Hockey thread 2013 2014 season

[lookinforwalleye]

Does not matter it's a violent sport were some will let up on a vulnerable player and others will try and send him to the hospital,remember Scott Stevens every time he hit somebody he tried to hurt them and he had a big smile on his face after laying out a guy....and he used to point his finger at guys telling them they were next.

Players(some) these day more than I can ever remember have a total lack of respect for each other....at the end of the day everybody wants to go home to their families and not to the hospital.

I don`t have the answer, it`s a contact sport and players are going to get hurt just wish there was a little more respect for each other out there!!!

[BillM]

Stevens definitely couldn't play in todays game with the way he played. He'd be suspended the entire time.

[manitoubass2]

And stevens was/is celebrated. Weird hey?

[BillM]

And stevens was/is celebrated. Weird hey?

 

You can't compare the hockey they played back then to todays game.. Not really weird at all. Stevens made you keep your head up that's for sure

[Dan668]

Phaneuf again..

[BillM]

Ugh, Dion what are you doing... nasty hit.

[Richie Razor]

Brutal, Dion - what a clown.

[Dan668]

Pilon phaneuf. Ah well decent game. Should of been winnable, stupid penalties took momentum away again

[Dontcryformejanhrdina]

Stevens definitely couldn't play in todays game with the way he played. He'd be suspended the entire time.

 

 

 

He most certainly could. His hits were very rarely contacting the head as the principal point of contact, it was usually shoulder to the chest. He just hit with such a force that it hurt people (brain hitting the skull causes concussions, don't need any contact to the head for that). Also remember that Stevens biggest hits were almost always in the playoffs, he played for keeps then. Plus his hits happened during game play and had a purpose, it's part of hockey. Sucker punching a guy well after the whistle when he's on the ice is bush league garbage and had nothing to do with game play.

 

As for the Orpik hit, it was a good clean hit. Eriksson had a chance to make a play on the puck, it was a classic suicide pass scenario. He stepped up on a player who looked to be receiving a pass (and likely would have 9 times out of 10). It's not like he has to wait until Eriksson has full possession of the puck by taking a few strides after receiving it. If that hit is illegal you might as well just ban body checking altogether.

[BillM]

Are you kidding me? Stevens was the biggest head hunter out on the ice. I suggest you take a few mins and search Youtube, lol.

 

Here, I did it for you.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7U7jUbKQYdw

Edited December 9, 2013 by BillM

[tb4me]

In all fairness to Stevens those hits were legal back then.. Some real beauts..Guys like him sure made the games entertaining..

[muddler]

Phaneuf's best hit was on Kessel.

 

muddler

[Dontcryformejanhrdina]

Are you kidding me? Stevens was the biggest head hunter out on the ice. I suggest you take a few mins and search Youtube, lol.

 

Here, I did it for you.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7U7jUbKQYdw

As stated earlier, his hits were perfectly legal at the time, not remotely dirty. He was a devastating hitter, the best of his generation. Chris Pronger was a MUCH dirtier player than Stevens and he was still able to play in the "new NHL". Wendel Clark would have been suspended a ton of games for his hit on that poor bugger behind the net but it wasn't a bad hit at the time so who cares? You don't think these players are smart enough to change their games, especially Stevens who was one of the best defensive defensemen of his generation? HIs hits on Francis, Lindros, Kariya, Kozlov, Willis, etc.... all came in the playoffs, he only destroyed players when it counted. He had the ability to ease up during the regular season so he would have been smart enough to tweak his hitting technique. Just because a player gets a concussion doesn't mean it was a dirty hit. Look at his hit on Francis. I LOVED Francis growing up being a Pens fan, it was tough to watch him crawling on the ice/falling over afterwards. I had no problem with the hit though.

 

The NHL needs to seriously start looking at equipment. Shoulder/elbow pads that are hard as a rock and can stop a bullet are not needed. They're used as a weapon, just like helmets are in football. Shanahan of all people should know this, he wore the same old, tiny shoulder pads his entire career.

[BillM]

No one is disputing if they were 'perfectly legal at the time'. I said, if he threw those type of hits in todays game he'd be suspended, which he would be... Look at the Lindros, Kariya and Kozlov hits, all head shots. Perfectly legal back then, in todays game? Not even close. Don't get me wrong, I loved Scott Stevens, one of the best defencemen of all time, but in todays game he'd be a one man wrecking ball, with guys laying all over the ice lol!

[Chance]

Stevens was a predator plain and simple,added nothing to the game other than ruining a few careers. He would wait for a player to be in a vulnerable position and either leave his feet,throw an elbow or shoulder to the head. He was on the ice to hurt people not separate them from the puck. That is NOT part of hockey.

 

Its all about respect and the lack of it is getting worse every year. Years ago if you threw a hit when a player was vulnerable you got a beating. Regardless of using the excuse of a bad pass the defensive player still has the option to hit hard or let up,Orpik chose to hit hard. Thornton tried to get Orpik to fight ,not because it was his job he was pissed about the hit. That is extremely important and at the root of the ordeal.Orpik turned down the invite which if he was smart he would of fought. Hockey is a game of retribution,sooner or later you or someone else is going to pay the price.If he fought that would of been the end of it. As for Thornton he let his emotions get the better of him and did something stupid.What should of happened and was the way things DID happen "back when" was Thornton or Lucic went and beat their tough guy silly. You then skate by the bench and give Orpik the wink letting him know that was for him. What Orpik did was within the "rules" but remember so is Chara fighting Nathan Gerbe. There are things that just should not happen in a game where one player should respect the other regardless of what colour they wear.

[BillM]

Why should Orpik have to fight after tossing a perfectly legal bodycheck? Thornton was in the wrong here from the beginning. Also, if you want to fire up your team go after someone who ACTUALLY FIGHTS! (Like you mentioned above... tough guy vs tough guy)

 

Orpiks hit was 100% legal, no headshot, no nothing. It's a contact sport, guys get hurt. If Eriksson gets up after the hit and skates away, no one says anything about it. But because he got his bell rung, then all of a sudden people start questioning the hit? Eriksson should be pissed at his D man who set him up on a play like that.

[Chance]

Why should Orpik have to fight after tossing a perfectly legal bodycheck? Thornton was in the wrong here from the beginning. Also, if you want to fire up your team go after someone who ACTUALLY FIGHTS! (Like you mentioned above... tough guy vs tough guy)

 

Orpiks hit was 100% legal, no headshot, no nothing. It's a contact sport, guys get hurt. If Eriksson gets up after the hit and skates away, no one says anything about it. But because he got his bell rung, then all of a sudden people start questioning the hit? Eriksson should be pissed at his D man who set him up on a play like that.

As I mentioned there are things that are legal and things that are done without thinking of the other players well being.You see a guy is vulnerable and regardless of if it is legal or not you back off.

I think you missed my point.I am not saying Thornton was correct in what he did,quite the opposite actually. Put it this was if Orpik doesnt fight and Thornton does not throw him to the ice do you not think someone would of had a run at him some time during the game? In hockey it is easier to take your lumps right away rather than lets say wait to get run from behind into the boards. Its all about retribution like it or not it is going to happen.

As far as Thorntons actions they had nothing to do with firing up his team or doing his job.If it was he would not of gone after him a second time. He saw a player get hit in a vulnerable position and was pissed,he wanted that retribution.

You can be as pissed as you want at the guy giving you the puck but it does not change the fact that lack of respect was at the root of the hit. There are many disrespectful things you can do on the ice that are within the rules.

[BillM]

The root of the hit was the guy skating down the ice with his head down. If he doesn't do that, he doesn't get rocked. Why you think that hit was 'disrespectful' makes no sense. Like I said, would it have still been disrespectful if he just got up and continued with the play? I doubt it.

[Dontcryformejanhrdina]

Stevens added nothing to the game other than ruining careers? Hmmm, tell that to the New Jersey Devils and their 3 Stanley Cups in a 9 year span. The guy was a great defenseman. There's tons of big hitters, the Leafs have had their share. Stevens was just the best at it. Elbows? Show me where he elbows somebody. The guy had 2 elbowing penalties in his entire career. He always tucked his elbow in and threw it out after contact to explode the guy off of himself. Teams used to have to game plan to avoid Stevens' side of the ice in the playoffs, people were afraid to carry the puck across the ice coming into their zone. His hits had a huge effect on the GAME. Besides, he didn't ruin Lindros' career, Lindros did that himself. His concussions started when he got hit by Kasparitis, not Stevens. Guy just couldn't keep his head up.

[Chance]

Soooo if you see a player coming towards you with his head down you do all you can to rock him as you put it? Or do you maybe back off a little,separate him from the puck and cause a turnover ? A player with his head down is vulnerable,regardless of who put him in that position he is vulnerable and open to physical harm. If you respect another player and care about his well being you back off if not you step in hard.

And yes if he had skated away it would of still shown lack of respect. You do not judge the act by the outcome.

[Chance]

Stevens added nothing to the game other than ruining careers? Hmmm, tell that to the New Jersey Devils and their 3 Stanley Cups in a 9 year span. The guy was a great defenseman. There's tons of big hitters, the Leafs have had their share. Stevens was just the best at it. Elbows? Show me where he elbows somebody. The guy had 2 elbowing penalties in his entire career. He always tucked his elbow in and threw it out after contact to explode the guy off of himself. Teams used to have to game plan to avoid Stevens' side of the ice in the playoffs, people were afraid to carry the puck across the ice coming into their zone. His hits had a huge effect on the GAME. Besides, he didn't ruin Lindros' career, Lindros did that himself. His concussions started when he got hit by Kasparitis, not Stevens. Guy just couldn't keep his head up.

3 cups in 9 years....last I checked it was a team cup not individual. Could they won without him,maybe.

Counting penalties in a league that judges everyone differently is silly. Do you think the refs looked at Gretzky the same way they did Domi? Stevens threw plenty of elbows,you want to see them feel free to search. OF COURSE they avoided his side of the ice for fear of getting decimated. He went out to injure plain and simple so if you want to applaud that style of hockey its all yours. Oh and he certainly did ruin Lindros and a few others.

[BillM]

Soooo if you see a player coming towards you with his head down you do all you can to rock him as you put it? Or do you maybe back off a little,separate him from the puck and cause a turnover ? A player with his head down is vulnerable,regardless of who put him in that position he is vulnerable and open to physical harm. If you respect another player and care about his well being you back off if not you step in hard.

And yes if he had skated away it would of still shown lack of respect. You do not judge the act by the outcome.

 

Enough with this whole 'respect' thing... You don't think a hard hit has the same game turning effect as a good puck play does? A hard hockey hit is a good hockey play, debate that all you want. If you think it's disrespectful to lay a perfectly good hard hockey hit, perhaps hockey isn't your sport.

[Squid]

You guys are a joke. Stevens hits were clean and would still be clean in today's NHL. The same old rule applies today as it did in the "glory' days, Skate with your head up!! That is why they teach us to stick handle without looking at the puck LOL. Oh and the Laffs blew another lead, oh my. Nice to be looking down the standings and seeing the Leafs below the HABS. Hopefully it stays that way until April. OH and Dion as you guys call him, is a joke. 8 million for his services really? PK is asking for 8 and he is worth it. Phaneuf is worth 4max in todays NHL.

Edited December 9, 2013 by Squid

[Chance]

 

Enough with this whole 'respect' thing... You don't think a hard hit has the same game turning effect as a good puck play does? A hard hockey hit is a good hockey play, debate that all you want. If you think it's disrespectful to lay a perfectly good hard hockey hit, perhaps hockey isn't your sport.

Yeah your right who needs respect of others anyway. With a bit more respect perhaps Thornton would not of done what he did. Orpik was vulnerable laying on the ice and Thornton cranked him a few more times but that was wrong of course,wasn't it ? You can justify it all you want calling it the good ole big hockey hit.

Respect is something that is being drilled into our children in minor hockey.Respect your coach,the refs and of course your opponent. Pick up any OMHA,Alliance or GTHL mag or better yet go to a few coaching courses and you will hear about the whole 'respect thing'. Included are sessions on hitting when your opponent is vulnerable to injury.

Have you noticed the stop signs on the back of jerseys lately? Why the emphasis at the grass roots of the game ? The growing lack of respect for others at the upper levels.

[BillM]

You really need to stay on topic. The hit Orpik laid on Eriksson was a clean hockey hit. Now you're talking about hitting from behind? Respect has been in the game since I played when I was a kid. Respect the coaches, the refs and the other players. That doesn't mean I should feel bad about delivering a hard hit, that's a apart of the game. We weren't running kids from behind head first into the boards, lol.

 

Squid, I'm guessing it says 'legally blind' on your drivers license right? It must if you watched that YouTube video and thought any of those Stevens hits weren't head shots, lol.

Edited December 9, 2013 by BillM