Hearing for Torres on Stoll hit (Thurs 9am PT, NYC; w/DW); out for rest of WCSF

[NWShark*]

Three major differences:

1) The head was not the principal point of contact in the Murray collision. It may have been impacted, but it was not the principal point.

2) There was never a point in that sequence where Murray was behind Eriksson. He was off at a bit of an angle and skated perpendicular to Eriksson's path, but when the contact occurred, Murray was in front of Eriksson. Not to the side. Torres started out behind Stoll, built up a head of steam, looped around and impacted from the side.

3) The biggest difference I see between the two.....unlike Torres, Murray initially and primarily went for and actually made contact with the puck.

Heck, he didn't just make contact with it, he cleared it off to the boards in the direction he wanted it to go and was skating himself. In that instant, Murray effectively became the puck carrier. Had Eriksson been another step or two behind, Murray likely would have controlled and retained possession of the puck and dumped it deeper in to the O-zone. The hit was not Murray's objective, the puck was.

Both players reached for the puck, Murray got to it first then braced himself for the impact of Eriksson's hit. There was a collision, but it was a collision initiated as much if not more by Eriksson skating into Murray....and we all know how many players have hurt themselves when trying to hit Murray when he has or just after he releases the puck.

Torres on the other hand clearly never had any intention of getting the puck. His route ignored the puck. He made no effort to reach for the puck. He actually had a chance to make contact with the bouncing puck. He ignored it and went for the hit the whole way. And despite being focused on and going for the hit the entire way, he STILL missed most of the shoulder.

A couple things.
Torres has NO responsibility to try to play the puck here. The NHL is full check hockey and Stoll was eligible to be checked since he had possession of the puck. Even Kerry Fraser made this point. Murray was perpendicular to the guy hit and so was Torres when he took his 3 strides to initiate contact.

For the love of god the head was not the principal point of contact in the Torres hit. It's so blatantly obvious I just can't fathom how a few of you keep disputing this. Torres hits Stoll shoulder to shoulder and Stolls head possibly bounces off Torres back from the whiplash. It could just as easily be the impact of shoulder to shoulder driving Stolls body away from Torres pulls Stolls head back violently after the initial forward whip.

Your assertion that he missed most of the shoulder just ignores the facts of the video. IT's really the only thing he directly impacted. Sorry you're obviously a Torres hater and are trying to shape your argument based on that over the video evidence.

 

[NWShark*]

I was t-boned in a vehicle. I had a concussion and there was no direct impact to my head. Its called whiplash.

Bingo!

 

[Led Zappa]

Don't like that word:

@PollakOnSharks[/B]5 mins
#SJSharksshuffling three lines anticipating suspension for Torres. Seemercurynews.com/sharks/ci_2325…

 

[FeedingFrenzy]

Maybe there is no suspenion and Raffi is being flown back by an F-18 remote controlled by Gary B

 

[Sleepy]

Maybe there is no suspenion and Raffi is being flown back by an F-18 remote controlled by Gary B

He's gonna pull a clowe and play the puck from the aisle seat.

 

[NWShark*]

NW,
Bring up a poster's personal history is a moot point. Truth is truth no matter the source. An argument citing poster's history is a sideshow of an argument. Please refrain in the future if you want to be taken seriously. Argue the argument not the poster's history. And in this case you are incorrect regarding the history.

It's obvious I am correct based on the fact your argument doesn't include any practical elements. Only theoretical which are obviously derived from only watching not doing.

Sorry but I'm calling it out just like in the Ting conversation where you blatantly made up stuff about him to try and represent your unfounded and baseless opinions as some how being educated and informed fact.

 

[Alwalys]

Certain parts of personal experience are legitimate. Like how people are saying you can get a concussion without contact to the head based on personal experience. Though a simple google can tell you that.

 

[deekortiz3]

If it is a long suspension I wonder how this might play into us resigning him?

 

[Alwalys]

If it is a long suspension I wonder how this might play into us resigning him?

It's going to have to give serious pause because he will have moved into nearly untouchable territory. If he can get a major suspension for a play that was nearly not a penalty, there is no logical way to plan for him as a player on any team.

 

[Timos Death Stare]

It's going to have to give serious pause because he will have moved into nearly untouchable territory. If he can get a major suspension for a play that was nearly not a penalty, there is no logical way to plan for him as a player on any team.

If he signs for less than 2mil, I'd take that risk. Seriously, he makes us that much better of a team and we need people like him who can throw a hit.

I haven't seen him play dirty at all while playing - he brings to this team what we've been needing for quite some time - someone who will actually hit.

 

[ChompChomp]

If it is a long suspension I wonder how this might play into us resigning him?

Just depends on how long. A 20 game suspension is really "You're out for the Playoffs" and like with the beginning of this year, I expect Bettman would reduce the suspension if the Sharks didn't play 20 more playoff games this postseason.

 

[Barrie22]

wonder if it could be no suspension, and they are just allowing torres to get back to the arena before announcing it.

 

[do0glas]

can we start a pool for this?

 

[pappaf2]

wonder if it could be no suspension, and they are just allowing torres to get back to the arena before announcing it.

I doubt it, based on history alone. But I would love it if that's the case!

 

[Audio Outlaw]

Official guess: 9 Games

At first this situation really bothered me like a lot of you. I've accepted it today though. The more I look at the play, the more I think to myself "he should have played the puck." I still think its a clean hockey hit, but the fact of the matter is that a man is injured so it should be at least looked at. As long as Stoll doesn't come back before Torres, I am ok with the trade-off. Nothing we can do.

 

[Alwalys]

Official guess: 9 Games

At first this situation really bothered me like a lot of you. I've accepted it today though. The more I look at the play, the more I think to myself "he should have played the puck." I still think its a clean hockey hit, but the fact of the matter is that a man is injured so it should be at least looked at. As long as Stoll doesn't come back before Torres, I am ok with the trade-off. Nothing we can do.

This is stockholm syndrome, to put it charitably. He is under ZERO responsibility to play the puck and the body needs to be taken, hard, whenever it's available.

 

[nosoupforyou]

Of course you need to care about player safety! But you're missing the point.

If the NHL wanted to really protect these players they would take hitting and fighting out of the game entirely! But they don't want to do that.

Hitting makes the game more exciting and marketable. The question is how do you make it clean hitting?

So they decide to make these slap on the wrist suspensions which have no basis on how long they should be and have double standards depending on the situation.

yeah, the league sucks at discipline, which is why they need to ban Torres for at least year. I'm pretty sure the NHLPA will fight it, though.

Since Shannahan has been giving out these suspensions has their really been less head shots? No.

got a link on that data? I'd say that every player is thinking about it now for sure. In fact, if you just take two of the worst - Cooke and Torres, they had been clean all year, when previously they would have had multiple incidents every year.

That's because hitting is too programmed into how players play the game (from youth) and things move way too fast for them to think, "oh his head is in a vulnerable position, I should pull up."

are you saying you are doing exactly the same things the same way since you were a kid?

The only way to change the culture is to either completely ban players who have given headshots (Torres, Mike Richards, Corey Perry, Stoll, etc). Or take hitting out of the NHL and also out of youth hockey completely.

there is a difference between someone who refuses to change how they play, and a person who does change with the rules. BTW, they have started taking hitting out of lower youth hockey because of the incidents of concussions.

 

[Paka Ono]

My guess: 1 game suspension since he's already going to miss that just by being in NYC.

 

[SharksFan1]

This is stockholm syndrome, to put it charitably. He is under ZERO responsibility to play the puck and the body needs to be taken, hard, whenever it's available.

And it is really hard to fault him for doing so. I'm pretty sure that the coaches have told him during games and before this series that they need him to make big (clean) hits, and that is one of the main reasons he is on the team. I think he attempted to make a clean hit here, proven by the fact he didn't jump, skate, or raise his elbow into the hit.

 

[ChompChomp]

My guess: 1 game suspension since he's already going to miss that just by being in NYC.

Watch the NHL wait to do a nicely crafted video tomorrow with a 1 game suspension that is applied to Thursday's contest (since he is suspended pending a ruling, right?).

 

[nosoupforyou]

They get paid millions to play a game for a reason.

so they can sacrifice their well being for your entertainment? nice.

 

[KT]

Shanny will be thinking he wants to match Stoll missing from this series (IF he is) so 5 games would be my guess. Also because at 6 games, the new CBA allows for a neutral, 3rd party review, and given the zero-infraction video, that's something Shanny will want to avoid like the plague. He doesn't want to get overturned and look like the prejudiced doosh he is.

 

[Bizz]

so they can sacrifice their well being for your entertainment? nice.

Players play hockey in the NHL for 1.) their own personal enjoyment, 2.) the money
3.) fan's entertainment, in that order.

 

[MK9]

Just saw the vid of the hit. Honestly I HATE Torres. Despise him. Have for years. I think he should be out of the league right behind Matt Cooke.

But, after watching that video I truly believe he was going for a shoulder to shoulder hit there. I can't believe I'm defending that pikle, but Stoll was crouched down. Torres unfortunately timed it really poorly.

 

[Timos Death Stare]

so they can sacrifice their well being for your entertainment? nice.

I think you're inferring a bit too much malice in his comments.