Rangers statement on Wilson non-suspension

[shnagle]

My guess is they issue a statement saying something like, "We understand the Rangers' frustration that one of their star players was injured in a scrum after the play. The DoPS reviewed the incident and determined a fine was warranted, and we stand behind George Parros and the rest of the department. There are avenues for teams to express their displeasure with certain matters and press releases are not the appropriate venue, and as such we will not be commenting on the matter further." Then they discreetly issue an undisclosed fine to the organization (i.e., not publicly announcing it or disclosing a figure) and move on.

Maybe in the off-season you see Parros "step down" and "assume a different role" while the NHL "examines the processes in place to review incidents at the DoPS" and they make some minor changes. That's about how I see it playing out. The NHL does not want to make this demonstrably worse, but also won't just ignore it for fear of setting that precedent that the teams can openly challenge the league when they feel like it.

JMO. I could also be completely wrong.

Certainly could see the league going that direction. I also agree with your take that the NHL does not want to make this situation worse. I just feel the Rangers are trying to force the leagues hand publicly on the Panarin portion of the incident since the DoPS refused to even comment on that. As it relates to the process for review I think the Rangers can make a pretty strong case for the DoPS failing to do it's job. I might also be completely wrong.

 

[HatTrick Swayze]

You know now that I think about it I'm glad the NHL's response was so woefully inadequate. They could have suspended him for the last few games of the regular season and it wouldn't be enough, but would probably be enough to sweep under a rug. As is, the NHL exposed how pathetic their DoPS is and brought A LOT of negative attention to themselves.

Had this thought yesterday as well. Really just shows complete incompetence by the league - anyone surprised? 1-2 game suspension and they could have just swept this right under the rug. Not justice but it wouldn’t be a league wide conversation.

 

[Joe Ranger Fan 1960]

It's very simple. Incidents like this will continue to occur because intent to injure is not an automatically suspendable offense. Unless fans want a game whereby fighting is a game misconduct and automatically reviewed for possible suspension, then they must accept the current rules and realize that this current Ranger roster is much too soft to compete within the laws of the game. It is what it is. The Rangers official statement is embarrassing.

 

[nyr2k2]

This team has no one capable of stepping up except for Smith. You can't expect guys to do something they've never done. Why? So they get hurt too? They have two guys down in Hartford who I'm sure would love nothing more than to make a name for themselves at the expense of a guy like Wilson. This is on Gorton to fix.

I totally agree with you. However, it still goes back to the discussion of "deterrence"--we could have 5 guys like Mason Geertsen or Brendan Lemiuex sprinkled throughout the lineup, and that's not going to stop Wilson from acting like a dirtbag. He has always been a dirtbag and will always be a dirtbag. So, the best we can do, really, is to have guys on the team who can try to even the score after the fact; is that really a priority? I'm all for finding those guys if they can also take a good, regular shift. But, I don't want to carry Mason Geertsen who is otherwise worthless, just so he can clobber someone after our guys have already been demolished.

The problem is Tom Wilson, if he wasn't an absolute piece of shit, would be an ideal player. Huge, strong, skilled, good skater, nasty. Unless you can find a guy like him, of which there are basically none, you can't really match up against him. You're not going to send out your fourth line with tough guys to play against him because he's too good for that, and he's playing on higher lines. There's no good way to defend against him real-time. You just have to hope that when he does abhorrent things on the ice that the league steps in, which apparently they no longer wish to do.

The only "fix" to Wilson is for the league to intervene. If they won't, everyone else is f***ed, unless someone does a Matt Johnson on Jeff Beukeboom or a McSorley or something.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

This is true deterrence, not challenging a psycho to a fight.

I don't know what playing physically against their superstars means. Taking the body? Shouldn't we be doing that anyway?

 

[mcsauer2738]

It genuinely amazes me how soft the sport has become and more so the fans who think wilson basically committed attempted murder. I really think people here just started watching hockey.

the rangers look like whiney babies with this statement. The statement should have just been calling up the goon from the AHL. That is transaction wouldve been the statement

 

[DuneGoon84]

What would be hypocritical of them to do is to issue a zero tolerance for this game tonight. They could have prevented all this BS by simply suspending that clown. NHL is lost.

 

[RangersFan1994]

This team has no one capable of stepping up except for Smith. You can't expect guys to do something they've never done. Why? So they get hurt too? They have two guys down in Hartford who I'm sure would love nothing more than to make a name for themselves at the expense of a guy like Wilson. This is on Gorton to fix.

other teams have skilled power forwards in the top 6 that defend themselves and their team, Ladeskog, Andres Lee, even JT Miller has more grit than this team does, even a 2ed year player from college Joel Farabee some fights this year. I wanna see battle and push pack from the Lafy, Fox, Kakko, Kravtsov. we see that from Buchnevich, I dont see why other's can't add that to their game, especially the veterans on this team Mika. Kreider (needs to be more of a bull). but knowing this team,. Rangers will settle for Zac Rinaldo or some 5 minutes of ice time goon this summer. it won't change.

 

[Pawnee Rangers]

I totally agree with you. However, it still goes back to the discussion of "deterrence"--we could have 5 guys like Mason Geertsen or Brendan Lemiuex sprinkled throughout the lineup, and that's not going to stop Wilson from acting like a dirtbag. He has always been a dirtbag and will always be a dirtbag. So, the best we can do, really, is to have guys on the team who can try to even the score after the fact; is that really a priority? I'm all for finding those guys if they can also take a good, regular shift. But, I don't want to carry Mason Geertsen who is otherwise worthless, just so he can clobber someone after our guys have already been demolished.

The problem is Tom Wilson, if he wasn't an absolute piece of shit, would be an ideal player. Huge, strong, skilled, good skater, nasty. Unless you can find a guy like him, of which there are basically none, you can't really match up against him. You're not going to send out your fourth line with tough guys to play against him because he's too good for that, and he's playing on higher lines. There's no good way to defend against him real-time. You just have to hope that when he does abhorrent things on the ice that the league steps in, which apparently they no longer wish to do.

You're spot on. But I'm not looking at the Wilson situation as deterrence because the f***er already did what he did. This is about making him pay. Making it known you can't target or abuse the team's best player. That's where someone like Geertsen fits the equation. For this specific scenario. I think Gorton needs to add one or two guys that don't take shit but can also take a regular shift. Not easy, I know. But you can't have a repeat of what happened last night, not for a team with so much young talent.

 

[DuneGoon84]

It genuinely amazes me how soft the sport has become and more so the fans who think wilson basically committed attempted murder. I really think people here just started watching hockey.

the rangers look like whiney babies with this statement. The statement should have just been calling up the goon from the AHL. That is transaction wouldve been the statement

I don't think the NHL wants the rangers to call up 3 goons and just run rampant on their players causing all kinds of BS. NHL screwed up.

 

[Tawnos]

You're spot on. But I'm not looking at the Wilson situation as deterrence because the f***er already did what he did. This is about making him pay. Making it known you can't target or abuse the team's best player. That's where someone like Geertsen fits the equation. For this specific scenario. I think Gorton needs to add one or two guys that don't take shit but can also take a regular shift. Not easy, I know. But you can't have a repeat of what happened last night, not for a team with so much young talent.

Because it's not about Wilson or the Caps. It's about the Rangers. You're making him "pay" as a statement of team unity more than anything else.

 

[DuneGoon84]

Wilson knows full well Rangers are soft as heck. Hence his flexing, Domi wouldn't allow nonsense like. Wilson is a bully opportunist

 

[Pawnee Rangers]

other teams have skilled power forwards in the top 6 that defend themselves and their team, Ladeskog, Andres Lee, even JT Miller has more grit than this team does, even a 2ed year player from college Joel Farabee some fights this year. I wanna see battle and push pack from the Lafy, Fox, Kakko, Kravtsov. we see that from Buchnevich, I dont see why other's can't add that to their game. but knowing this team,. Rangers will settle for Zac Rinaldo or some 5 minutes of ice time goon this summer. it won't change.

Dude, you just rattled off three kids all under the age of 21 (with less than 50 NHL games worth of experience) and an undersized defenseman who should win the Norris this season. None of them should have to shoulder that burden. I do think Kakko and Laff will be more than capable of handling themselves in the not too distant future. They have this offseason to add a player or two to the roster that can take that role on.

 

[Chimpradamus]

NYR have two options tonight: Skate off after the anthems and boycott the game or intentionally injure one of the Caps stars in a post whistle scrum. Then the player who injured a star player obviously has to stop, smile and flex while looking like a complete idiot before heading towards the locker room.

 

[RangersFan1994]

This team has no one capable of stepping up except for Smith. You can't expect guys to do something they've never done. Why? So they get hurt too? They have two guys down in Hartford who I'm sure would love nothing more than to make a name for themselves at the expense of a guy like Wilson. This is on Gorton to fix.

fighting is part of hockey, even if certain players don't do as much, I would think they would practice that aspect of the game. some players do get into rare fights, some players only fight to defend a teammate..


Rangers had no issue defending themselves here. I don't get why they don't do this consistently

 

[ZEBROA]

It's very simple. Incidents like this will continue to occur because intent to injure is not an automatically suspendable offense. Unless fans want a game whereby fighting is a game misconduct and automatically reviewed for possible suspension, then they must accept the current rules and realize that this current Ranger roster is much to soft to compete within the laws of the game. It is what it is. The Rangers official statement is embarrassing.

This would still happened to Panarin if NYR was made of gorillagoons and Panarin. Tom Wilson types are to stupid to be scared . He would be killed and then WC would have to get there own team of gorillagoons and hockey would be crap to watch. Fighting in hockey is like watching paint dry. Hard clean checks on the other hand is an artform.

 

[Pawnee Rangers]

Because it's not about Wilson or the Caps. It's about the Rangers. You're making him "pay" as a statement of team unity more than anything else.

I think it's about both. Making him and the Caps pay and showing unity. I would really hate for this team to go into the offseason, coupled with everything else that happened this year, with this hanging over their heads

 

[Number 9]

other teams have skilled power forwards in the top 6 that defend themselves and their team, Ladeskog, Andres Lee, even JT Miller has more grit than this team does, even a 2ed year player from college Joel Farabee some fights this year. I wanna see battle and push pack from the Lafy, Fox, Kakko, Kravtsov. we see that from Buchnevich, I dont see why other's can't add that to their game, especially the veterans on this team Mika. Kreider (needs to be more of a bull). but knowing this team,. Rangers will settle for Zac Rinaldo or some 5 minutes of ice time goon this summer. it won't change.

Those are the guys we should protect, they should not have to fight unless no other option. I do agree that brining in a rinaldo type player would be a bad move.

 

[Pawnee Rangers]

fighting is part of hockey, even if certain players don't do as much, I would think they would practice that aspect of the game. some players do get into rare fights, some players only fight to defend a teammate..


Rangers had no issue defending themselves here. I don't get why they don't do this consistently

You really want Laff and Kakko fighting? I sure as shit don't.

 

[UnderPSI]

I don't know what playing physically against their superstars means. Taking the body? Shouldn't we be doing that anyway?

Means putting their superstars them through the f***ing boards. Exactly what Sean Avery said in his brief interview that was posted a few pages back.

Unfortunately we don't have anyone in the line up who will or would.

 

[Tob]

JD getting yelled at by Bettman at this very moment.

 

[DuneGoon84]

Had this thought yesterday as well. Really just shows complete incompetence by the league - anyone surprised? 1-2 game suspension and they could have just swept this right under the rug. Not justice but it wouldn’t be a league wide conversation.

They are so damn incompotent, glad Rangers called them out on this.

 

[Number 9]

JD getting yelled at by Bettman at this very moment.

With JD Yelling back, F Bettman

 

[RangersFan1994]

You really want Laff and Kakko fighting? I sure as shit don't.

so you never liked Graves or Messier because they were skilled guys that fought, Shanahan Avery Dubinsky Callahan also fought when they had too. i'd appreciate them fighting if it meant sticking up for their teammates and or to change the momentum of the game, not to fight the other team' goon... players that turn the other cheek get no respect. if Lafy or Kakko was on the ice and saw Mika get hit on a dirty play, you rather them skate to the bench and to rely on the refs instead of getting involved and being a good teammate

 

[Joe Ranger Fan 1960]

This would still happened to Panarin if NYR was made of gorillagoons and Panarin. Tom Wilson types are to stupid to be scared . He would be killed and then WC would have to get there own team of gorillagoons and hockey would be crap to watch. Fighting in hockey is like watching paint dry. Hard clean checks on the other hand is an artform.

Then, if the Rangers front office is in agreement with your sentiment on this, they should petition the GMs to ban fighting and not make emasculated cries of disappointment to the league. They don't have a leg to stand on here and it's like asking your mom to stand up for you because there's a bully on the bus. Maybe that's okay with many, but I'm not cool with it in hockey. Suck it up Rangers.