Hey, how about a year suspension, public apology and a $19million lawsuit and possible criminal charges???
It is obvioulsy an intent to injure.  Not to mention, a weapon was used.  Or will the league practice a double standard situation here?

Posted by cementslinger from Midland MI on 03/08/07 at 10:44 PM ET

I’m so sick and tired of IDIOTS on skates.  It goes without saying that over the next two days, the NHL will get more publicity in the “mainstream media” for this incident than it has for the whole season.
Throw the jerk out of the league.
Should have happened with Bertuzzi and McSorley.  Needs to happen here.
I can’t believe there are still MORONS like this in the league.  When are these idiots going to figure out how to play the sport?  Such a small number ruining things for all of the rest of the players and us fans.
I’m just tired of it.

Posted by Andrew on 03/08/07 at 11:10 PM ET

That looks horrible.  Not to excuse what DID happen with Bertuzzi-Moore, but this is worse.  It looks like he’s using his stick as a sword in some gladiator-style beheading ritual.  And it was directed at a guy who provoked nothing, there’s no history to this, no standing up for one’s team or captain even if that was misguided.  What is worse is the way Simon skates away after the opposing player falls to the ice, showing not one iota of concern for what appears to be an injured player.

Another bad day for the league.  Same date.  And to top it off, the Saskin fiasco is only making matters worse.  Those of us who follow the NHL daily know the league is not as bad as it will appear to the rest of the world when the mainstream media picks up on this.  There are honorable people in the NHL.  Most of them love the game.  It’s too bad this is what the rest of the country will see—and remember.

Posted by snafu on 03/08/07 at 11:18 PM ET

Can one imagine if the instigator penalty is removed, than all teams will be forced to give roster spots to low-talent goons like Simon?  These incedents will increase.

Keep in mind, all the questionable, unquestionable, and borderline hits in the last few weeks have been from borderline talent players who are there for one reason…to “police” the ice.

Neil

Jannsens

Simon.

Posted by Petey on 03/08/07 at 11:30 PM ET

Hah. See Paul, now you got to make a blurb about the game

PS I have a good screen of the no goal as well:

Posted by bcrt on 03/08/07 at 11:47 PM ET

Betcha Hollweg will think twice before he runs someone from now on…

Good for Simon. Way to stick up for yourself. Sure, you’re going to sit for a year or so, but that dipshit didn’t get away with running you, that’s for sure. Every time he wakes up and puts his teeth in, he’s going to remember (and regret) what happened.

Posted by Thomas on 03/09/07 at 12:01 AM ET

There’s a good chance he’ll bear the brunt of all the recent incidents. It’ll probably be something like 100 games. Wrong place, wrong time.

Posted by Blackcloud on 03/09/07 at 12:25 AM ET

Simon, Hollweg and the entire league are very fortunate the stick did not hit Hollweg directly in the throat which could’ve resulted in critical injury.  While I hate the Rangers with a passion and thought Hollweg’s original hit was borderline boarding, that type of retaliation can not be condoned.  What I can’t figure out is why Simon didn’t just drop the gloves and pummel Hollweg like he usually would.  Simon will definitely take the brunt of all the recent dirty plays around the league and be suspended for a lengthy period of time.  And for the record, Todd Bertuzzi should never have been allowed to play in the NHL until Steve Moore came back (which still hasn’t happened).

Posted by Jon on 03/09/07 at 01:07 AM ET

i told you morons that something like would happen. you guys think the instagtor rule a bright idea now?

it just shows you how little respect players have for each other today. this falls at the feet of gary bettman

Posted by FlyersFan on 03/09/07 at 02:48 AM ET

Hollweg is the real coward in this situation. After the blow, he just lays flat on the ice and then gets up and contiune to play while Simon looking at his career in jeparody.

this is the agrument i have been making, over,over, over again is that players like Hollweg are contiune to pull this shit because they know they can get away with this shit under the instagator rule.

Gary Bettman and his dopey pr machine needs to understand that fighting is part of hockey and will always be apart of hockey, FORVEVER!

To all these people who want the NHL to “police” the players. F-Off. Stop watching hockey. Hardcore hockey fans dont want you watching hockey. go watch watch NASCAR. you are wasting your time if you dont want to see hits and fights. go watch a shovling match between two NASCAR Drivers…...........

Posted by FlyersFan on 03/09/07 at 03:12 AM ET

oh, you mean players polizing themselves like when Bertuzzi sent a message to Parker…“dont touch our superstar, or I´ll break your neck”...yeah, THATS the future of the nhl…tough guys kickin BUTT.

Posted by FlyersSuck on 03/09/07 at 03:57 AM ET

Suspension?  I guess it depends…

Does Hollweg play for Toronto?  That may be a relevant factor in the NHL’s arbitrary justice “system”.  (sigh)

Posted by Baroque on 03/09/07 at 05:17 AM ET

I’m with you, Baroque.  The Rob DiMaios of the world don’t count as “equally” as the Tomas Kaberles, and the Chris Neils of the world apparently merit less punishment than the Cam Janssens.

If there’s ever a cavalcade of “caught-on-tape” evidence to suggest that head-shots should be ditched from the repertoire of an NHL player’s checking regimen, this puts an exclaimation point on the proceedings.  That issue needs to be revisited because we’ve already gone past the “before somebody’s career is ended from head-shot concussions” point.

The refs are culpable here, too, because they’re not calling anything that’s not interference anymore, and the violent swings from “no-touch hockey” to pre-lockout wrestling on ice, depending on the referees’ moods, give the players no context for their play, and things like this are more likely to happen when what’s a penalty in at the 5:00 mark of the 1st isn’t with 5:00 left in the 3rd.

Hollweg’s hit on Simon was dirty.  It was checking from behind, and should have been called as at least roughing.

Simon’s retlation was ridiculous, and Hollweg’s lucky to have not suffered major injuries.

Collie Campbell and the good ol’ boys’ club that’s been running the NHL’s disciplinary system need to treat this incident as they would if Hollweg was Brendan Shanahan, and Simon was Ryan Smyth—i.e. equitably, with less concern about who’s hitting whom than the act itself. 

Enough already.

Posted by George Malik from South Lyon, MI on 03/09/07 at 06:18 AM ET

FlyersFan!

It’s easy to see why you (Flyers) suck. If you think this thing is a part of hockey, you really do not belong to NHL.

By the way, try to take a composite stick in your face and then be like everything’s fine. Tried that, not easy.

Posted by Zupatov on 03/09/07 at 06:57 AM ET

George is right. Hollweg’s original hit was cheap, one that at least deserved a penalty, but what Simon did was beyond retaliation and excuse. Simon needs to have the book thrown at him.

Posted by Gary from MInnesota on 03/09/07 at 10:02 AM ET

FlyersFan, sounds like you watch hockey for the wrong reason.  Try Ultimate Fighting if all you want to see is two guys beat on each other.

Posted by Rob on 03/09/07 at 11:15 AM ET

Thomas wrote:

Betcha Hollweg will think twice before he runs someone from now on…

Good for Simon. Way to stick up for yourself. Sure, you’re going to sit for a year or so, but that dipshit didn’t get away with running you, that’s for sure. Every time he wakes up and puts his teeth in, he’s going to remember (and regret) what happened.

Posted by Thomas on 03/09 at 12:01 AM

Thomas: you are a *#$%@& MORON.
Anthony

Posted by Anthony Lonigro from New York on 03/09/07 at 12:12 PM ET

It doesn’t take guts to take out a guy with a stick. I think an ass whooping was in line for the hit from behind by Hollweg (which Simon probably could have dished out), but the retaliation with the stick should put him out for the remainder of the season and the play offs. They have to make the point that the stick cannot be used as a weapon.

Posted by Scott from Fort Hood, TX on 03/09/07 at 12:30 PM ET

Anthony,

Your lack of even the slightest semblance of a logical argument says more about your level of intelligence that it does mine.

Posted by Thomas on 03/09/07 at 01:12 PM ET

Thomas,

Hollweg’s hit on Simon was legal, Simon tried to draw a penalty by making the hit look worse than it was. Take a look at the replay and you’ll see that he tried to jump into the boards after the shove. Appropriately, Hollweg was not penalized. Simon should have been given a diving penalty in my opinion. I was a ref for 17 years and I KNOW what I saw.

Even IF Simon was run from behind, his retaliation is TOTALLY unacceptable to any fan of the sport (except retarded Islander fans, I suppose). To say; “good for Simon” is digusting and shows a complete lack of common sense and knowledge of basic right/wrong.

How’s that?

Anthony

Posted by Anthony Lonigro from New York on 03/09/07 at 02:03 PM ET

You know what? I suppose I’m biased. Therefor, I will NOT decide whether the Hollweg hit was clean. Anthony, are you a Rangers fan? If you are, are there any totally unbiased fans who have reffed to look at this? I’d like their opinion.

Anyway, the Simon hit was ridiculous, dirty, uncalled for, and is giving the NHL a bad name. Shoulda known an Islander would do something to further the NHL’s bad reputation. First the Backup Goaltender who could become a GM incident, then the signing DiPietro until 10 years after his grandchildren are dead incident, and now the Simon thinking Hollweg’s head was a baseball incident. God.

Posted by Greg from NY on 03/09/07 at 06:52 PM ET

Greg,

I hear you, but I don’t see how Hollweg’s ‘hit’ is relevant here. Even if the hit was illegal, the fact of the matter is Simon’s retaliation went way beyond what is considered acceptable in sports…and society for that matter. A few inches lower and Hollweg would probably be dead. It was rediculous and the guy should be banned for the remainder of the year, in my opinion. Anything less than that would be a joke.

PS - i’m a NY hockey fan…not specifically a Ranger fan. I’ll watch Ranger, Islander and even Devil games. I guess my years of reffing has made me unbiased!

Anthony

Posted by Anthony Lonigro on 03/10/07 at 10:12 PM ET