2024/2025 Around the League

[Bill Peckerskull]

Getting the Cajun fries with the double patty bacon cheeseburger with hot sauce slathered all over it is not for the weak of colon. Sometimes a big milkshake is needed to just put the fire in your guts out.

On top of that you ingest about a pound of salted peanuts waiting for your meal.

I just gained 8 lbs reading this

Dude Rempe is going to be braindead by the time he's 28. He's fighting like every game lol.

By the time he gets to 28? I wouldn't question if he already is.

 

[missionAvs]

Yeah... he's not really any different than Dermy.


It is just the reality of why it is happening. I don't blame Rempe at all. It'll be the difference between him being out of the league by 30, but having a cottage on a lake where he never has to work another day... or working construction at 25 and probably until he's 65.

Fair enough, well I guess just keep punching and use that reach to mitigate the headshots Rempe!

 

[henchman21]

By the time he gets to 28? I wouldn't question if he already is.

He is a hockey player afterall.. not a normal occupation for Mensa members.

 

[Pokecheque]

It is just the reality of why it is happening. I don't blame Rempe at all. It'll be the difference between him being out of the league by 30, but having a cottage on a lake where he never has to work another day... or working construction at 25 and probably until he's 65.

He won't have the cottage on the lake, that money'll likely go toward medical care. Hopefully he ends up with a good support system like what Scott Parker has, makes some good business decisions and what not.

 

[AvsMakar08]

What about Burger King? Is anyone here a fan of Burger King burgers?

 

[Balthazar]

In all seriousness he's headed straight to the same early grave that claimed Derek Boogaard.

He reminds me so much of him. I don't know exacty why...if it's his size, his jersey or just the way he looks or a mix of everything.

First time I saw Rempe in the NHL I automatically thought Boogaard.

 

[henchman21]

He won't have the cottage on the lake, that money'll likely go toward medical care. Hopefully he ends up with a good support system like what Scott Parker has, makes some good business decisions and what not.

First, he's Canadian so it is just different right off the top... not necessarily perfect, but we're not talking medical bankruptcy sort of thing here. Second, the medical issues he will have will end up falling under the CBA provided he ends up with enough games in the NHL. If he can basically hit 160 games in the NHL, he can set himself up for life financially and medically. Fighting is his way to get there because his not even a good AHL player in other areas. Everyone has an opinion on whether this is right or wrong, justified or not... no matter the opinion, his pathway to getting that security is with his fists.

 

[Chiarelli]

He reminds me so much of him. I don't know exacty why...if it's his size, his jersey or just the way he looks or a mix of everything.

First time I saw Rempe in the NHL I automatically thought Boogaard.

What, really?

I see no comparison other than being huge.

Boogard was a menace on the ice and absolutely feared.
Rempe isn’t even a good fighter and he looks like a big teddy bear. He’s also a bit of a cheap shot artist.

 

[Balthazar]

What, really?

I see no comparison other than being huge.

Boogard was a menace on the ice and absolutely feared.
Rempe isn’t even a good fighter and he looks like a big teddy bear. He’s also a bit of a cheap shot artist.

Not related to their pugilistic talent or the way they play. Just looking at them.

 

[MacKaRant]

Yeah... he's not really any different than Dermy.

I disagree, I see their roles as very different.

Maybe it was a Bednar leash thing, maybe it was a Dermy can't skate well enough thing, but I didn't see Dermy going flying elbows first to attempt to hurt other skaters. In the Capitals series last playoffs, Rempe knocked multiple skaters out of the series with borderline hits. Same in regular season games against the Devils. He's a fourth line energy guy that's willing to play on the edge and has the skating ability to make contact.

Dermy to me is more of a classic "deterrence" enforcer who doesn't have the skating ability to play an energy role.

 

[Balthazar]

@Chiarelli you don't agree?

Seriously, I don't know why.

 

[dahrougem2]

First, he's Canadian so it is just different right off the top... not necessarily perfect, but we're not talking medical bankruptcy sort of thing here. Second, the medical issues he will have will end up falling under the CBA provided he ends up with enough games in the NHL. If he can basically hit 160 games in the NHL, he can set himself up for life financially and medically. Fighting is his way to get there because his not even a good AHL player in other areas. Everyone has an opinion on whether this is right or wrong, justified or not... no matter the opinion, his pathway to getting that security is with his fists.

You don't think he could be worked with to become a decent 4th liner?

I feel like the guy can move quite well for someone his size and he's more than willing to play physical hockey.

 

[LOFIN]

You don't think he could be worked with to become a decent 4th liner?

I feel like the guy can move quite well for someone his size and he's more than willing to play physical hockey.

He looked very promising last spring, but he didn't really strike out in camp while Edström is providing similar physicality (he's also 6ft7, 240 pounds) but with better skating and smarter play.

I do think Rempe still can become a decent 4th liner, but right now he belongs in the AHL.

 

[Pokecheque]

No, Rempe cannot be a decent 4th liner in the NHL. Yes he moves pretty well for how freakin' huge he is, but it ain't like he's Chara.

On top of that he only has marginally better hands than Kurtis MacDermid. And if MacDermid fought other players as much as he fights the puck, he'd have broken the PIM/fighting majors record about twice over by now.

Also, his mind simply doesn't move fast enough to keep up with the play, and it's only gonna get worse as time goes on. Nope, as Henchy says, he's in the NHL for one reason and one reason only. There is no hope for him to be a poor-man's Tom Wilson, or even a young Ryan Reaves (who BTW in his prime probably looked a lot better than he did because Hitchcock sheltered the living bejeeezus out of him, wouldn't even let his line take faceoffs).

 

[PAZ]

Rempe's fights are pointless outside the entertainment aspect, but he's making significantly more than most MMA fighters.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

Rempe isn't a NHLer without his fists. Him being as willing to fight as he is literally 700k in earnings for him this year, and next summer, the difference in him getting a 1 way vs 2 way contract. Whether it is good or not, he has massive incentive to keep fighting.

That's the worst part about it.

Yeah... he's not really any different than Dermy.


It is just the reality of why it is happening. I don't blame Rempe at all. It'll be the difference between him being out of the league by 30, but having a cottage on a lake where he never has to work another day... or working construction at 25 and probably until he's 65.

And this is where Gary Bettman has FAILED the absolute most. HE single handedly has set this tone by refusing to acknowledge the link between repeated head trauma and severe negative long term consequences.

Also, the NHLPA should be all over this type of stuff too, if truly invested in the players they state they represent.

But... there is something primal about fights. I still love them when they organically happen but this staged bullshit is a sideshow though. For me, fights should really only occur through true anger and passion building up. I mean, when someone like Forsberg dropped the gloves, you knew it truly meant something. Same thing when Gabe drops the gloves. Or EJ. Lappy would do it for the same reasons...but he would also do it for a lot of other reasons too. I hate to say it's "situational" but for me it really is.

 

[Vaslof]

Would there still be fights if you weren't allowed to hit the head? I'm not sure how much you'd feel punches to the body.

Not saying they should do this. Just curious.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

Would there still be fights if you weren't allowed to hit the head? I'm not sure how much you'd feel punches to the body.

Not saying they should do this. Just curious.

Yeah, there will always be rats crossing the line and players stepping up for teammates when it happens. Knee on knee, cross checking into the boards. Peppe didn't touch Draper's face. Although that wasn't the beginning of the blood flow in the rivalry it blew the ceiling off. Fights that I think should be in the game are the types that were engaged in by Sakic, Landeskog, and EJ. These are not side-shows, there were in Sakic's situation just being pissed off and having enough of Gilmour, Landy and EJ have, I believe, have all been in response to a hit on a team-mate or themselves. None of these guys have really gone and instigated anything, they maybe left the dude no choice but to defend himself but again it was in response to a hit.

 

[henchman21]

You don't think he could be worked with to become a decent 4th liner?

I feel like the guy can move quite well for someone his size and he's more than willing to play physical hockey.

I don't see it... just doesn't play a heady enough game and the puck is a grenade.

 

[Vaslof]

Yeah, there will always be rats crossing the line and players stepping up for teammates when it happens. Knee on knee, cross checking into the boards. Peppe didn't touch Draper's face. Although that wasn't the beginning of the blood flow in the rivalry it blew the ceiling off. Fights that I think should be in the game are the types that were engaged in by Sakic, Landeskog, and EJ. These are not side-shows, there were in Sakic's situation just being pissed off and having enough of Gilmour, Landy and EJ have, I believe, have all been in response to a hit on a team-mate or themselves. None of these guys have really gone and instigated anything, they maybe left the dude no choice but to defend himself but again it was in response to a hit.

Yep you can never take away all head contact. I was just thinking about fights specifically. I'm actually all good with fights where both players wanted to fight. But the brain damage it causes isn't a good thing. So I thought of the possibility that fighting is still allowed, but you aren't allowed to strike the opponent's head.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

Yep you can never take away all head contact. I was just thinking about fights specifically. I'm actually all good with fights where both players wanted to fight. But the brain damage it causes isn't a good thing. So I thought of the possibility that fighting is still allowed, but you aren't allowed to strike the opponent's head.

I'm sorry man. I completely misread your post. For some reason I thought you were asking if we eliminated hits to the head if that would cut out fighting. Not what would eliminating punches to the head due to to fighting. I'm not even sure how you could instinctually limit yourself to throwing body blows. I mean fighting technically isn't legal...maybe the answer is to increase the penalty or to instigate suspensions for crossing a threshold of majors in a specific timeline? Don't some leagues suspend players for x numbers of fight in a season?

 

[Vaslof]

I'm sorry man. I completely misread your post. For some reason I thought you were asking if we eliminated hits to the head if that would cut out fighting. Not what would eliminating punches to the head due to to fighting. I'm not even sure how you could instinctually limit yourself to throwing body blows. I mean fighting technically isn't legal...maybe the answer is to increase the penalty or to instigate suspensions for crossing a threshold of majors in a specific timeline? Don't some leagues suspend players for x numbers of fight in a season?

I think harder penalties won't make a significant difference. In Finnish hockey league a couple of years ago, they made a rule that would give a minimum of a 5 games ban for (non-fight) headshots. It ended up being scrapped. In the end it's up to the players out there, and if the majority wants to turn their brains into mush, there's not much to be done.

 

[Balthazar]

WTF is going on with Kyle Connor.

7 points in the last 3 periods

 

[Balthazar]

So who's getting fired first? Lou? Roy? Both at the same time?

 

[The Abusement Park]

So who's getting fired first? Lou? Roy? Both at the same time?

I mean… What’s Roy supposed to do with that roster? The islanders are just a bad hockey team.