Foligno and Hartman are dirty players. Duhaime is close.
Foligno is a big boy. He brings pain when he delivers a hit. But he's a role player asked to play a tough checking game on the ice. I don't think he's even in the same conversation as a guy like Marchand or Tom Wilson. Duhaime plays like a Canadian, which is to say he's physical and chippy, but I don't consider him a dirty player, either. His game is just like Sydney Crosby's, minus the skill. ?
Harman does have a temper and is known to jab with the stick once in a while, so I'll agree on him. Even so, he's a smaller player and mostly harmless.
Some of the dirtiest players in the NHL, ironically enough, are high-end skill guys like Marchand, Ovi, Benn, Tkacuk, Malkin, Perry et. al.
Foligno and Hartman are dirty players. Duhaime is close.
Foligno is a big boy. He brings pain when he delivers a hit. But he's a role player asked to play a tough checking game on the ice. I don't think he's even in the same conversation as a guy like Marchand or Tom Wilson. Duhaime plays like a Canadian, which is to say he's physical and chippy, but I don't consider him a dirty player, either. His game is just like Sydney Crosby's, minus the skill. ?
Harman does have a temper and is known to jab with the stick once in a while, so I'll agree on him. Even so, he's a smaller player and mostly harmless.
Some of the dirtiest players in the NHL, ironically enough, are high-end skill guys like Marchand, Ovi, Benn, Tkacuk, Malkin, Perry et. al.
If you want to limit it to to the 5-10 dirtiest players in the league, then Foligno and Hartman are not at that level. But, both have been suspended and/or fined multiple times in the last few years.
The players need to be in solidarity from the plugs who make league min to the Auston Mathews of the league. Also there’s the cultural element of being tough guys etc. and there’s way more of the league min players than them, you’d have issues in your own locker room if you started lobbying to give harsher suspensions that would mainly affect the guys toward the bottom of the pay scale. That’s not to say star players never fly off the handle and get suspended but they can take the loss far more easily.
And like I said it’s ownership and upper management who didn’t want this. That’s the only people Bettman actually listens to.
This too easily absolves the players' role in this. Every roster has minimum salaried players and if those players don't want to lose paychecks they can stop mugging players on the ice. Not being a thug doesn't mean you have to lose your job - rosters have to be filled out and it's not going to happen solely with skilled players because of the cap.
Also I imagine far more players care about this than don't so any hurt feelings would be outweighed by the majority. As far as what the owners want or don't want, if they think the players don't give a rip why should they?
Regarding the insipid "tough guy" element this isn't a conversation about outlawing enforcers or fighting, but about taking care of dangerous plays that could happen to any player on the ice - not just star players.
If the players continue to refuse to speak out this is not going to get fixed, and saying otherwise lets them off the hook.
It doesn’t matter what the players ask for because the GMs and owners don’t give a fuck what they think and hold more power. Change in regards to safety isn’t going to come from players lobbying against their own material interests. If the majority of players wanted harsher suspensions the NHLPA would be lobbying for it, they aren’t. If the owners and GMs wanted safety to improve they’d be lobbying for it, they also aren’t. This isn’t complicated, the owners have far more power to change things in this regard and therefore deserve the majority of the blame. There’s literally nothing the players could do if they imposed greater punishment for dirty play other than strike and that hasn’t happened in over 30 years. It’s pretty obvious who holds more power in those negotiations based on what we’ve seen in the past. The players should ask for NBA salaries while they're at it ?
You literally argued in a circle regarding players caring about their safety too.
The people defending that hit because "hockey is a tough sport" are out of their mind. I didn't even realize it was Lindgren the first time I saw it. His back was turned for the majority of the approach by Pasta so claiming he turned at the last second is beyond oblivious.
The people defending that hit because "hockey is a tough sport" are out of their mind. I didn't even realize it was Lindgren the first time I saw it. His back was turned for the majority of the approach by Pasta so claiming he turned at the last second is beyond oblivious.
I have seen more of the "players need to defend themselves better" argument than it's a tough sport for this hit. Both are get off my lawn comments.
An interesting set of events. Cousins had a dirty hit on an Arizona player and Zucker came in and ran him into the boards. Cousins is a notorious dirty player as he recently hit Gudbranson that caused that situation and he also gave Knies a concussion during last years playoffs. I hope he finally gets a suspension.
Can you imagine if people acted like this in public?
Oh, wait.
Players should act like professionals and those in charge need to grow a pair and put a stop to this nonsense. Someone is going to get seriously injured and it’s going to happen sooner than later.
When bad on ice incidents happen/are talked about it reminds me of what happen to the great Henry Boucha.
I am too young to have seen the incident live but from my father I am familiar with how a great Minnesota born hockey players' career was ended by a vicious on ice attack.
For those who aren't familiar with Henry he was a star at Warroad high school in the late 1960s, played on the USA Olympic team in 1972 and played in the NHL until 1975 when the severe eye injury happened. It resulted in a 10 game suspension and a legal case. It ended up being a hung jury and the prosecution decided not to try the case again.
Hockey is a great game but with sticks, hits from behind/to the head/knees, and skates can turn very dangerous quickly and some of the culture of hockey should change but unfortunately often times change doesn't happen when it should and in the case of Henry even a REALLY horrible incident doesn't really lead to long term change.
IMO since sports often is ALL about winning it can lead to a culture of winning at all cost and a lack of respect for your opponent. Yes in competition there is going to be a natural dislike for your opponent but it's when this gets to a point of not respecting your opponent IMO that leads to doing dangerous things that lead to needless injuring which can be severe but it continues because of a culture of well it's a dog eat dog world. There is always a portion of people within the game who will fight to keep the game from be sissified even though I hate that term.
At the beginning of the season who had Faber leading all rookies in assists? I realize Bedard is hurt now but he did play 39 games before getting hurt. Faber has played 45 games. To be a good defensive defensemen and be leading all rookies in assists by 5 is impressive. 2 of the top 3 are Gophers.
Cal Foote, Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Dillon Dube, and Alex Formenton are all on indefinite leave from their teams and were also on the 2018 Canadian world junior team.
That's ugly and brutal.....Gally has some serious free time & a lighter wallet in his immediate future.
“When your best friend is the son of God, you get tired of losing every argument.”
― Christopher Moore, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
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The NHL is going to announce a return to the Olympics this afternoon. I got excited for 2022, and that feel through so I hope this actually happens, but this is FANTASTIC news for my favorite hockey tournament.
I am curious if they will actually go to Italy or if they will host it in North America as has been speculated.
'29, '40, '74, '76, '79, '02, & '03
GPL's Resident Cabin Enthusiast & Cadets Hockey Fan
“When your best friend is the son of God, you get tired of losing every argument.”
― Christopher Moore, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
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I guess it’s even better than that. The World Cup of Hockey will return and it sounds like we will now have a best on best tournament every two years. That is long, long overdue considering the last time anything like this happened was 2016.
The NHL also announces a Four Nations Cup in what would be the All Star Game next year between US/CAN/SWE/FIN
'29, '40, '74, '76, '79, '02, & '03
GPL's Resident Cabin Enthusiast & Cadets Hockey Fan
The list of oldest active players has to heavily skew those with MN Wild ties...
Zach Parise, Ryan Suter, MAF, Goligoski has to be right there... Brent Burns is still around... That has to be half of the top 10.
Further with MN ties, I think Wheeler is right behind them.
Wheeler is 29 days younger than me (we played 2 seasons together in youth). A few years ago I remember looking at a few rosters and going "wow... I would be the oldest player on either team..." And then I realized I am getting old.
“When your best friend is the son of God, you get tired of losing every argument.”
― Christopher Moore, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
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@the-rube posted this last night in ‘Simple Pleasures’. I’m pretty sure Rielly is going to be writing a check out and sitting in the press box here really soon.
A slapper there is a jerkface move, but retaliating makes you look small. Rolling my eyes at both organizations here.
Agree to disagree on the slap shot. Though Reilly gets to visit headquarters. Lucky for him it’s just across town.
You are correct that one of the NHL leagues offices is located in Toronto, along with the video situation room, but the department of player safety is located in NYC. So he will have to travel to NYC if he wants to go in person.
I'm 50% factual and 50% sarcastic. When you get to know me, you will know which is which.
