Around the NHL — Episode XLXVII

Jan 19, 2006
23,531
5,294
Calgary
Carkner didn't let him turn away, and he didn't do anythign particularly dangerous. Xhejak could have picked his spot better instead of hitting a guy repeatedly in the back of the head, and again, there's a very good reason rabbit punches are banned in pretty much every combat sport.

It's bizarre to tm that anyone would defend something that's pretty clearly extremely dangerous, you can paralyse someone doing that (hense why it tends to be banned), but Xhejak doesn't care, and apparently the NHL doesn't either.
Exactly.

There was nothing different about what he did than Todd Bertuzzi on Moore, except for the result.
 

frightenedinmatenum2

Registered User
Sep 30, 2023
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Exactly.

There was nothing different about what he did than Todd Bertuzzi on Moore, except for the result.

Bertuzzi drove Moore head first into the ice prior to sucker punching him.

whatever his name is didn't do that.

I think it should be considered assault because it was so far out of the realm of a regular hockey play, but I mean you could counter that by saying Laine was hurt much worse from the knee on knee, so why is that not assault just because the intent can be obfuscated by it taken place during a regular hockey play?

The point being, this is the game you guys support. Picking and choosing where the line is in terms of egregious violence seems to just be a way for people not to admit to their own blood lust that hockey serves to appropriate.

As far as the result mattering, the result has always mattered. You have cheap hits, like hits from behind, almost every game. The player is usually fine. If a player were severely injured, paralyzed, or killed from a routine hit from behind, then the result of it is going to be entirely different. Just like how players have been jumped or punched from behind before in hockey prior to the Bertuzzi/Moore incident, but Moore's head was driven in to the ice, which resulted in a catastrophic injury.

I'm at peace with my blood lust. I won't pretend to be appalled by the violent game that I choose to condone with my money and my attention. I don't like how people try to play both sides of the fence and try to grandstand as if there is a calm and acceptable way for us to have a violent sport, and if the NHL would just get on board with it, some players brains wouldn't be ground beef by the time they are 40.
 

Micklebot

Moderator
Apr 27, 2010
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Bertuzzi drove Moore head first into the ice prior to sucker punching him.
This is inaccurate, Bertuzzi punched Moore from behind knocking him out which resulted in him face planting into the ice unable to brace himself, with Bertuzzi falling on-top of him.

Xhekaj didn't knock out Pare, but he sure as hell tried to. Had he connected on that first punch maybe he would have.

Neither is defendable, but obviously the Bertuzzi incident had far worse end results.
 

Micklebot

Moderator
Apr 27, 2010
56,433
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If players don't have to answer for season ending potentially career ending injuries were gonna see alot more of it. No one wants to see that but it's what was necessary. If that happened to a sens player I'd want to see the same reaction.
The issue isn't that there was a reaction, it's the reckless nature of the reaction, much like Perron was reckless in how he reacted to Larken getting hurt, Xhekaj was reckless in his reaction, and has a history of being reckless.

So, no, throwing multiple rabbit punches was not necessary, he was literally throwing haymakers at where the spinal cord connects to the skull, Idk if people understand how dangerous that is,
 

Beech

Registered User
Nov 25, 2020
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The issue isn't that there was a reaction, it's the reckless nature of the reaction, much like Perron was reckless in how he reacted to Larken getting hurt, Xhekaj was reckless in his reaction, and has a history of being reckless.

So, no, throwing multiple rabbit punches was not necessary, he was literally throwing haymakers at where the spinal cord connects to the skull, Idk if people understand how dangerous that is,
when a crime like murder is committed, in the vast majority of cases, the perpetrator did so either, accidentally, or in a moment of loss of their senses.

The vast majority regret it and would never so much as come close to repeating it.

So why punish? why jail? The victim is not coming back. The perpetrator is almost surely sorry and repentant... why jail?

TO SAVE THE NEXT person.. You give 30 year sentences to send messages to others. DO NOT KILL.

Crime and punishment has long been misunderstood. It is a PAY IT forward process. It has nothing to do with the crime itself. Once committed, it cannot be undone. It is to prevent future acts.

An employ sneaks in late, you fire him.. Not for him, once caught, he will be scared straight and become ultra honest... You have other employees you need to send a message to.

Now there is the added issue of, anger over perceived lack of justice from the system. If I am aggrieved, I expect the justice system to step in. Failure for it to do so, leaves me feeling angry and I will take things into my own hands. Vigilante justice.

Sports leagues have always failed in curbing it. Often an infraction is undealt with, leaving the victim, or his camp feeling angry. So vigilante justice.

A 5 M major, a 10 M misconduct. A phone call from league safety and a 1-3 game suspension, would have ended maters.

Mete punishment out yourself and avoid vigilante justice. Every parents knows this, If one child hits another, you come down like a ton of bricks on the one who hits. It lessens the chance that the kid who got hit, looks to retaliate. It is better to send your kid to his room and deny him use of his bike for 2 days, than to have his brother wallop him with a baseball bat.
 

BankStreetParade

Registered User
Jan 22, 2013
7,016
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The issue isn't that there was a reaction, it's the reckless nature of the reaction, much like Perron was reckless in how he reacted to Larken getting hurt, Xhekaj was reckless in his reaction, and has a history of being reckless.

So, no, throwing multiple rabbit punches was not necessary, he was literally throwing haymakers at where the spinal cord connects to the skull, Idk if people understand how dangerous that is,
I don't know how anyone can defend that reaction. Hook a guy to spin him around, horse collar him to throw him off balance and then start unloading punches into the back of his head - the most dangerous area to punch someone. It's just about the most chickenshit way to go after a guy. A real tough guy would never do it that way.

And all of this because of a knee on knee that looked fairly unintentional, if we're all being honest.

All this "rah rah, we're a team who defend each other no matter what" bullshit makes the game worse, not better. So sick of all these useless punch-ups every time a guy gets injured. You know what? You play an insanely physical sport with thin blades attached to the bottom of your feet and guys shooting highly dense rubber pucks at you at upwards of 100+ mph. Fighting just has no meaning anymore if it's the only reaction you have any time literally anything happens that you don't like.
 

Beech

Registered User
Nov 25, 2020
3,237
1,150
I don't know how anyone can defend that reaction. Hook a guy to spin him around, horse collar him to throw him off balance and then start unloading punches into the back of his head - the most dangerous area to punch someone. It's just about the most chickenshit way to go after a guy. A real tough guy would never do it that way.

And all of this because of a knee on knee that looked fairly unintentional, if we're all being honest.

All this "rah rah, we're a team who defend each other no matter what" bullshit makes the game worse, not better. So sick of all these useless punch-ups every time a guy gets injured. You know what? You play an insanely physical sport with thin blades attached to the bottom of your feet and guys shooting highly dense rubber pucks at you at upwards of 100+ mph. Fighting just has no meaning anymore if it's the only reaction you have any time literally anything happens that you don't like.
so say someone hits your car. You know who it is, you call the police. They come by and say "there is nothing we can do about it".

Now what? All is forgiven. you move on. Or do you sue? Him, the police, the city

So now, a person, adult or child, hits your kid.. what do you do.. Stand there and say oh well. Or do you go after them.. Physically, legal means, etc.

this is far less an All for one, One for all. This is perceived lack of justice...leading to vigilante justice.

In order of guilt
1) The officials at the game
2) Gary and the boys for not instilling a policy of no tolerance for dirty hits and for not passing that onto the referees.
3) for the Players Union who should be reading the riot act to its members, reminding them they are one tribe and need to look after each other. And no injuring of one member at the hands of another.. remember your movie line "Ape shall not kill Ape".
4) The Montreal Canadians players who foolishly back a union that fails to protect them. Let's see someone look sideways at an owner, official, league employee and see if his head is not cut off. Yet injure your hockey playing brother.. No worries!!!!!

"Ape shall not kill Ape" (By the way.. Religious... Leviticus 19:16 "You shall not stand by the blood of your fellow.")
 

BonHoonLayneCornell

Registered User
Oct 16, 2006
16,714
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Yukon
I don't think it was intentional in the sense of trying to hurt him, Laine changed directions and Pare tried to stand him up and it was mostly just unfortunate imo even if Pare still maybe could have avoided it.

I hate the forced fighting when it's a clean hit, but it's part of the game when things look bad in real time like that did. Either way, I agree with Micklebot, fight straight up, not dirty with intent to injure. It's like the guy that'll sucker punch someone and then talk tough as if it was a fair fight, even though they never actually squared up.
 
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bicboi64

Registered User
Aug 13, 2020
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Xhekaj is bitch made. Yes Pare should've answered the call, but if another player turtles, you don't hit them in the back of the head, that kind of stuff can literally ruin a guys bodily function for the rest of his life.

If anyone did that to any Habs players, MTL would launch an investigation with INTERPOL
 

Mookie McGee

Registered User
Mar 4, 2020
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I don't think it was intentional in the sense of trying to hurt him, Laine changed directions and Pare tried to stand him up and it was mostly just unfortunate imo even if Pare still maybe could have avoided it.

I hate the forced fighting when it's a clean hit, but it's part of the game when things look bad in real time like that did. Either way, I agree with Micklebot, fight straight up, not dirty with intent to injure. It's like the guy that'll sucker punch someone and then talk tough as if it was a fair fight, even though they never actually squared up.
The silver lining is that this stupidity could lead to some extra Reaves-Xhekaj combat during the season, with possible side ramifications of weenies like Matthews getting punched in the face.

Win-win.
 
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HSF

Registered User
Sep 3, 2008
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8 X 8 seems fair for Swayman no?

i guess with UFA years maybe not. They should bridge him
 

Micklebot

Moderator
Apr 27, 2010
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8 X 8 seems fair for Swayman no?
That was where I expected it to start, give or take.

He's arguably a top 5 goaljust entering his prime. So he's going after top 5 money, and has all the leverage needed to do that
 

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