Around the League '15-'16: The Coaches Are WRONG Edition

[Holden Caulfield]

Post concussion symptoms vary from person to person. Some people have that disconnect where while they may see and react to something/someone, they may not actually recognize and understand what their eyes are conveying.

I am open to the possibility that this was the case with Wideman. Wideman may have seen the official but not have recognized he was an official due to that disconnect.

Wideman needed to undergo concussion protocol. From what I've been reading, he refused. Protocol needs more teeth to it.

I am pretty sure if trainers say you have to go concussion protocol, you have to go to concussion protocol. It's not in the player's hands.

 

[Stimpythecat]

Espn article I read seems to indicate it's in the player's hands.

http://espn.go.com/nhl/story/_/id/1...ituation-highlights-concussion-issue-problems

 

[Holden Caulfield]

Espn article I read seems to indicate it's in the player's hands.

http://espn.go.com/nhl/story/_/id/1...ituation-highlights-concussion-issue-problems

It was concussion spotter, not team trainers, initiating that I think is the key difference here. But I could be wrong. He's not wrong when he says it should never be in the player's hands.

 

[Stimpythecat]

I agree. It should never be in the player's hands.

The NHL is openly acknowledging he was concussed. The point is people don't always think coherently when suffering from a concussion.

 

[Jeff18]

There would have to be an unbelievably traumatic head injury for you to become insane and attack someone after getting hit in the head. If something like that did happen, Wideman not only needs to sit out 20 games, he should be considering hanging up the skates and going to the hospital immediately.

A concussion most of the time would cause people to become weaker and slower, not be able get the energy to suddenly shove someone into the boards with a perfectly aimed crosscheck into someone's back.

 

[YP44]

i thought there were tiers. The lower tier was 10 games and the next was 20.
if this is correct I imagine the league wanted to give him more than 10, so had to do 20. I am guessing Wideman will appeal and it will be around 15 games.

I still stand by this.

I don't think what wideman did was intentional (some see this differently) but to me it does not matter. If you accidentally high stick someone you still get a penalty for it. so under the rules the league had to do 20 as the refs association thought it was intentional. There is no grey in the rules book on that. It's either 10 games or 20. I think the league wanted 15, but could not. Appeal will result in 15 games.

 

[Stimpythecat]

This is where I am at too. A suspension had to be imposed.

I don't think this is something he would have done were he not concussed. I read a few days ago a story about a player in the minors a number of years back that got concussed and later attacked an official in the hallway.

The player was so mentally out of it his impulse control was gone. He had remained in the game though. The player got a lengthy suspension even though he needed plastic surgery to repair all the damage he got from being concussed.

 

[Jeff18]

Wait, what the ****? He got surgery?

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Whatever the impetus, if there's question at all that it wasn't purely accidental, they HAD to impose a severe penalty. Can't have the refs feeling unsafe for any reason, that's just silly.

 

[YP44]

Wait, what the ****? He got surgery?

who had surgery?

 

[YP44]

Whatever the impetus, if there's question at all that it wasn't purely accidental, they HAD to impose a severe penalty. Can't have the refs feeling unsafe for any reason, that's just silly.

I tend to agree with this even though I am on the side of accidental. the fact it can be questioned mean it has to be punished

 

[Jeff18]

who had surgery?

I think he's talking about Wideman. Not sure.

Plastic surgery won't even help a concussion, it's brain damage not a severe skull fracture.

 

[KingsFan7824]

The guy wasn't stumbling, he got up a little hunched and pushed someone into the boards.

If he got up and was really struggling, there should not be a suspension if he falls down and accidentally pushes the linesman into the boards. That was definitely not the case.

I'm just saying some guys get up, some don't. Maybe he was quickly out of it. Maybe he's making up the story because concussions are a no-question area.

The only video I've seen is the one from behind Wideman. I don't know what his face or eyes looked like at that moment. Either way, it looks bad enough that he had to be suspended. Accidentally bump a guy, ok, but he had the follow through and all.

 

[Sydor25]

Maybe the NHL gave a 20 game suspension so that Bettman can reduce it to 10 games on appeal.

 

[YP44]

Maybe the NHL gave a 20 game suspension so that Bettman can reduce it to 10 games on appeal.

i think so. they had to do 20 to make the refs happy and because there is even the question of intent.
makes the league save face and eventually the player will end up with the correct suspension length. I still think it will be 15.

 

[Stimpythecat]

Sorry, I may not have been too clear. I was referring to the story I read about a hockey player in the minors a few years back.

The guy got concussed, lost teeth, and I think had a facial fracture or two. But he stayed in the game. The concussion messed with his impulse control so when he encountered the official who missed the call in the hallway, the player ended up decking him.

The player ended up being suspended for a good while even though his injuries from the concussion required facial plastic surgery.

 

[King'sPawn]

Even if he was concussed, he still had presence of mind not only to make a beeline for the bench, but communicate he was coming off for a change.

To suddenly have a two second window where he crosschecks an official in the back and not realize it, just doesn't fit.

 

[Drumstick Handler]

This is where I am at too. A suspension had to be imposed.

I don't think this is something he would have done were he not concussed. I read a few days ago a story about a player in the minors a number of years back that got concussed and later attacked an official in the hallway.

The player was so mentally out of it his impulse control was gone. He had remained in the game though. The player got a lengthy suspension even though he needed plastic surgery to repair all the damage he got from being concussed.

This one?

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Paul-Stewart/No-Sympathy----But-Some-Empathy----for-Wideman/196/74359

 

[Stimpythecat]

Yes, that's the one. Thanks.

 

[tsanuri]

Yes, that's the one. Thanks.

That was Paul Stewart talking about himself almost 40 years ago.

 

[Stimpythecat]

That's true. I've also been reading writers on SI, espn, and a few other sites that are thinking wideman got short circuited from the concussion.

I'm not arguing he shouldn't be suspended. He should be. I'm just saying he may not be as culpable as first thought.

 

[tsanuri]

That's true. I've also been reading writers on SI, espn, and a few other sites that are thinking wideman got short circuited from the concussion.

I'm not arguing he shouldn't be suspended. He should be. I'm just saying he may not be as culpable as first thought.

I've argued he can't have it both ways.
He was either concussed and not in his right mind. Should have been removed from the game and concussion protocol followed. Or he was ok and continued to play. But it really doesn't matter.
What the article gave light to was someone who is very respected in every aspect he ever worked. Was injured and not just lightly. And he was still suspended. He wasn't in his right mind. But it didn't mitigate the fact he had to pay the price for his actions.
There's just some lines you never cross and are taught very early on in every sport you never put your hands on an official. And he broke that very rule. I never was a hockey official but I was a soccer official for over 15 years. And ejected players for putting their hands on me. And they received further disciple from the league as well.

 

[TonySCV]

I just fired up NHL.tv post re-do. I cannot believe they are using Flash. Even Adobe abandoned that POS. Must have been a rush job decision because MLB.com doesn't use it IIRC, so hopefully the flash suckage will be short-lived.

 

[tsanuri]

I just fired up NHL.tv post re-do. I cannot believe they are using Flash. Even Adobe abandoned that POS. Must have been a rush job decision because MLB.com doesn't use it IIRC, so hopefully the flash suckage will be short-lived.

You're right they don't use it on MLB. They have already jumped to HTML 5.

 

[kingsfan28]

Even if he was concussed, he still had presence of mind not only to make a beeline for the bench, but communicate he was coming off for a change.

To suddenly have a two second window where he crosschecks an official in the back and not realize it, just doesn't fit.

The issue I've had since he came out and said it was accidental was the distance he traveled to get to the bench, followed by the slamming of his stick right before he hit him. That says to me he was pissed and lost it, looking to take it out on the first guy he saw.