Entries with the tag: fighting

Hockey Isn’t Cuddly

by Alanah on 03/26/08 at 01:42 PM
Comments (12)

From Pierre LeBrun at Sportsnet,

Fighting used to be ingrained in hockey culture. These days, however, there seems to be more taste for a kinder, cuddlier game. So is it time for fighting to go?

I can only shake my head at the attention the Jonathan Roy story has received in this country this week.

When did the tree huggers take over this bloody country? When did we all become such bleeding hearts that a junior hockey brawl shocked our collective senses so badly we became outraged?

continued...

Update 2:38pm ET: Gare Joyce at ESPN addresses how Patrick Roy’s situation may ultimately affect his legacy with the Montreal Canadiens.

Willing Combatants Only

by Alanah on 03/25/08 at 01:08 PM
Comments (1)

From Jeff Marek at CBC,

Well, by now we’ve all seen the video of Patrick Roy’s son Jonathan attacking Chicoutimi netminder Bobby Nadeau.  If you haven’t seen the clip yet, have a look.  QMJHL commissioner Gilles Courteau will rule on the incident sometime Tuesday.

We all have our opinion on the incident itself. It appears that Patrick Roy motioned to his son to skate down the ice and attack the other goalie, who wanted no part of the encounter as is evidenced by the video.

I can never condone that.

more... plus Marek’s thoughts on Patrick Roy’s future as an NHL coach, perhaps of the Avalanche

Not Wild for the Style

by Alanah on 03/12/08 at 01:31 AM
Comments (0)

From Jim Souhan at the Star Tribune,

The NHL is about dumping the puck, taking the opponents’ stars out of the game, working a defensive system and waiting for a mistake that will create a scoring chance. If NFL coaches thought like NHL coaches, every team would punt on first down.

Take the Wild—please. They’re not just slumping—they’re boring. Because of the Wild’s style and the NHL’s emphasis on defensive systems, Marian Gaborik spends most of the game looking like a guy waiting for a bus.

Don’t repeat the popular argument that he needs to work harder, needs to be more of a two-way player, blah, blah, blah. Gaborik is a scorer. When he scores, the Wild almost always wins. Ergo: Gaborik should spend his ice time trying to score.

That would be good for the fans, the team, the league. Instead, we get to hear Jacques Lemaire chide him about defensive responsibility.

more...

Fighting About Fighting

by Alanah on 03/10/08 at 02:38 PM
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From Jeff Marek at CBC,

If you ever find yourself in a disagreement over hockey fights with someone make sure the first question out of your mouth is “if they took fighting out of the game, would you start to buy tickets?” If the answer is “no,” then the argument is over, walk away. Those are people that some in the NHL can reach and become the “new” hockey fan, I personally believe quite the opposite is true.

In the league’s quest to grow the sport and reach out and absorb more fans, they have also run the risk of alienating the ones who are paying the freight and keeping the lights on now. Thankfully the NHL has taken the right approach to fighting and quietly let it exist. Of course, there is the not-so-little issue of the instigator penalty, but that’s for another day.

more... including video links to a number of fights referenced

A Nose for Fighting

by Alanah on 02/29/08 at 01:13 PM
Comments (0)

From the Boston Bruins,

“You know, re-breaking your nose—I broke it again back in Florida—the last thing you want to do is get in a fight with a broken nose,” said Lucic, laughing at the incredulity of the action. “It’s probably the most fragile thing, even when it’s healthy.

In fact, earlier on the night, Lucic begged off an encounter with Pittsburgh’s noted heavyweight, and Sidney Crosby’s bodyguard, Georges Laraque.

“He felt I was running around,” said Lucic, in reference to his noticeable physical play throughout the evening. “I said, ‘No thanks. I’ve got a broken nose and I need to stay away from this one.’”

But he didn’t stay away from the next one. Milan Lucic and Jarkko Ruutu go for it—video from the Bruins below…

Continue Reading »

Yoga Makes the Fighter

by Alanah on 02/21/08 at 01:51 PM
Comments (1)

From Marcie Garcia at NHL.com,

Four years later, Laraque credits yoga for sharpening his competitive edge against the younger, bigger foes trying to make a heavyweight name for themselves in the NHL.

“Most guys that fight use the weights, weights, and weights, and they’re so big in their bodies that the muscle doesn’t matter,” Laraque said. “Yoga helps your core strength and that is way better than weights. I’m not the strongest guy weight-wise with enforcers in the NHL, but I’m strong, but not because I bench press six plates. If you do yoga, you don’t need to do weights that much because it’s like a weight exercise, but instead of using weights, you’re using your body.”

more

Malik Gets a TKO

by Alanah on 02/06/08 at 01:18 PM
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From The Rangers Report,

If I hadn’t seen Sean Avery and Marek Malik throwing punches at one another during practice today, I wouldn’t have believed it.

But what had been a mere one-on-one battle during drills today quickly escalated into shoves and then an all-out fight between the 6-foot-6 Malik and the 5-10 Avery, lasting maybe 30 seconds before it eventually ended. For those scoring at home, we’ll call it Malik by TKO.

Words were exchanged after that. At one point, Avery could be heard saying, “What are you,a tough guy? Why don’t you play like that in a game?”

continued...

*hat-tip to HockeyFights.com for the link

Don’t Repeal Instigator Penalty

by Alanah on 02/04/08 at 02:42 PM
Comments (1)

From Darren Eliot at SI,

The puck-optional pursuit of punishing checks by these kind of players is the bane of the league because the notion of self-policing always enters the discussion when talk turns to repealing the instigator rule. The theory goes that if players weren’t fearful of getting the extra two-minutes for instigating a fight, Ruutu and Hollweg and players of that ilk would cease and desist if they knew they were going to be on the painful end of a pounding. I’m not so sure. Simon’s attacks didn’t back either guy off and what else can they do? They’re both one-dimensional in their play as well as the exception rather than the rule among NHL players.

No, allowing the instigation of fights because of the acts of a couple of wanton repeat offenders isn’t the answer. Stern suspensions will suffice. The longer the stretches that the league keeps these two thugs off the ice, the better.

more...

All Star Fights

by Alanah on 01/26/08 at 05:09 PM
Comments (1)

From HockeyFights.com

With All-Star weekend upon us, we here at hockeyfights.com thought it would be pretty sweet if we took a glance at some of the notable scraps this seasons’s participants have been in. We know that not every All-Star has been in a fight over the course of their career so we’ve done our homework and singled out the players that have received a fighting major.

Today we take a look at some of those representing the Western Conference. Each player is listed in alphabetical order.

check it out... with links to video of their All Star Scraps. The Eastern Conference will be posted Sunday.

23 Games Handed Out for OHL Brawl

by Alanah on 01/26/08 at 03:03 PM
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From the CP:

Oshawa Generals defenceman James DeLory has been suspended eight games for his spear on Sarnia Sting star Steven Stamkos.  He’s among seven players and coaches who will miss a total of 23 games for an ugly Ontario Hockey League brawl that followed Oshawa’s 4-3 win last Sunday.

DeLory, 19, touched off the brawl by spearing Stamkos, the 17-year-old forward projected to be the first pick in this summer’s NHL draft.

Here’s the brawl that started it all:

Crosby Drops the Gloves

by Alanah on 12/20/07 at 10:05 PM
Comments (16)

Here’s the footage of Sidney Crosby’s fight with Andrew Ference tonight. It’s a Gordie Howe Hat Trick for the illustrious Penguin. From HockeyFights.com:

Minor Hockey Coach Gets 3 Year Suspension

by Alanah on 12/10/07 at 04:04 PM
Comments (0)

From CBC,

An assistant coach has been suspended three years for his involvement in a bench-clearing hockey brawl between two teams of eight-year-old players.

Randy Brant of the Niagara Falls Thunder will not be allowed to coach or be involved in minor hockey in any way after leaving the bench during the melee in a tournament in Guelph, Ont., on Nov. 23.

The suspension was handed down by the Ontario Minor Hockey Association over the weekend.

continued...

Reich Knows His Job

by Paul on 11/30/07 at 09:53 AM
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from the Patroit Ledger,

With the exception of the Philadelphia Flyers, who seem to act upon the belief that anything goes at any and all times, professional hockey is generally self-governed by the theory that there’s a time and a place for almost everything.

Boston’s Jeremy Reich has proved expert at navigating the gray area.

When it’s time to forecheck, backcheck, hit, even kill the occasional penalty, Reich does. When he senses it’s time for something more, Reich will fight. When he knows he should keep his gloves on, he will - even when he’d rather not.

continued

Coaches Not Charged In Kids Brawl

by Paul on 11/29/07 at 02:14 PM
Comments (0)

from CBC,

No criminal charges will be laid against adult hockey coaches for allegedly assaulting each other during a brawl that also involved eight-year-old players in Guelph, Ont., police say.

Police said Thursday they came to the decision not to lay charges after speaking to witnesses, investigating the case and reviewing a videotape of the fracas.

continued…

More about this here on KK several days ago. Watch the just released video below…

Continue Reading »

Possible Criminal Charges in Youth Hockey Game

by Alanah on 11/27/07 at 06:15 PM
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From the Canadian Press, more information on the Triple-A hockey brawl involving 8-year-old players last weekend:

A video recording of the fight was being reviewed by police, who are expected to decide as early as Wednesday whether to lay criminal charges amid allegations that one of the adult coaches spit in the face of his cross-ice counterpart.

Police are alleging that when a small fight broke out between players on the ice, both coaches sent in more players from the bench to join in.

The Ontario Minor Hockey Association began its own investigation and was being assisted by the Niagara Falls Minor Hockey Association and the Greater Toronto Hockey League.

“Which group was the first to act, (and) which was the next to react, doesn’t make any difference,” said GTHL president John Gardner.  “For adults to get into a situation like this . . . it’s not good for hockey and we’re not going to tolerate it.”

more

Flyers/Bruins Meet Tonight

by Paul on 11/26/07 at 09:37 AM
Comments (1)

from the Courier-Post,

Tonight at the Wachovia Center, Jones is likely to be the topic of conversation on the Bruins bench when they take the ice against the Flyers for the first time since the hit that jeopardized Bergeron’s season.

“I knew the time was going to come,” Jones said when asked about possible retribution. “I’m not worried about it."…

Flyers coach John Stevens said he is not sure what to expect when the Bruins and Flyers take the ice tonight, but he probably won’t take any chances.

Enforcers Riley Cote and Ben Eager are expected to be in the lineup.

more

Jabs, Pushing and Suspensions

by Paul on 11/25/07 at 09:32 AM
Comments (1)

via the Calgary Flames,

Avalanche tough guy Scott Parker went out in the second period to do his thing—stir it up. He got it when he cross-checked Dion Phaneuf in the throat and then jabbed his stick at Phaneuf while he was on the ice.

In comes Eric Godard for the anticipated heavyweight bout, in which Parker gets the upper hand. Problem for Parker is he took a major for the crosscheck so it didn’t help his team in the power play department.

Word out of Denver was that Parker could face further discipline under the intent to injure rule for his crosscheck on Phaneuf.

The Flames also received the news that Godard would be suspended for two games because he received his third instigator penalty of the season.

Coincidentally, all three players were involved in a pushing and shoving session during the warm-up.

In The Booth With DeBrusk

by Paul on 11/24/07 at 09:37 AM
Comments (0)

from the Arizona Republic,

When Coyotes radio analyst Louie DeBrusk talks about a fight, it’s likely that he imagines himself back on the ice pounding on somebody.

DeBrusk’s 11-year NHL career, including three with the Coyotes, encompassed only 401 games, but he made his presence felt with 1,161 penalty minutes. From the time he had his first fight as a 14-year-old in juniors, the adrenalin rush is something that has never left him. He always knew his role in the league.

“I wouldn’t want to rate myself (as a player) because I’d definitely rake myself over the coals,” he said. “I think I was just a hard-working guy, went up and down, banged bodies, dropped the gloves on a fairly regular basis throughout my career....”

continued

Chara Points Finger At Habs

by Paul on 11/19/07 at 09:01 AM
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from Dave Stubbs of the Montreal Gazette,

Chara said the Canadiens started all the nonsense on the ice, but were unwilling to finish it, and that what goes around, comes around, etc.

(The two teams meet next on Dec. 6 in Boston.)

Carbonneau was buying none of that, with these illustrations:

Ten minutes into the third period, Bruins’ Jeremy Reich, who’d played not enough this game to work up a sweat, ran Canadiens goalie Carey Price;

Less than a minute later, Bruins defenceman Mark Stuart pummelled a why-me? Andrei Kostitsyn.

more

Fighting Rick Nash

by Paul on 11/15/07 at 07:59 AM
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from the Columbus Dispatch,

What was Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock thinking when he saw his best player dropping the gloves with a notorious knucklehead?

“I hope he doesn’t hurt his hand,” Hitchcock said.

And what was Nash thinking?

“It’s part of the game,” Nash said. “He (Vandermeer) threw a couple of cheap shots during the game, a couple of cross-checks. We fought. No big deal. Boller (Jared Boll) and Shell (Jody Shelley) fight all the time.”

more

Fighting Up

by Paul on 11/05/07 at 06:37 PM
Comments (1)

from the CP,

The NHL handed out 230 fighting majors through Sunday (201 games), up from 167 through the same number of games last year. All around the league, tough guys are taking names and leaving lumps.

The surge in fisticuffs early this season flies into the face of what had been happening. Fights have steadily gone down the last few years, especially after the lockout. In fact, this year’s pace is still behind the pre-lockout numbers. There were 299 fighting majors handed out in 2003-04 through the same number of games.

But the numbers are back up this season.

continued

The “Fighting Twinkies”

by Paul on 11/03/07 at 04:17 PM
Comments (1)

from Hockey Adventure,

...While your typical NHL enforcer wouldn’t take kindly to being dubbed a Twinkie, what he offers with his fisticuffs is a cheap, junk food-like substitute for the satisfaction of skill-based hockey.

Is fighting popular? Does it sell? Sure. Just like 500 million Twinkies are sold each year. So what? That doesn’t mean it’s good for the consumer.

If the hockey you dish up is of high enough quality in the first place, nobody cares if there’s no fighting.

read on

thanks to a KK member for the pointer…

Motivating Ticket Sales

by Alanah on 11/03/07 at 04:19 AM
Comments (0)

From Ken Warren at The Ottawa Citizen,

On Thursday night against the Atlanta Thrashers, Ottawa Senators right-winger Chris Neil crossed the fine line he skates as a member of the NHL’s agitator/enforcer class.

It wasn’t the first time, it won’t be the last and, even though Neil was widely criticized for showing off to the crowd while fighting the Thrashers’ Eric Boulton in the second period and for taking a double minor penalty late in the third period, during which Atlanta scored twice—he says he won’t change how he plays the game.

“I’m here, I’m a motivator,” said Neil, taking issue with observers who claimed his WWE-style antics in waving to the crowd during the fight had no place in the game and served to inspire the Thrashers. “I get the fans going and that’s part of my job. That’s a trait I do (during) fights at home games. I don’t do it on the road. It’s for our fans. We don’t sell tickets on the road. We sell them at home.”

continued...

“The Hammer” Reflects on Philly

by Alanah on 11/03/07 at 01:37 AM
Comments (0)

From the AP via Sports Illustrated,

Dave Schultz was known as “The Hammer,’’ a nickname earned with a ready to rumble style of play that satisfied the bloodlust of NHL fans who paid to see an old-fashioned brawl.

He dropped his gloves, busted and bloodied some chops, absorbed his own share of jabs and could have written a mortgage check to the league for all the minutes the Philadelphia Flyer spent in the penalty box. One thing the enforcer of the 1970s-era Broad Street Bullies never did was put another player on a stretcher.

“Oh my God, no. Never,’’ Schultz said. “We didn’t really hurt anybody. The only time you could hurt anybody was with your stick.’’

continued...

Learning From Mistakes

by Alanah on 10/30/07 at 10:25 AM
Comments (0)

From Len Ziehm at the Chicago Sun-Times,

Fights in his last two games left Koci with a broken nose and a deep gash between the eyes that required 10 stitches. He clearly was beaten by the Boston Bruins’ Zdeno Chara on Thursday, but he insists he won’t be afraid to fight him again. He’ll just change his style.

‘’Usually I’m a more defensive fighter, but my last two fights I tried to kill the guys,’’ Koci said. ‘’I got confidence from my first couple fights, and I tried to be more aggressive. That’s not the way I usually fight, and that’s why I got hurt. You learn from your mistakes.’’

Koci was the first opponent to take on Chara since he joined the Bruins more than a year ago.

more...

Kansas Ready for a Fight

by Alanah on 10/29/07 at 11:43 PM
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From Jeffrey Flanagan at the Kansas City Star,

If Kansas City does indeed ever land an NHL team, keep this in mind: The game has changed, and not necessarily for the better.

As enforcement of the instigator penalty has grown stricter in the NHL — the punishment is a minor penalty, a major penalty and a 10-minute misconduct — old-fashioned street brawls on the ice have all but vanished. And so has much of the game’s personality.

“Let’s face it: Fans do like to see the fighting,” said former Blades broadcaster Bob Kaser. “When you think about, what gets the crowd going more? Is it an end-to-end goal or is it seeing one of your team’s enforcers going at it with someone on the other team? It’s the fighting that gets the crowd on its feet in anticipation.

continued...

Ouch

by Alanah on 10/25/07 at 10:46 PM
Comments (6)

By popular request tonight, here’s the scrap in Boston featuring Zdeno Chara and David Koci.  And while Koci’s face looks like he was in a car wreck after the fight, it’s worth remembering he only broke his nose a few nights ago fighting Wade Belak, so that might be the primary cause of the mess. 

From HockeyFights.com:

addd 8:38am Friday by Paul, The ESPN view of the fight…

Continue Reading »

Watching Fights

by Paul on 10/25/07 at 08:03 AM
Comments (0)

from William Houston of the Globe and Mail,

Fisticuffs on the ice? Cut to a crowd shot.

The no-fighting on television rule is long gone, because today Hockey Night airs more highlight clips of fights than any comparable telecast.

To get an idea of how the show’s policy has evolved, or devolved, a good start is Ralph Mellanby’s new book, Walking With Legends....

According to Mellanby, the no-fighting rule was discontinued after Dan Kelly was hired as host of the Montreal broadcast in 1967. Kelly said he didn’t want to be associated with a show that wouldn’t air the fights.

The next year, fighting was shown, but replays were not, by edict of the sponsors, Molson and Imperial Oil.

read on

Chris Simon: The Good and the Bad

by Alanah on 10/24/07 at 12:22 PM
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From Michael Farber at Sports Illustrated,

Says Buffalo goalie Jocelyn Thibault, who played with Simon in Quebec, Colorado and Chicago, “Unbelievable guy [who’s] always been recognized as a straight shooter.” Says Montreal defenseman Roman Hamrlik, who knows Simon from Calgary, “He loves you, he kicks ass for you. Awesome. Best teammate I played with.” Says Toronto winger Jason Blake, who played on a line with Simon last season in New York, “Good teammate because he cared so much.”

Thus the case of one of the NHL’s most physical players raises some metaphysical questions: If Simon is so good, why does he do so many bad things? And if he does so many bad things, can he possibly be good?

more...

Enough Fighting

by Paul on 10/17/07 at 02:08 PM
Comments (12)

from Ian Winwood at the Guardian Unlimited,

Let’s imagine that you’re an American family, off to enjoy an evening of sport. Better yet, let’s imagine you’re a Canadian family - much more poster friendly. “What do you fancy going to see tonight, eh?” asks Dad, from somewhere in the Toronto suburbs. “Wow, I know!” says Mom. “Let’s go and see the Maple Leafs play! They’re up against the Montreal Canadiens. We might get to see them beat someone half to death!” “By a man using his bare fists?” ask the kids. “You betcha!” answers Pop. “Yay!” they all yell. “Hooray!”

read on on why Ian wants to ban fighting…

Tough Guys In Transition

by Paul on 10/15/07 at 12:22 PM
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from Darren Eliot of Sports Illustrated,

In days gone by, one team’s enforcer would engage the other team’s designated hitter and the code was to oblige. More and more though, the challenges that once meant an immediate throw-down now garner a dismissive shrug. So what’s a roughneck “role player” to do except try to redefine his role?

To that end, some have made the transition from baiter to skater and proved valuable forecheckers who can score a bit. Check out Chris Neil in Ottawa and Sean Avery in New York. Even Simon made the switch from puncher only to tough guy who could also take a regular shift.

read on

You Don’t See This Very Often

by Paul on 10/12/07 at 08:59 AM
Comments (3)

Ilya Kovalchuk in a fight last night, coming to the defense of a teammate who he thought received a cheap shot.

Continue Reading »

Tough Guys - Team by Team

by Paul on 10/11/07 at 08:10 PM
Comments (5)

from Two Minutes for Blogging,

We even sorted by weight class, which more so is based on fighting ability and who guys have danced with in the past. The designations are:

HW = Heavyweight CW = Cruiserweight MW = Middleweight

read on

Oilers Aware Of Boogaard

by Paul on 10/10/07 at 07:51 AM
Comments (0)

from Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal,

Minnesota Wild winger Derek Boogaard is out to inflict some pain, which is exactly what the six-foot-seven, 260-pounder did last year when he scored a hat-trick of sorts—knocking Oilers’ Ales Hemsky, Ladislav Smid and Marty Reasoner out of action for a spell.

All three were staggered by Boogaard hits—the Oilers would say with some malicious intent in the case of Hemsky—although Boogaard claims he was only out only to create mayhem and Hemsky got caught in his train tracks.

“Speaks to his effectiveness that we’re speaking about him right now,” said Oilers coach Craig MacTavish. “He hasn’t fought, either. You don’t want to play to his strengths, obviously. He’s a helluva fighter....”

more

The Role of the Enforcer

by Alanah on 10/08/07 at 12:50 AM
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From Jim Gintonio at the Arizona Republic,

Boogaard, the Minnesota Wild’s 6-foot-7, 258-pound enforcer, can rule through intimidation. It’s one reason that penalty minutes for players of his type usually decrease in the NHL from the staggering figures they compiled in the minors while trying to make names for themselves.

“The role is important,” said Shawn Thornton of the Boston Bruins. “I think it keeps people a little more honest. It’s just our job, and we know that, and it has to be done. It’s not that we have any disdain for each other.”

It can be a cat-and-mouse - make that a lion-and-rhino - game when two enforcers are on the ice.

more...

Tough Approach

by Paul on 09/29/07 at 07:24 AM
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from the Columbus Dispatch,

The Blue Jackets lost to the Carolina Hurricanes 2-1 in a nine-round shootout in front of 15,713 in the RBC Center. But, this being the exhibition season, the score is merely an aside.

“We’re going to be the toughest team in the league this year,” Fritsche said. “What this should tell everybody is that we’re not going to back down from anybody. If there’s an issue, our five guys are going to be right in the middle of it before their five guys are. That’s just the way it’s going to be.

“So, I’d say, yeah, we’re going to have a lot of nights like this.”

There were 39 penalties for 142 penalty minutes, including eight fighting majors, 12 roughing minors, three 10-minute misconducts and two game misconducts.

more

All Mike Cvik

by Paul on 09/28/07 at 09:49 AM
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from Canada.com,

CanWest sports reporter Cory Wolfe gets personal with a sports figure. Today, NHL linesman Mike Cvik - all six foot nine of him - gets cornered.

CanWest: Describe a time when you got caught in the crossfire of a hockey fight.

Cvik: Well, Shawn Cronin jumped Ron Stern in Calgary and broke my nose.

I was trying to protect Stern. Cronin threw a punch across my shoulder and hit me. . . . I looked up and (former Calgary Flames trainer) Bearcat Murray was standing beside me. There was blood on my sweater. I looked at Stern and he wasn’t bleeding. Bearcat goes: “C’mon, kid. Your nose is broken. Let’s get out of here.”

continued

Fighting Remains Part Of The Game

by Paul on 09/27/07 at 08:21 AM
Comments (0)

from the Vancouver Province,

Rightly or wrongly, fighting remains with us. What the means for the league is a matter of some debate as it will continue to be a source of appeal to some and a source of revulsion to others.

“A good portion of teams will want to copy a team (Anaheim) that’s been successful,” Canucks head coach Alain Vigneault said. “But I’m not a believer in an enforcer who plays three or four shifts a game. I think you have to be able to play and I think we have guys on our team who can do that. That’s not an area I’m concerned about at all.”

more

Avery Wanted In On The Action Last Night

by Paul on 09/25/07 at 07:53 PM
Comments (1)

from Blue Notes,

“I didn’t expect it (the fighting). It’s an exhibition game.” said Avery, who skated today with about ten other Rangers who weren’t on the flight to Detroit to face the Red Wings tonight. “But I wish I had played.”
Why?
“For a very obvious reason, as obvious as reasons can get,” he said.
Asked about his status for Friday’s game in the Garden, Avery said, “Oh yeah, I’ll be ready.”

more on the Rangers…

Simon Should Not Have Been On The Ice

by Paul on 09/25/07 at 07:02 AM
Comments (6)

from Scott Morrison of CBC Sports,

Where is the common sense?

Simon shouldn’t have been anywhere near the ice against the Rangers for all the obvious reasons. And especially since the Rangers decided to dress Ryan Hollweg, the player Simon chopped down his with his stick back on March 8 to earn the supreme wrath of the league.

Can you say retribution?

But there they were together on the ice Monday night in Long Island and the mayhem was, well, as predictable and it was entirely avoidable. Hollweg and Simon sparred and jabbed with each other.

read on

New York Fight Night

by Paul on 09/25/07 at 05:55 AM
Comments (2)

from Larry Brooks of the NY Post,

To Rick DiPietro, it was simply a matter of “the intensity being ratcheted up against the Rangers, no matter where or when we play them.”

To Al Montoya, it was simply a matter of, “basically not really having a choice, but sticking up for my teammates even though I’d rather have been in the [game] to showcase my talents.”

continued

Check out the goalie fight…

Continue Reading »

Headshots Need To Stop

by Paul on 09/23/07 at 08:48 AM
Comments (0)

from Scott M. Reid at the OC Register,

As the Ducks and Kings prepare to open the 2007-08 National Hockey League season Saturday in London, coaches, current and former players and doctors who treat them maintain the NHL’s failure to deter headshots and escalation in dangerous play in recent years has placed the league and its players on a potentially catastrophic course.

“Is it going to take a death to make the NHL see the problem?” said Dr. Charles Tator, a professor of neurosurgery at the University of Toronto, who has treated NHL players with concussions.

read on

Tightening The Screws

by Paul on 09/23/07 at 07:18 AM