News Article: Dale Purinton charged with burglary upstate, sheriffs say

[nyr2k2]

If you break into someone's house and assault someone, you're a waste of life.

Solid point.

 

[Leetch66]

Langdon fought a lot of bigger guys but Darren really wasn't that small. He went around 6'1 and 210 lbs. Tie Domi on the other--short but heavy set and George McPhee--just short and not so heavy set were both great fighters. Fighting ruined McPhee's career. He'd won the Hobey Baker--then he clobbered hulking monster Dave Brown--after that he had a rep and got challenged all the time. It ruined his hands. Ron Harris was another guy--played for the Rangers in the 70's--not very big. He didn't fight very often but when he did he was bad news.

Langdon I liked a lot. Not a very good skater in the speed department or a very good player though. Tanner Glass would be a comparable though Glass is a better skater. Darren could take a punch--hang in the fight and wait for the other guy to wear down and then it was his time. Langdon never had knock out power but he did have a short hard jab with some snap to it. Remember seeing him in the AHL when the Rangers team was in Binghamton---big long fight between him and Alex Stojanov. Stojanov was a huge huge monster. The fight went from one end of the ice to the other and then back to the other end again and Langdon was just teeing off on him. Stojanov's head just snapping back the whole time. It had to have lasted at least two whole minutes. The only thing I can think is the refs must have not liked Stojanov because nobody saved him.

Somebody in Rangers scouting had seen Darren playing in a Newfoundland semi-pro league. He was already into his 20's when he signed his first pro contract.

Thanks for the AHL story on him . I will pass it along to a couple of my friends who played Tier 2 Junior here on PEI with him....they will enjoy it . He was feared player here in the Maritime League as a junior recruit out of Newfoundland .

 

[Baby Punisher]

I forgot he existed. Bruuutal.

I'll never forget Marcel Hossa. They tried building him into something he wasn't seemingly forever.

Yes, his brother. Never happened and we all knew it. But the Rangers coaching staff still kept trying.

 

[nyr2k2]

FWIW I think Marcel Hossa was in the league a decade too early. The guy was a possession machine, from what I remember. He'd be more valued today.

 

[Thordic]

FWIW I think Marcel Hossa was in the league a decade too early. The guy was a possession machine, from what I remember. He'd be more valued today.

Eh, still think he'd struggle.

Immensely talented but no brain. Possession is great but he didn't know how/when to pass and shoot.

Marian said on a couple occasions his brother was more talented than he was - which is likely true when you look at size/stature/natural talent. But Marian got all the drive and hockey IQ, and that made all the difference.

 

[Ola]

FWIW I think Marcel Hossa was in the league a decade too early. The guy was a possession machine, from what I remember. He'd be more valued today.

Yeah I agree for sure, with the key word being "valued" as opposed to "valuable".

During that time many was like he don't fire the puck ASAP or hit why on earth is he dressed? Times have certainly changed. Easier to be a coach nowadays I recon.

Eh, still think he'd struggle.

Immensely talented but no brain. Possession is great but he didn't know how/when to pass and shoot.

Marian said on a couple occasions his brother was more talented than he was - which is likely true when you look at size/stature/natural talent. But Marian got all the drive and hockey IQ, and that made all the difference.

I don't think there's much comparison to Marian to be honest. Marian skates darn well, Marcel is just heavier on his skates.

Marcel was good at getting in on the puck on the forecheck or dump in, strong on the puck and good at keeping it within the team. You can definitely compare him to a Benny Pouliot. I think to a large extent the heat Marcel took was because people just didn't recognize that player style back then. I definitely remember the talk back then. Why play someone like him instead of a tougher kid when Marcel never will become a scorer in the NHL? There were just no understanding of the idea to play someone who wasn't exactly a finesse player but a non-tough player who wasn't going to become a scorer.

 

[Ola]

If you break into someone's house and assault someone, you're a waste of life.

Nah, you might just have wandered off a bit...

 

[nyr2k2]

Eh, still think he'd struggle.

Immensely talented but no brain. Possession is great but he didn't know how/when to pass and shoot.

Marian said on a couple occasions his brother was more talented than he was - which is likely true when you look at size/stature/natural talent. But Marian got all the drive and hockey IQ, and that made all the difference.

Well, I said he'd be more valued, not necessarily more valuable. There's more of an emphasis placed on possessing the puck now than there was when Marcel was in the NHL. I think more teams would be willing to find a spot for him in today's game.

 

[Lion Hound]

That sucks... Guess the guy fell on hard times. The article is very vague though. Wonder if he knew the guy. We're drugs involved?

I liked the guy as a player. Used to go to Hartford via ferry to watch the pack back then. He was a big part of the club in their Champioship year. At some points he was leading the team/league in plus/minus.

But he was very entertaining as a player and the team really liked him. As he progressed as a player he became more unpredictable. He was pretty much bat**** crazy at some points in his career.

Later in his career I used to get disappointed with the guy when he would start hugging and turtling during fights. Or worse...sucker punching players. Not much honor in that.

Hope he finds his way.

 

[Machinehead]

FWIW I think Marcel Hossa was in the league a decade too early. The guy was a possession machine, from what I remember. He'd be more valued today.

Meh, he played with Jagr a lot who over the last 8 years is a 55% possession player, and this is an old Jagr.

Jagr this past seaosn was a 52% possession player, and the man is ancient, and played for a garbage offensive team.

 

[Jabroni]

Meh, he played with Jagr a lot who over the last 8 years is a 55% possession player, and this is an old Jagr.

Jagr this past seaosn was a 52% possession player, and the man is ancient, and played for a garbage offensive team.

They must've had some sort of revitalization program in Russia.

 

[Barnaby]

FWIW I think Marcel Hossa was in the league a decade too early. The guy was a possession machine, from what I remember. He'd be more valued today.

Do you remember the guy? I just can't see it.

 

[Ola]

Meh, he played with Jagr a lot who over the last 8 years is a 55% possession player, and this is an old Jagr.

Jagr this past seaosn was a 52% possession player, and the man is ancient, and played for a garbage offensive team.

Nah, hehe, he definitely played mostly on 3rd and 4th lines...

But I recon the few weeks he played with Jagr left permanent damage!

 

[nyr2k2]

Do you remember the guy? I just can't see it.

I remember him being good on the forecheck and in the corners. He was good at cycling the puck. Didn't do a whole lot away from the wall.

 

[Baby Punisher]

I remember him being good on the forecheck and in the corners. He was good at cycling the puck. Didn't do a whole lot away from the wall.

Yea...that's how I remember him as well.

 

[nyr2k2]

One last thing on Purinton. Regarding these allegations, I just can't beat him up too much and declare him an awful human being. Two main reasons:

1. We don't know the facts of the case and he hasn't been convicted. This wouldn't be the first time a guy was charged with something that sounded terrible, only to win an acquittal or have the charges against him dropped. I will reserve judgment until more details come out and he receives his day in court.

2. Even if it was as awful as the preliminary reports make it sound, everything I've ever heard about Purinton outside of the game is that he's a great guy who is very involved in the community and youth hockey. And I've heard this through a person that I trust who knows Purinton reasonably well. If an otherwise good person, a person who makes positive contributions to his community, does something incredibly stupid, it doesn't suddenly make that person a waste of life.

Most of these guys that are "wild men" on the ice are usually pretty great guys off of it, from my personal experience. I know a lot of people think that these allegations against Purinton are to be expected based on what they remember about him as a player, but that shouldn't really be the case. I just wish people could reserve judgment before condemning someone so harshly. How many times in recent memory has the media or general public jumped the gun on convicting a guy and declaring him a terrible person, only to find out that things weren't as they originally seemed?