just being cautious.
- LaheysBRandy

Yes the head shot could be called much stricter in the NHL also think the equipment could be looked at ,elbow pads are like hammer now .
Hope you are right about the severity of the concussions' Boqvist suffered ,even minor ones can lead to problems down the road .

I hear you Duff, I'm glad towards the end of the season they started calling the late check penalties against opponents. The prehistoric mentality, well these kids have to pay their dues is such bull poop by the league. The league is the reason these kids are rushed to the pros, (frank)ing hard cap
- BetweenTheDots

Wait till the league loses a headcase in court, Covid19 will pale compared to what that will cost. It's not if it's when.

Sidney Crosby has battled with concussions throughout his career. So have countless other players. It happens. Doesn’t always mean the player will have his days in the NHL cut short. By being hesitant and passive you’re only holding the player back. If he’s cleared protocol then let him play. If you’re thinking “he could be one game closer to his next concussion” that’s the wrong mindset to have. Especially if that’s what’s on the players mind.
- SimpleJack

Crosby is a horse, Bovquist is a pony.

Game is played way too fast to control hits to the head. Even if everyone was attempting to avoid those hits they would still happen on accident. All it takes is a split second or someone ducking/lowering their trajectory. It’s impossible to control IMO.
- SimpleJack

The NFL has zero tolerance on head hits plain and simple. Depends on your priorities.

Bovquist, Dach, Kubalik and Strome would not have made any of the cup teams especially with Q coaching.
- rpeters01

Making the cup teams is irrelevant. The talent of the players above vs Ryan Hartman, Richard Panic, Jordan Oesterle and Brandon Manning is much higher.

The simple fact of the matter is this is the most talent the Hawks have had on their roster in at least 3 years. It is also the first time in 10 years where a handful of young and inexperienced players looked like they could belong.

So instead he is learning the game playing at a much higher level, and not looking out of place at all. If anything, I think he was playing too conservatively. holding back too much.
- LAHawk

It looked to me that he was concentrating on his defense. Which I was fine with him doing. As the season wore on, we started to see more from him.

Never said he did not have the talent and speed to play in the NHL .Size seem to be the only draw back and he took some good hits even in Jr. He will be more then fine once he fills out . I think he could have benefited from more Jr. time learning the game under the Hunter in London, but that's just me .
- oldduffman

Some guys just have a "glass jaw" and are more prone to feeling the effects of brain pain.

Other people you wouldn't know they got hit in the head until 50 years later when they are having problems.

Doubt he fills out more than he is now. Just needs to be more aware on the ice (kind of like Kane) and the only way to get better than that is to get whacked a few times and learn how to be more elusive.

Boqvist acquitted himself fine in his rookie year. Agree, he did play conservatively and maybe it was so he could focus on learning to defend.

He wasn't lighting up the AHL either so his play in the NHL mirrored how he was playing in Rockford. Getting his bearings defensively but showing flashes of what is to come with his electric offense.

If it boils down to merit, though, Carlsson deserved to be called up way before Boqvist. Carlsson has been the Hogs #1 D-man the past two seasons.

In the end, Boqvist deserves to stay in the NHL and has just scratched the surface of his contributions to the Hawks.
- AEL_Fox

Carlsson is mainly why I want special K and Maatta gone. Yes, it was only 6 games and they will be some learning curve mistakes along the way, but I think he is ready to sink or swim at the NHL level. The talent is there. Will he be a top pair guy? I don't think so. 4-6 is prolly realistic with a #3 as the ceiling.

I already conceded Corey was good at hustling to stop the puck on dump-ins, but I still maintain Lehner was a better puck handling goalie than Corey - Lehner made crisp accurate passes to a teammate's stick whereas Corey made passes that sometimes got close to the vicinity of a teammate.
- EbonyRaptor

Getting out and stopping the puck is a huge part of handling the puck for a goalie. Lehner rarely did that. I lost count of how many times Lehner crossed up his D-men with failing to make a simple two foot pass.

We will agree to disagree.





But you're wrong.

Crosby is a horse, Bovquist is a pony.
- rpeters01

I believe Crosby also had a hair line fracture that didn't heal in one of his vertebrae's which was the root problem of his concussions until they discovered it

I think the record is right about where the talent is on the roster (especially at the beginning of the year). You think this team had a playoff roster? I will argue roster wise, playing strat o matic hockey they would come in last in the central division by far. Yes JC as a coach has made many mistakes, but 1) He has developed and is developing the young players (Bovquist, Dach, Nylander, Kubalik) this year, and the team rarely takes a period off. You definitely couldn't say that about the last couple of Q years.
- LAHawk

Well the roster he was given was a vast upgrade over last year. I would argue he didn't prepare this team because they lackluster start to the season showed. I wouldn't say this wasn't a playoff team. Sure they had some injuries , but cat and strome took 2 steps back, nylander I believe he has potential.


Regarding coach q complacency at times , but that's when chicago was winning. I don't think it's even a close call as to whom got more out of his players and had a better pulse on the team coach q.

If your arguement is about developing the youth I'll concede he is more patient in that area, however. That falls back on stan and rocky for their expectations of trying to win 1 more cup with toews and kane and in that scenario they either should have kept coach q out of respect as well as he won 3 cups he earned that much or fired him sooner and did their due diligence a d assessment of what direction their gojng

Game is played way too fast to control hits to the head. Even if everyone was attempting to avoid those hits they would still happen on accident. All it takes is a split second or someone ducking/lowering their trajectory. It’s impossible to control IMO.
- SimpleJack

Sure it's fast but at the same time, forgot who it was, missed the check on Boqvist and helicoptered himself and Boqvist ate the but end of the stick. Why? Because the league tolerates it. Let me ask this, why is there no fighting in the Olympics?

Making the cup teams is irrelevant. The talent of the players above vs Ryan Hartman, Richard Panic, Jordan Oesterle and Brandon Manning is much higher.

The simple fact of the matter is this is the most talent the Hawks have had on their roster in at least 3 years. It is also the first time in 10 years where a handful of young and inexperienced players looked like they could belong.
- fattybeef

It's relevant as long as we really don't know how good they really are and that includes Dinky as well. The only thing we think we know is that the young guys are going to be better than junk.

Carlsson is mainly why I want special K and Maatta gone. Yes, it was only 6 games and they will be some learning curve mistakes along the way, but I think he is ready to sink or swim at the NHL level. The talent is there. Will he be a top pair guy? I don't think so. 4-6 is prolly realistic with a #3 as the ceiling.
- Elbows15

Spot on, Elbows.

Carlsson really has nothing left to prove in the AHL. And agree, his ceiling and floor are as you described it. Either way, he's a keeper and belongs as a starter.

Sure it's fast but at the same time, forgot who it was, missed the check on Boqvist and helicoptered himself and Boqvist ate the but end of the stick. Why? Because the league tolerates it. Let me ask this, why is there no fighting in the Olympics?
- BetweenTheDots

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7nookIH9wk

It was Sundqvist on the Blues that injured Boqvist. Dirty hit if you ask me as he clearly left his feet to make impact. Not the first questionable hit by Sundqvist.

That sequence led to Caggiula injuring his hand in a fight against Dunn. After the fight Dunn acts like he just won a pro wrestling match with his hooting.

Blackhawks-Blues exhibition game next week!

Game is played way too fast to control hits to the head. Even if everyone was attempting to avoid those hits they would still happen on accident. All it takes is a split second or someone ducking/lowering their trajectory. It’s impossible to control IMO.
- SimpleJack

Yeah maybe they can’t be totally removed from the game, but I do think they could be reduced to a large extent if they were penalized more harshly.

The hit Boqvist took is a good example, why were the opposing players arms up so high? I think that kind of play could easily be removed without effecting the speed of the game. I also think there’s an issue where players only get penalized or penalized more harshly if an injury occurs. I don’t think the outcome should factor into the penalty. If a player does something dangerous even though it didn’t cause an injury, they should be penalized. Hopefully that would cut down head injuries substantially. If they can’t find a way to continue to reduce head injuries, the sport will suffer.

Yes the head shot could be called much stricter in the NHL also think the equipment could be looked at ,elbow pads are like hammer now .
Hope you are right about the severity of the concussions' Boqvist suffered ,even minor ones can lead to problems down the road .
- oldduffman

They expect players to always be in control of their sticks - the high sticking minor is probably the penalty they call almost every time they see it - even if the receiving player moves or ducks down.

Why can’t skaters be expected to always be in control of their bodies enough to stop hits to the head - shoulders, elbows - any hit to the head should be called - even if the player moves or ducks down.

Just like the high stick.

Getting out and stopping the puck is a huge part of handling the puck for a goalie. Lehner rarely did that. I lost count of how many times Lehner crossed up his D-men with failing to make a simple two foot pass.

We will agree to disagree.

But you're wrong.
- Elbows15

Yeah, I thought I was wrong once ... but I was wrong.

They expect players to always be in control of their sticks - the high sticking minor is probably the penalty they call almost every time they see it - even if the receiving player moves or ducks down.

Why can’t skaters be expected to always be in control of their bodies enough to stop hits to the head - shoulders, elbows - any hit to the head should be called - even if the player moves or ducks down.

Just like the high stick.
- StLBravesFan

They miss the odd high stick just ask the leafs .I agree completely with what you are saying there should be no gray area with head shots. There does not seem to be one with high sticks .

The NFL has zero tolerance on head hits plain and simple. Depends on your priorities.
- rpeters01

This so true

SecondCityHockey has an article on TV broadcasts for the upcoming Hawk games.

The Hawks-Blues practice game on July 29 will be nationally broadcast on NBC Sports and NBC Sports Chicago Plus (White Sox probably on the primary NBC Sports Chicago channel.).

The 1st game of the Edmonton series will be nationally broadcast on NBC. Games 2 and 3 of the series will be on NBC Sports Chicago locally and NBC Sports nationally. Games 4 and 5, if necessary, TBD.

Bovquist, Dach, Kubalik and Strome would not have made any of the cup teams especially with Q coaching.
- rpeters01

Respectfully I disagree. Bovquist would have been a major upgrade over Timonen. Keep in mind we basically won the 2015 cup with 2 defensive pairs. I also think Dach and Strome both would have been an upgrade over Handzus from the 2013 team. I'd also take Kubalik over Stalberg.

I know there's the argument that Q hated young players, but I think it was more Q would only play guys he trusted. Keep in mind he used Hammer quite a bit in 2009 and in 2010 as well when he was a rookie.

I found the full TV schedule for the 1st round.

Click on "here" in the last paragraph of this link and it will take you to an excel spreadsheet listing the games, dates, times and US and Canadian networks carrying the games.

https://www.blueshirtbant...new-york-rangers-playoffs

Edit - Tabs along the bottom of the spreadsheet also show the exhibition games and the schedule on a series by series basis.

Respectfully I disagree. Bovquist would have been a major upgrade over Timonen. Keep in mind we basically won the 2015 cup with 2 defensive pairs. I also think Dach and Strome both would have been an upgrade over Handzus from the 2013 team. I'd also take Kubalik over Stalberg.

I know there's the argument that Q hated young players, but I think it was more Q would only play guys he trusted. Keep in mind he used Hammer quite a bit in 2009 and in 2010 as well when he was a rookie.
- Jance

As well as Shaw, Saad, Teuvo and TVR in other years. Strome might have been tough for Q in terms of defensive reliability, but I would think the other 3 like you mention could find a place on Q teams.

Offensively the two centers would have been an upgrade over Zus but I think he was a good under the radar pickup by Stan going into the playoffs that year.