Rangers statement on Wilson non-suspension

[FireGerardGallant]

That tweet is...something. I did a quick click around this place and literally every fan base is talking about it, with all but one wildly in favor of what the Rangers did. Several teams fans were saying that they wanted their team to fall in line behind the Rangers by releasing solidarity statements in a push to create actual change on this.

Man if the other 29 non caps team say something what would the league even do

 

[bambamcam4ever]

Are the Rangers planning on dressing any goons for tomorrow?

 

[NYROrtsFan]

The only negative with the statement is it probably means we aren't going to goon it up. Hard to have a major statement like that demanding significant action and then go out there and give go crazy in the game.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

I hope tomorrow's game is a clean match and we all shake hands afterwards

Part of me wants that to happen as well, because if someone will go headhunting Wilson or Backstrom (won't happen) this statement will look silly.

 

[smoneil]

I think Parros is going to be removed from the post. Every decision he makes now will be open to being attacked by lawyers in lawsuits. The Rangers called out Parros, not the league itself for the most part. If they put Alanis Morissette into that role, they will be able to deflect in court and say, that was in reference to Parros, incidents after May 05, 2021 are not related to that particular comment.

Then the league will have to send a message to the teams that you can't force our hands into firing directors and league officials. If this was the Coyotes, a $10,000,000 fine will send a message but the Rangers are prepared to pay whatever fines especially after receiving what? $20,000,000 from Seattle a few days ago?

This will cost us our 1st round pick. I'm convinced.

I don't think the league wants to escalate things to that level. They'd litigate it. There's also no real precedent for revoking a draft pick due to an act of public criticism.

 

[HatTrick Swayze]

NHL social media has been silent as well since the statement. If you go through their posts on IG every single one has top comments to the affect of "ban Wilson". There is a really strong fan reaction to this and it isn't just Ranger fans.

 

[Tob]

I don't think the league wants to escalate things to that level. They'd litigate it. There's also no real precedent for revoking a draft pick due to an act of public criticism.

Hard to tell with no precedence but i honestly don't think a fine will satisfy the league esp after seattle's free money.

 

[smoneil]

Man if the other 29 non caps team say something what would the league even do

If 29 teams lined up behind the Rangers on the subject, there might be a small chance the league does...the right thing, and starts protecting the players' safety rather than their bottom line. The fact is that everyone knows if the Rangers were en route to the playoffs and the Caps had three games left in their season, the DoPS would have acted differently. That's a huge problem.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

NHL social media has been silent as well since the statement. If you go through their posts on IG every single one has top comments to the affect of "ban Wilson". There is a really strong fan reaction to this and it isn't just Ranger fans.

Meanwhile in Caps fan land:

 

[bobbop]

Do we have any goons to dress tomorrow? Anybody in Hartford?

Bueller? Bueller?

 

[LeetchisGod]

NHL Network....

Still no comment on this. (They are live with game updates)

Bettman tossed the gag order, which makes them look even worse.

The sport is great. The league is a joke.

 

[nyr2k2]

I think the NHL knows Wilson is a problem, knows this was handled poorly, and knows a harsh punishment will only cause further backlash. I think the outrage from across the sport is pretty tangible.

I bet they fine the Rangers a couple hundred thousand, release a statement supporting Parros and the DPS, and then move on. And nothing else happens in the short term.

 

[HatTrick Swayze]

The only negative with the statement is it probably means we aren't going to goon it up. Hard to have a major statement like that demanding significant action and then go out there and give go crazy in the game.

Agreed, but IMO they were never going to. They have Brendan Smith and maybe Rooney. If Trouba, Lindgren, and on a rare day maybe Kreider were in the lineup it could have been a different story.

 

[thethirdhockeyman91]

Do we have any goons to dress tomorrow? Anybody in Hartford?

Ogie Ogelthorpe and Dr Hook!

 

[Leetch3]

tomorrow when the NHL fines the rangers $100K, Dolan should write a check for $1 mil with a public statement requesting that the league put the extra money towards paying some of the medical bills of former players that suffered from head injuries that the NHL failed to protect them from, some of who may have been the victim of George Parros during his playing days lol

 

[smoneil]

Hard to tell with no precedence but i honestly don't think a fine will satisfy the league esp after seattle's free money.

I think the league wants it out of the headlines. Going to war with the Rangers over this just keeps it in the headlines for longer. My guess is the league will try to get to the other side of the Rangers/Caps rematch, with instructions to the ref crew to keep the game locked down and in control. After the game, I can see them issuing a fine, and then at some point in the offseason, announcing that they will be reviewing the DoPS process (which will ultimately amount to a shuffling of positions and no real change).

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

The NHL DoPS literally had a batting practice pitch straight down the middle and not only did they whiff but they struck out embarrassingly.

You have a multiple repeat offender who the whole league knows is a scumbag violently and dangerously take down a marquee star player for their biggest market who also happens to be half the size of the offender.

This should’ve been an easy suspension of some duration. But to only fine 5k for the punch on Buchnevich and zilch for the Panarin incident, it’s like worse than striking out. It’s striking out and after strike three the catcher drops the ball and you go to run to first and your pants fall down and you trip and break both your legs and then the catcher pegs you in the nuts with the ball.

 

[nyr2k2]

Are the Rangers planning on dressing any goons for tomorrow?

The only guy we really have in Mason Geertsen, a D/F in Hartford who is not an NHL-caliber player in any sense but IS a great fighter and just a generally tough f***ing customer. There's no indication that he'll be getting the call (it would be his debut) but you never know.

 

[Pawnee Rangers]

Agreed, but IMO they were never going to. They have Brendan Smith and maybe Rooney. If Trouba, Lindgren, and on a rare day maybe Kreider were in the lineup it could have been a different story.

Which makes what Wilson did an even bigger punk move. He knew the Rangers had no one in the lineup to retaliate. They need to respond tomorrow night, statement or no statement. I don’t think this is going away anytime soon.

 

[Tob]

I think the league wants it out of the headlines. Going to war with the Rangers over this just keeps it in the headlines for longer. My guess is the league will try to get to the other side of the Rangers/Caps rematch, with instructions to the ref crew to keep the game locked down and in control. After the game, I can see them issuing a fine, and then at some point in the offseason, announcing that they will be reviewing the DoPS process (which will ultimately amount to a shuffling of positions and no real change).

I hope so. That's the cool calm collected route. My scenario is certainly the nuclear route but it wouldn't be the first time the league has gone with the stick instead of the carrot.

 

[ManwithNoIdentity]

Good on them, it’s sad it’s taken this damn long for someone to call out the farce that is the DOPS

 

[Pawnee Rangers]

The only guy we really have in Mason Geertsen, a D/F in Hartford who is not an NHL-caliber player in any sense but IS a great fighter and just a generally tough f***ing customer. There's no indication that he'll be getting the call (it would be his debut) but you never know.

He’s exactly who they should put in the lineup tomorrow.

 

[SRHRangers]

If the Rangers went the goon route, JD has the built in excuse of the league didn't do anything, had to take care of business myself.

I doubt this is over. That statement is shots fired.

 

[smoneil]

I hope so. That's the cool calm collected route. My scenario is certainly the nuclear route but it wouldn't be the first time the league has gone with the stick instead of the carrot.

Arizona and New Jersey get the stick from the league. The Rangers have money, history, and a media machine. If the league is smart, they won't go anywhere near that stick.

 

[nyr2k2]

I never really advocate tit-for-tat but at this point I'm low-bridging Backstrom and taking repeated two-handers at Ovechkin's ankles.

One of these days someone will go Simon on Wilson's Hollweg, and not one person outside of DC will feel any remorse.