Around the league (signings, RFAs injuries)

[herb]

Throwing elbows was Pronger's go to move back in the day, so I guess we shouldn't be surprise now that he's involved in spinning the roulette wheel of NHL Department of "Player Safety" justice.

[Cornuck]

Throwing elbows was Pronger's go to move back in the day, so I guess we shouldn't be surprise now that he's involved in spinning the roulette wheel of NHL Department of "Player Safety" justice.

Yeah - I just see him, "Gee I never got suspended for stomping on someone's ankle with my skate - I guess it's not a suspension for this guy either".

[Strangelove]

Elbow up? Check.

Primary point of contact is the head? Check.

Results in an injury? Check.

What other boxes need to get checked off on this one before the Dept. of Player Safety takes a look at it? To me this was at least as bad as Hansen's elbow on Hossa which resulted in a one game suspension.

Are you suggesting the Department of Player Safety is not doing everything possible to keep players safe??

[herb]

Are you suggesting the Department of Player Safety is not doing everything possible to keep players safe??

I'm suggesting the whole league is full of shit when it comes to wanting to keep players safe.

It also seems as though the length of suspensions seems to strongly correlate to the amount of bad PR the incident generates (i.e. guy gets stretchered off the ice - long suspension, guy leaves the ice under his own power - no suspension).

Player reputations play in heavily too. Both who did the deed and who is in bed with a mushy brain.

Like who the fuck is Stephane Robidas? Some old defenseman who doesn't really score or hit all that often. Meh, pass, no suspension.

If that was Alex Burrows with the elbow up on Phil Kessel I guaran-fucking-tee you there would have been an in person hearing today.

At this point I would be shocked if the league had any sort of guidelines on supplemental discipline. They just seem to do whatever the hell they feel like on that particular day.

[herb]

Is it just me, or is an elbow to the head that results in a player missing games due to a concussion about as open and shut as it could get?

No mind reading about intention should be required. You don't need to interpret speeds or angles. He elbowed a guy who is half a foot taller in the head. Said guy had to leave the game That's pretty clear, no?

What a piss off too. Shawn Matthias was in the midst of a career rejuvenation of sorts. Hopefully he recovers better than Dank did...

[Island Nucklehead]

I really can't see how Kane gets 2 games for his hit, and Robidas gets nothing. Robidas hit was clearly more "out of line" when it comes to the rules.

He threw the elbow up there, hoping to get a piece of Matthias who was slowing up and might've been trying to cut back into the center of the ice, and caught him right in the face. Sorry, but I view that the same as hanging a knee trying to get a piece of a guy when you've clearly overplayed your line on a hit. Should be punished the same, should've been at least 2 games.

March 14th the Laughs are in town. Doubt Robidas answers the bell, however.

[Hockey Widow]

Let's not forget Burrows already got four games for a similar play. The problem is clear. Stay down. If Matthias lays on the ice and the trainer comes out the play gets looked at more, more pundit talk and a suspension follows.

I hear Matthias is symptom free. But being a back to back and with Jensen ready to go he sat out of precaution. Me thinks they may have taken Ottawa a little too lightly. But this comes from the Matthias camp not the Canucks so who knows.

[Strangelove]

Are you suggesting the Department of Player Safety is not doing everything possible to keep players safe??

I'm suggesting the whole league is full of shit when it comes to wanting to keep players safe.

It also seems as though the length of suspensions seems to strongly correlate to the amount of bad PR the incident generates (i.e. guy gets stretchered off the ice - long suspension, guy leaves the ice under his own power - no suspension).

Player reputations play in heavily too. Both who did the deed and who is in bed with a mushy brain.

Like who the fuck is Stephane Robidas? Some old defenseman who doesn't really score or hit all that often. Meh, pass, no suspension.

If that was Alex Burrows with the elbow up on Phil Kessel I guaran-fucking-tee you there would have been an in person hearing today.

At this point I would be shocked if the league had any sort of guidelines on supplemental discipline. They just seem to do whatever the hell they feel like on that particular day.

So basically: Kangaroo Court?

You don't think Leaves Prez Shanny gave his old pals at the DPS a call after Robidas smacked Matthias do ya?

Don't think DPS VP Quintal partnered with Robidas on the Habs (1 year) back in the day had any bearing do ya?

Stéphane Quintal + Stéphane Robidas = The French Connection do ya?

Cuz yeah, I don't tend to buy into these conspiracy theories bro...

[Island Nucklehead]

Let's not forget Burrows already got four games for a similar play. The problem is clear. Stay down. If Matthias lays on the ice and the trainer comes out the play gets looked at more, more pundit talk and a suspension follows.

Maybe. But on the Kane hit, Stoner got up throwing punches AND Kane was ejected from the game, so tacking on 2 more means they thought his hit was quite severe. Robidas, on the other hand, served a minor penalty and Matthias didn't return.

Volchenkov got 4 games for this hit:



But really, is anyone surprised? It's the NHL we're talking about here. Easily the worst professional sports league in the world when it comes to dispensing supplemental discipline.

[Strangelove]

SEE!!

SUSPENDED

The Department of Player Safety does indeed care about player safety!

Yeah, and Hossa only missed less than one period of hockey over that hit too!!

[Strangelove]

So basically: Kangaroo Court?

You don't think Leaves Prez Shanny gave his old pals at the DPS a call after Robidas smacked Matthias do ya?

Don't think DPS VP Quintal partnered with Robidas on the Habs (1 yr) back in the day had any bearing do ya?

Stéphane Quintal + Stéphane Robidas = The French Connection do ya?

Cuz yeah, I don't tend to buy into these conspiracy theories bro...

For all you conspiracy theorists out there, I believe this article mentions the two Stéphanes being partners:

http://www.rds.ca/1.220231

[herb]

So basically: Kangaroo Court?

You don't think Leaves Prez Shanny gave his old pals at the DPS a call after Robidas smacked Matthias do ya?

Don't think DPS VP Quintal partnered with Robidas on the Habs (1 year) back in the day had any bearing do ya?

Stéphane Quintal + Stéphane Robidas = The French Connection do ya?

Cuz yeah, I don't tend to buy into these conspiracy theories bro...

I think it's two things:
1) The league doesn't like looking bad. Players getting stretchered off the ice is bad. If you are a naughty boy and cause a player to need to get stretchered off the ice, it's pretty much a guaranteed suspension. The league looked bad after the Lucic-Miller hit, so Edler got suspended when he did a similar thing (or so it seems).
2) In the wake of the whole Sidney Crosby saga, the league doesn't like it when it's star players are injured. Take out a star player, and it's pretty much a guaranteed suspension.

I also think there's a bit of a "who da fok is Shawn Matthias?" "Dunno, some dude who played in Florida."

One thing is clear: there is absolutely zero application of logic, consistency or fairness. This is why I assert that the league has no guidelines.

[Strangelove]

In a world sans "logic/consistency/fairness" you better believe Shan would ask his DPS pals to cut him some slack.

And you better believe the Department of Player Safety Vice President cuts his old partner some slack.

WAIT!! ... maybe I am buying into your conspiracy theory nonsense!!

Wow, you're good!

[Meds]

The day after his team rallied from a 3-0 deficit to comeback and win in OT against the Canucks, the Ottawa Senators fire head coach Paul MacLean.

http://www.tsn.ca/senators-fire-head-co ... r-1.154747

MacLean has been getting .500 hockey out of a group of players that, on paper, should lose to the Oilers.

If there is one thing that MacTavish and Lowe haven't screwed up on this season it has been not throwing their coach under the bus. Expecting better results than what the Sens are getting, when they have no real talent, and essentially are entering a rebuild, is asinine.

I guess firing a guy for his honest lack of faith in what is essentially a group of scrubs + Karlsson and Ryan makes sense though.

[Todd Bersnoozi]

Matthias is one of the bigger dudes in the league. To get felled by an elbow like that from a guy who is 5 inches shorter and 30+ pounds lighter tells me that it must've been a pretty damn violent (it sure looked that way live and in the replays). You're telling me a clear elbow to the jaw/face that results in a concussion and who knows what other injuries is just a minor penalty? That's not worthy of supplemental discipline? Really?

Elbow up? Check.

Primary point of contact is the head? Check.

Results in an injury? Check.

What other boxes need to get checked off on this one before the Dept. of Player Safety takes a look at it? To me this was at least as bad as Hansen's elbow on Hossa which resulted in a one game suspension.

Yeah, it's total BS. U hate to see that happen to one of our hottest players right now. U look at the Hansen hit, the puck was kind of in the air, he was trying to get the puck, so he accidently hits the guy on the back of the head. He gets one game. Matthias is just coming down the wing and the guy raises a vicious elbow and hits him right in the kisser. The guy gets nothing. Bush!

Boy, Matthias looked really pissed when he went to the bench too. He looked like he wanted a chance to beat the snot out of that guy.