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Wilson Hit On Moreau - Clean Or Dirty?
by Paul on 11/19/09 at 08:35 AM ET
Comments (11)
from David Staples of the Cult of Hockey,
The latest highlight reel illegal hit was handed out by Colorado defenceman Ryan Wilson, 22, a tough rookie defenceman trying to make his mark in the NHL. In Wednesday night’s game in Edmonton, Oiler forward Ethan Moreau charged for the puck, which sat near centre ice. Moreau kept his eyes on the puck, his head down, as he stretched to tip it forward into Colorado’s end.
He wasn’t watching as Wilson came in for a hit.
Now such a hit would have been borderline legal if Wilson hadn’t put up his elbow. It would have been nasty, no doubt, but Moreau also had a responsibility to keep his head up. This is the NHL, after all, a tough league, a violent world.
But if Wilson hadn’t put up his elbow, he also would have missed Moreau. His timing was a bit off, Moreau was a bit past him, so Wilson stuck up that elbow and caught the unsuspecting, fast-moving Moreau right in the jaw with a hard elbow. Moreau, an extremely tough player, left the game and did not return.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Colorado Avalanche, Edmonton Oilers | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Ethan+Moreau, Ryan+Wilson,
Comments
From most of the angles I was not sure if it was his elbow or his shoulder, I’m sure someone has a definitive angle on it.
The biggest issue I have with the play is the instigator penalty assessed. Fighting exists to hold people accountable. When a team has to take the extra two minutes for the instigator, they may hesitate to engage in a fight.
Just a note, I’m not complaining that the ref assessed an instigator penalty, as that’s how the rules are written. My beef is with the instigator rule itself.
Posted by wingsnut25 from Cheboygan, MI on 11/19/09 at 09:42 AM ET
Not sure it was an elbow? You didn’t see Wilson’s elbow coming up and smacking Moreau in the face? Moreau is no wuss, he doesn’t go down. And the initial blog post here says this is a clean hit if Wilson doesn’t throw up the elbow. Well, he did throw up the elbow. Should be a suspension for this.
All this talk about headshots is making me ill. I’m so sick of players talking about “the code” that so many of them are willing to break. And I’m sick of the double-standards that sees Curtis Glencross getting 3 games and Mike Richards none. It’s really making me want to turn off hockey. And that is a hard-core thing for me to say.
Posted by Harrald The Red on 11/19/09 at 10:06 AM ET
The problem is that they can’t suspend Wilson now for a hit that saw the target get up and skate off the ice when the league doesn’t suspend players for throwing elbows and headshots that leave guys unconscious on the ice and unable to play for extended periods. The NHL has dug itself into a ridiculous hole by going on about headshots then completely ignoring them when they actually happen.
Posted by JimH from the International Space Station on 11/19/09 at 10:17 AM ET
I didn’t see much to say that it was much of anything, other than he jumped..
Really wasn’t a headshot. Just a good hit.
Just a thought Paul, I know it is the main topic today, but hits today aren’t getting the credit they deserve because the media automatically makes a controversy about them. A title suggesting a dirty hit doesn’t give a benefit of the doubt.
Posted by moore00 from Columbus, OH/Grand Rapids, MI on 11/19/09 at 10:58 AM ET
Leave your feet and use your elbow to target a players head - dirty x 2.
Posted by Hockey1919 from Montreal on 11/19/09 at 11:20 AM ET
To be fair to those who say this wasn’t an elbow, this wasn’t the best angle to see it. Other TV angles made it clear it was a dirty hit.
Posted by David Staples on 11/19/09 at 11:50 AM ET
thats what moreau gets for taking 7 strides at full-speed with his head down. c’mon.
Maybe it was a head-shot, maybe it wasn’t. All I know is that it was NOT a suicide pass and he easily could have seen this guy coming.
Posted by drw from detroit on 11/19/09 at 01:14 PM ET
he went out of his way to take a headshot at Moreau ..full intent to injure,,this crap has to stop..instigator rule? remember the players used to be able to eye for an eye and what comes around goes around but now you barely see anybody come to the aide of a teammate..I think face wash should be a 5 minute penalty and fighting 2 minutes
Posted by tiedummy from waterloo on 11/19/09 at 01:31 PM ET
Wilson timed the hit perfectly. Moreau did a no no having his head down and got hit at top of the shoulders. 1:10 is all the evidence you need. players never learn. they never do.
Posted by FlyersFan on 11/19/09 at 03:33 PM ET
What I see at 1:10 is that Wilson has clearly his arm up and elbow parallel to the ice before the hit. Don’t they still teach players in peewee that the arm has to remain against the body when throwing a hit or is hitting no longer allowed in peewee?
Posted by Hockey1919 from Montreal on 11/19/09 at 04:24 PM ET
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Good thing Stortini was there to hug him to death.
Posted by JimH from the International Space Station on 11/19/09 at 09:21 AM ET