Around The NHL Discussion 2020-21

[Majorityof1]

Can the NHL just skip the DOPS and go straight to the police at this point? I’m getting sick of hearing Tom Wilson’s name in relation to hockey.

Unless, of course, it’s something like “Tom Wilson has been indefinitely banned from hockey and any other sport with more direct contact than chess”.

I was thinking something similar. If the NHL won't do anything to protect players, they should go elsewhere. It happened with Bertuzzi for punching someone in the back of the head. He pled guilty to assault, but only got a slap on the wrist of community service, probation and a small fine (also couldn't play in any game against the guy whose career he ended). So even the criminal justice system failed there.

If Panarin misses any significant time beyond this year, the Rangers, Panarin and any insurance that is paying for Panarin's salary and medical treatment should sue Tom Wilson. It's not the police, but it might be more effective. Make Tom Wilson pay Panarin's $11.6M a year salary for however long he is out, and his medical expenses. If a guy making $5M a year has to pay the salary of a guy making $10M+, that will protect the highly paid players really well.

This incident with Wilson was absolutely a disgrace. That is not hard nosed hockey. The play was dead and Panarin was only trying to protect a teammate who was getting punched while on the ground. Old school guys who fought faced off against knowing opponents who agreed to the fight. They didn't throw down unsuspecting guys and beat them on the ground. That's assault and battery, not hockey. It has nothing to do with hockey.

 

[Vladys Gumption]

I get the Wilson hate as I am a card carrying member and he is a dirty pos, but two guys getting into it and winding up on the ice is a common occurrence, most fights end that way
Wilson did not go after Panarin, he went after Wilson
punching a guy who is down on the ice is a d*ck move but isn't particularly outside the hockey norms
worth a penalty and a fine, maybe a game or two, maybe he will get more b/c of who he is
what should have happened is he should have been given MUCH longer suspensions for the intent to injure cheap crap he has pulled over the years

Wilson is entitled to defend himself. Nobody is arguing that. But grabbing a guy by the hair and nearly body slamming his head into the ice isn’t self defense.

 

[joe galiba]

Wilson is entitled to defend himself. Nobody is arguing that. But grabbing a guy by the hair and nearly body slamming his head into the ice isn’t self defense.

at full speed it doesn't look like that to me, it looks like two guys tangled up and grappling, with the bigger strong guy winding up on top when they went down
he had opportunity to drop his gloves and hand it to Panarin and didn't
if this was Bortz, or Evander Kane, or Frederic from Boston, everyone would watch it and move on

what Stone did to Bozak was much worse, at least in my opinion

 

[Memento]

Tom Wilson is so much worse than Matt Cooke. He's a coward who loves hitting smaller players, a cheapshot artist who could've freaking killed Panarin, and punching Buchnevich's head while he's prone on the ice, in a vulnerable position, is gutless as well.

Parros is a joke for giving Wilson - who already has been suspended seven games this year alone from a prior incident and is the very definition of a repeat offender - only a $5,000 dollar fine. Wilson wipes his shit-covered ass with those dollars, pisses on them, and pays it without a problem. Meanwhile, Panarin is out for the rest of the season (albeit with a lower body injury, but that's still an injury caused by Wilson).

I'm worried that Wilson's antics will cause a Bertuzzi-like non-hockey play, either on his team or a team he's playing. Honestly, and I'm a shitty person for saying this...if it's going to happen, I'd rather it happen to Wilson. He's made his bed, but I hope that guys like Ovechkin, Backstrom, and Oshie don't have to suffer for Wilson's sins.

 

[fishsandwichpatrol]

He's not a "repeat offender". He's a "like-clockwork-offender".

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

at full speed it doesn't look like that to me, it looks like two guys tangled up and grappling, with the bigger strong guy winding up on top when they went down
he had opportunity to drop his gloves and hand it to Panarin and didn't
if this was Bortz, or Evander Kane, or Frederic from Boston, everyone would watch it and move on

what Stone did to Bozak was much worse, at least in my opinion

Agree on that.

 

[Bye Bye Blueston]

Boss move by Rangers.

 

[Xerloris]

Boss move by Rangers.

Tom Wilson is what happens when the league tries to get rid of players like Tony Twist.

 

[BlueDream]

Oh boy. Shit is hitting the fan lol.

 

[Vladys Gumption]

Read an article from the Rangers Athletic beat writer that alleged Parros didn’t even want to suspend Wilson for the Carlo hit. And that Wilson only got suspended because Betman forced the suspension because he was worried about optics.
As if the league couldn’t look any worse. Woof.

 

[tfriede2]

Bettman and the NHL’s legal team better be working OT on the implications of no suspension, because if Wilson seriously injures a player, there’s cause for a lawsuit against the NHL for negligence. Kudos to the Rangers for calling out an egregious failure to protect players.

 

[The Note]

I can’t decide if tomorrow’s NYR-WSH game is going to be a total gong show or if nothing’s going to happen. I suspect the latter, but with the organization calling for Parros’ removal I can’t discount the whole thing being a mess.

 

[stl76]

Wilson crossed a line. Was honestly shocked when I heard he wasn't suspended...I figured the DoPS would go easy and make it 4 games (thereby not including any playoff games). Yikes.

 

[joe galiba]

throw the bum out forever
what Crosby did to Konecny is unforgivable

 

[BadgersandBlues]

About time someone called out the DOPS for the scrubs that they are.

 

[Spektre]

Tom Wilson is what happens when the league tries to get rid of players like Tony Twist.

There’s a lot more to it than that. Twist was a horrible hockey player. All he could do was fight. The average player’s skill and skating are better today vs 25 years ago. Twist wouldn’t make a roster today and neither would a lot of players like him.

The bigger problem is the players don’t police themselves like they used to. There’s a million examples of this but one of the latest was when Bozak got blindsided by Stone. What happened, Schenn fought him the next game, or someone did. That’s not how it used to be handled. In “the old days” Blues players would have made runs at other Vegas players and Stone would have a target on his back going forward.

There’s just not the respect level there used to be and it’s mainly because it’s everyone for themselves.

 

[DoubleK81]

The bigger problem is the players don’t police themselves like they used to. There’s a million examples of this but one of the latest was when Bozak got blindsided by Stone. What happened, Schenn fought him the next game, or someone did. That’s not how it used to be handled. In “the old days” Blues players would have made runs at other Vegas players and Stone would have a target on his back going forward.

There’s just not the respect level there used to be and it’s mainly because it’s everyone for themselves.

The Instigator penalty plays a big factor in that, and with no " Tony Twist's" in the league, the vast majority of teams dont have someone who isn't a big loss by taking that penalty.

 

[Bobby Orrtuzzo]

I can’t decide if tomorrow’s NYR-WSH game is going to be a total gong show or if nothing’s going to happen. I suspect the latter, but with the organization calling for Parros’ removal I can’t discount the whole thing being a mess.

Probably the latter. Rangers fans themselves are saying they have no one tough , so who’s gonna step up?

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

Not disciplining Stone for hitting and injuring a player who was never eligible to be hit was a bigger mistake than this, but I agree the DoPS has not had a good year.

 

[Xerloris]

There’s a lot more to it than that. Twist was a horrible hockey player. All he could do was fight. The average player’s skill and skating are better today vs 25 years ago. Twist wouldn’t make a roster today and neither would a lot of players like him.

The bigger problem is the players don’t police themselves like they used to. There’s a million examples of this but one of the latest was when Bozak got blindsided by Stone. What happened, Schenn fought him the next game, or someone did. That’s not how it used to be handled. In “the old days” Blues players would have made runs at other Vegas players and Stone would have a target on his back going forward.

There’s just not the respect level there used to be and it’s mainly because it’s everyone for themselves.

Thinking players from the "old days" had respect is laughable. The only respect that was ever shown was because of guys like Twist, Probert and Grimson. Superstars from that era openly state that they would have never been able to do what they do if it were not for those "horrible hockey players".

 

[Spektre]

Thinking players from the "old days" had respect is laughable. The only respect that was ever shown was because of guys like Twist, Probert and Grimson. Superstars from that era openly state that they would have never been able to do what they do if it were not for those "horrible hockey players".

Call it respect, or knowing crossing a line is going to result in payback, however you want to phrase it. Let's not put Probert and Twist in the same category. Yes they were both heavyweight fighters but Probert was actually a good hockey player. The superstars saying those things are being good teammates and honoring the tough guys. You honestly think Lemieux wouldn't have been Lemieux without a enforcer on the team? Obviously you're entitled to have such an opinion but it doesn't make it a fact.

 

[Frenzy31]

Probert, McSorely, Daren McCarty (spelling), Reaves, etc... All can play.

I personally like a fight due to emotions, not a staged act and would rather have guys like Brotz that can play and also fight then guys like Twist (And I like Twist).

As for this, I just think DoPS needs to be rebooted. 30 teams right now are backing the Rangers. DoPS is a joke.

I think they need to get rid of the grey areas and just set up hard fast rules that are applied to all dangerous hits or illegal's hits. There should not be two sets of rules, one for stars and one for grinders. Injury should not be taken into consideration - a hit to the head is a hit to the head, regardless if the guys get concussed or not (vast majority of cases he is concussed). Remove the grey and get rid of the random punishments that someone literally pulls out of his ass.

 

[Stealth JD]

Probably the latter. Rangers fans themselves are saying they have no one tough , so who’s gonna step up?

if anyone on the Rangers were to simply sucker-punch Wilson when he wasn't prepared or expecting it, (1) would anyone blame the guy who did it (2) would the DOPS give him a fine or a suspension? I don't even know that the Capitals could defend the guy if he was the victim of some retaliatory cheap-shot. Whether it's a butt-end of the stick to the chin/throat, or right-cross after a four-stride charge somebody should extract a pound of flesh if the league isn't going to step in.

 

[Bluesnatic27]

Probably the latter. Rangers fans themselves are saying they have no one tough , so who’s gonna step up?

I don’t know about you, but a high slap shot to the face would work just as well as a punch, if not more.

Best part is that no one needs to be tough to do it!

 

[The Note]

if anyone on the Rangers were to simply sucker-punch Wilson when he wasn't prepared or expecting it, (1) would anyone blame the guy who did it (2) would the DOPS give him a fine or a suspension? I don't even know that the Capitals could defend the guy if he was the victim of some retaliatory cheap-shot. Whether it's a butt-end of the stick to the chin/throat, or right-cross after a four-stride charge somebody should extract a pound of flesh if the league isn't going to step in.

Totally. And if the game tonight turns into a total circus DOPS and, by extension the league, will have no one to blame but themselves.