March NHL News

MiracleOfO2704

not AWOL
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Jul 12, 2005
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An interesting comment from the Commissioner: Calgary has gone from a revenue sharing contributor to a user in record time, and it’s getting worse.

 

The Napkin

wise ass al kaprielian
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right here
Interesting. Would love to hear why he gets a call but Hornqvist didn't for his hit on McAvoy. I'm sure there's a good reason.
 

Salem's Lot

Andy Moog! Andy God Damn Moog!
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Jul 15, 2005
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They really want Toronto to have home ice don't they? It's the only explanation other than they really have no idea what they're looking at.
 

TFP

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I’m legitimately dumbfounded by this. I didn’t even think it was a penalty on the ice, and 3 games for someone who has never been disciplined before is beyond the pale.
 

PedroSpecialK

Comes at you like a tornado of hair and the NHL sa
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Dec 12, 2004
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3 games is laughable. It sucks that Nielsen is hurt but that doesn't take it from a 2 minute minor at best to a 3 game suspension.

The point in the video about Pastrnak already having possession is an astounding logical leap. Because Nielsen made a poor pass that Pastrnak intercepted, that puts some kind of onus on Backes to avert contact because it's now late. But if Pastrnak isn't there and the pass gets through across the ice, the hit isn't late.

Ok

edit to add: no suspension on this, which is a worse / later hit IMO

 
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cshea

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Ah, the dart board.

Edit: It was definitely late and interference, but the jump to 3 games based on some head contact seems a bit much to me. They are still making it up as they go.
 

cshea

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The other baffling aspect is Backes has no priors. 3 games is a first time offense now? One that the league didn’t even use their “principle point of contact” catch phrase on?
 

MiracleOfO2704

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The issue here is the league’s approach to head/brain injuries. High-profile cases like Crosby, Savard, Bergeron, Seabrook, etc. has convinced them they have to do...something. Rather than deal with the disease (bad hits to vulnerable players, understanding that the occasional clean hit could create a brain injury), they go after the symptoms (“ugly” hit + brain injury = bad). As a consequence, some clean, fundamentally sound hits are punished, while flying hits that evade injury for the recipient are brushed off.

The sad fact is, that’s still miles ahead of the NFL’s policies.
 

LogansDad

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Holy shit, what an absolute joke.

Whatever, 3 extra games of rest for the playoffs. But man, this is just an awful ruling.
 

Dummy Hoy

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Jul 22, 2006
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My thoughts (in order) are:

I can’t beleive Backes is a first time offender

He hit him late and too high

3 games?! Holy shit DOPS, never change.
 

timlinin8th

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Jun 6, 2009
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3 games is laughable. It sucks that Nielsen is hurt but that doesn't take it from a 2 minute minor at best to a 3 game suspension.

The point in the video about Pastrnak already having possession is an astounding logical leap. Because Nielsen made a poor pass that Pastrnak intercepted, that puts some kind of onus on Backes to avert contact because it's now late. But if Pastrnak isn't there and the pass gets through across the ice, the hit isn't late.

Ok

edit to add: no suspension on this, which is a worse / later hit IMO

I don’t think the point was that the hit was late because Pastrnak was able to intercept it. It was a clumsy way of Parros trying demonstrate that a lot of time had elapsed from when Nielsen gets rid of the puck to when Backes hits him. Even if Pastrnak isn’t there, the puck was away for a while. The hit is definitely late, but its almost identical (except for the angle of approach of the check) as the one you posted the video for, that got nothing. There’s zero precedent for a 3 game suspension because of interference.
 

cshea

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Carolina kinda sorta fired Ron Francis. He’s been named President of Hockey Ops, and the team will be hiring a new GM. However, the new GM will be reporting directly to the owner. Promoted, but moved out of a decision making post.
 

Jordu

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Apr 30, 2003
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The issue here is the league’s approach to head/brain injuries. High-profile cases like Crosby, Savard, Bergeron, Seabrook, etc. has convinced them they have to do...something. Rather than deal with the disease (bad hits to vulnerable players, understanding that the occasional clean hit could create a brain injury), they go after the symptoms (“ugly” hit + brain injury = bad). As a consequence, some clean, fundamentally sound hits are punished, while flying hits that evade injury for the recipient are brushed off.

The sad fact is, that’s still miles ahead of the NFL’s policies.
True and true.

It was an odd play. Backes plays a physical game but he’s never been a dirty player. He mistimes the hit and, as the league video said, “contorts his body in an attempt to minimize the hit.”

But he can’t contort himself enough and his shoulder rams into Nielsen’s chin and his skates leave the ice. That’s all the NHL had to see.

Backes did not intend to hit Nielsen in the head. That, along with Backes’ career clean record, should have been a mitigating factor. Maybe give him a one-game suspension.
 

WoburnDiaspora

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Carolina kinda sorta fired Ron Francis. He’s been named President of Hockey Ops, and the team will be hiring a new GM. However, the new GM will be reporting directly to the owner. Promoted, but moved out of a decision making post.
Yay, Ron Francis has been playing this long patient game that the talent he has amassed will suddenly turn a corner and be good. Unfortunately, he hasn't amassed any talent whatsoever. He has a ton of third and fourth line players with like two second (maybe 1st) line players (Skinner and Aho). The vaunted D which was really supposed to be this good year is a bit better than mediocre. Though Slavin, Pesce and Hanifin are a really solid group moving forward. Oh and don't get me started on the Goalie situation.

I'm glad the new owner has decided to be more aggressive here.
 
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allstonite

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Oct 27, 2010
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He for sure got tripped by Maatta and got caught up around the net. I guess I wouldn't mind if they called 2 minutes but a fine seems excessive. After this and some borderline calls last night he seems to have a target on his back, though not an undeserved one.

Still waiting for Hornqvist to get a call
 

McDrew

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Apr 11, 2006
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Marc Savard has been doing a vlog about taping hockey sticks this year.

I may have totally missed this if someone else pointed this out earlier, but I thought it was cool.
 

cshea

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GM meetings this week. Biggest topic is goalie interference, seems there’s momentum to make changes before the playoffs. The current idea the gm’s have that seems to be where they’re headed is to hire a former ref or otherwise qualified candidate and hand that person the keys. The idea being that consistency would come from 1 person making the call as opposed to the current system where the on ice officials get final say and each official has different standards.
 

cshea

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More info on the GI debate at the GM meetings. They were supposed to go 90 minutes on it yesterday but ended up spending 3 hours debating it. Seems there will be change of some sort when the meetings are over.

https://www.tsn.ca/gms-weighing-potential-change-to-goaltender-interference-1.1031792

The 4 options being tossed around:

1. Send out a memo of sorts to clarify what is incidental contact in the crease. Also, perhaps make DoPS-like videos explaining their decision.

2. Add a goalie interference specialist type to the Situation Room in Toronto to help with the reviews.

3. Take the final decision away from the on-ice officials and have Toronto make the final call.

4. Gas coaches challenges and place reviews in the hands of Toronto.

To me, 1 won’t solve anything. If anything, the videos lead to more head scratching. I don’t think 2 fixes the problem either, as you are just adding an additional voice into a process that probably has too many voices as is. I’d be OK with 3 and 4.

I think the best solution is a mix of 3 and 4. Take away the coaches challenge, create a 3-4 man GI only team in Toronto and let them make the call.
 

timlinin8th

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3. Take the final decision away from the on-ice officials and have Toronto make the final call.
This should be the standard for ALL reviews. Get rid of breaking out the 5” tablet, take away the ability of the on-ice officials from letting what they thought they saw in the moment continue to cloud their judgment - take it to the control room and let guys up there control the camera angles and make a determination.
 

cshea

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Looks like that is where we’re headed. They need to touch base with the two unions, but the recommendation is to give Toronto final say. Could be a sensitive subject for the officials union though.

 

McDrew

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This got a lot of run up here: Erik Karlsson’s son died.
Per his statement his child was stillborn. That just suuuuuucks. I hope he and his wive receive whatever support they both need to recover from this. Off the ice, it hurts to see someone in the hockey family suffer like this and I think past president set by the NHL and its players will show a massive outpouring of support, and that's a silver lining to take out of this.
 

Fred not Lynn

Dick Button Jr.
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Jul 13, 2005
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An interesting comment from the Commissioner: Calgary has gone from a revenue sharing contributor to a user in record time, and it’s getting worse.

Not so long ago the Canadian dollar was worth more than the US dollar and oil was over $100 a barrel...

Calgary is a very different city today.
 
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MiracleOfO2704

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Oh, don’t I know.

Honestly, I’m in Nenshi’s camp here. Edmonton may want to throw around stupid money to keep the Oilers, but that doesn’t mean he should have to match. Meantime, Murray Edwards is Jacobs-lite and could probably do this on his own. Plus, it’s not like the Saddledome is so horribly old as to be a detriment to the team.
 

Fred not Lynn

Dick Button Jr.
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Jul 13, 2005
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The possible 2026 Olympic bid is the domino of interest here. Any bid (and IOC almost seems to be begging Calgary to bid - I would be very surprised to see a bid not result in the Games) will come with a new arena...
 

Salem's Lot

Andy Moog! Andy God Damn Moog!
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Jul 15, 2005
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It's completely obvious that concern over head injuries and hits to the head are pure lip service. The only thing that the league cares about is covering their asses, and they gauge the need to do that by how injuries look on TV and internet, and the ensuing media outrage.