Paul Stewart: NHL Endangers Players By Not Disciplining Rinaldo

Solid post. Rinaldo is an absolute joke and has shown multiple times to not be completely remorseless in his actions. He should be treated in the same way that guys like Torres has been in the past...

Great read with strong supporting arguments. Stewart is on to something that the NHL is sending a message (inconsistent) via no message. Ten games, probably not but a couple to a handle would have sufficed.

amen....what a joke....the guy is a no talent punk....

and somehow, and this is not april fools day, Boston gave a 2nd rd pick for him...u can't make this stuff up...

just goes to show you Jeremy Jacobs has friends in the right places. although Rinlado is terrible so no loss when he is gone

amen....what a joke....the guy is a no talent punk....

and somehow, and this is not april fools day, Boston gave a 2nd rd pick for him...u can't make this stuff up...
- Sandstrom1717

3rd round pick but your point still stands

Nothing will change until someone dies on the ice. Maybe?

The thing I still don't understand - A player throws an elbow to the head of another player. 1st offense, fine. Multiple offenses, suspensions. Why does it matter if a player is a repeat offender? If an elbow to the face is worthy of suspension, then suspend anyone who performs that act. The NHL needs to change it's thinking, suspend the act, not the player!

Why are we surprised? The Bruins play this card every game. They get rid of their stooges, just to bring in some other clowns for their circus act...

Great blog, sir.

Rinaldo is a menace and a catastrophe waiting to happen.

If questionable the deciding factor to determine if he gets suspended is if the jersey of the offending player was orange.

Clearly he knew what he was doing. As he was looking for a retaliation the second he turn from the hit.

spot on. simple as that. the DoPS or whatever the fck it's called is a pathetic farce. i loathed rinaldo as a flyer, and loathe him just as much now that he's no longer on "my" team. he has no place in the league.

he drilled a guy in a defenseless position with 1 second left in the period when the puck was no longer in the area. what else is there to discuss?

As a fan of neither team and someone who thinks that players like Rinaldo don't belong in the league, I still agree with the NHL on this one. The only area where I disagree with the player safety video is perhaps on the interference call.

On the Raffi Torres suspension video, they called the play interference because it occurred 0.6 seconds after the puck had left the check recipients stick. This hit was clearly later than that. I'm not sure how they call one interference and not the other. They need to pick set time limit and use it as a standard for all interference reviews.

However, I don't think this is charging, a head shot, or elbowing. It looked like a textbook clean hit to me, and the only reason people are up in arms was because of who it was delivering the check and because the player who got hit was injured on the play.

As far as the notion that a players head doesn't "snap back jarringly" unless there is head contact, I give you exhibit A.

Cedric Paquette Hit on Alec Martinez 2/7/15

Rinaldo is a piece of garbage who doesn't belong in the NHL, but this specific hit was not suspension or even penalty worthy IMO.

I just don't get the leagues logic when it comes to these types of hits. Repeat offender, no respect shown to players or the game itself, late hit, ridiculously unecessary hit and, at least to some degree, a hit to the head.

I would have given a 1st time offender 2-3 games, a punk like Rinaldo should have got at least 8.

I guess when someone gets killed, or a superstar has his career ended, the league will finally get their collective head out of the sand.

One final question: If the recipient of the hit had been Giroux, Toews, Crosby or Stamkos, does Rinaldo get suspended? If the answer is yes, shame on you NHL.

The Torres hit was only a little worse than this one. I thought the NHL was raising the bar with Torres' suspension? Rinaldo has a lengthy history as well (not quiet as long, but still long). Maybe I am just seeing something that isn't there but it also looks like he left he feet a little. I guess we can thank Holmgren for this thug being in the league. Unlike Carcillo, who was a solid third line forward in his "prime", Rinaldo doesn't have any redeeming qualities. He does one of two things: take stupid penalties at bad times to hurt his team and deliberately try to injure other players.

This from the same blogger who felt Orpik on Eriksson was A OK. That's kinda weird. Or have we changed our criteria since then?

Great post as always Stewie.

Two things about the Rinaldo hit that really fry my bacon.
1. When a Flyer, less egregious hits got him suspended.
2. He doesn't think it was a bad hit.

So, yes, the conspiracy theory continues to have proof. The league has a different measure for how players inflicting hits on the Flyers are treated.

Rinaldo, during his entire time in Philly was a bomb waiting to go off. Every shift he was likely to do something that would cost the team, injure a player or both. At least twice in his time in Philly his play lead to lengthy PKs during which players were then injured blocking shots or run down which lead to other injuries. And he goes out and does it again.

Great post as always Stewie.

Two things about the Rinaldo hit that really fry my bacon.
1. When a Flyer, less egregious hits got him suspended.
2. He doesn't think it was a bad hit.

So, yes, the conspiracy theory continues to have proof. The league has a different measure for how players inflicting hits on the Flyers are treated.

Rinaldo, during his entire time in Philly was a bomb waiting to go off. Every shift he was likely to do something that would cost the team, injure a player or both. At least twice in his time in Philly his play lead to lengthy PKs during which players were then injured blocking shots or run down which lead to other injuries. And he goes out and does it again.

I'm glad someone brought up the fact that Stewart saw nothing wrong with Orpik's hit on Eriksson a couple years back. Paul, your clear biased hatred of the Bruins is pathetic. You take any and every chance given to throw Bruins players, coaches, commentators, even ex co-workers under the bus (making sure to mention them by name even). We get it bub, you "took the high road" and didn't want to be a part of the "homerism" that is Boston media. The sour grapes routine is clear and obvious. You should really tone it down.

NHL is a joke.
2 hits to the head in Calgary-Detroit game last night
and the league is silent

I'm glad someone brought up the fact that Stewart saw nothing wrong with Orpik's hit on Eriksson a couple years back. Paul, your clear biased hatred of the Bruins is pathetic. You take any and every chance given to throw Bruins players, coaches, commentators, even ex co-workers under the bus (making sure to mention them by name even). We get it bub, you "took the high road" and didn't want to be a part of the "homerism" that is Boston media. The sour grapes routine is clear and obvious. You should really tone it down.
- ProvBrewin

Dude fired by NESN and not considered for the GM job. this grudge runs deep!!

Awesome blog Paul. What are your thoughts of the Gudas hit on Stalberg?