Can You Get Suspended

[BigDMcGee 3,352]

BigD, if he had clipped a player from the other team do you think he should be suspended?

That's the point. It's not on the other team. If the panthers suspended him, I'd be fine with that, for wreckless actions against his team mate, or w/e. But it's not the league's place to do it, and there's no necessity to "send a message" from the league that beating your own team mate with a stick is not okay. Everyone knows this message. What the league needs to do is worry about what lead to the accident, IE the practice of defenders slapping their sticks against the pipe in frustration. that's somethign the league should legislate. But a teammate accidentally injuring another teammate is not a league issue.

[bdc30 0]

Upon review of the nhl rulebook, the referee could have given a misconduct penalty under rule 22, which says a misconduct can be given for:

(iii) Deliberately breaking stick or refusing to surrender stick for measurement

Even that I think would have been sufficient. BigD, I think we're arguing ourselves in circles here. The issue is that he was swinging his stick around like an idiot. It doesn't matter that he hit his own teammate. If he'd smashed the ref in the head or if the shaft had flown in to the stands and hit a fan, they should all have the same consequences.

[coesillian 0]

see i don't think the team the injured player plays on should affect the decision. It was unintentional action, therefore the punishment should be the same regardless of who got hurt. If that would have been a 10 game offense if it were an Atlanta player thatn it should be for Vokoun as well.That being said, I think breaking your stick on the post is a 2 minute unsportsmanlike penalty.

[BigDMcGee 3,352]

see i don't think the team the injured player plays on should affect the decision. It was unintentional action, therefore the punishment should be the same regardless of who got hurt. If that would have been a 10 game offense if it were an Atlanta player thatn it should be for Vokoun as well.That being said, I think breaking your stick on the post is a 2 minute unsportsmanlike penalty.

Yeah, but like I said, if you accidentally cross check your teammate, you're not going to get a penalty.

[SBriand 4]

lol at this whole argumentPlayers have been swinging their sticks at posts and the glass and boards and on the ice for decades. One accident and the place erupts into an Bettman like overreaction. The team should be the one in this case that determines the punishment if they feel it is warranted. The league can feel free to add more rules and start punishing this type of incident from this date on. It's like most of you think that because this happened that there will be some crazy rash of similar incidents if he doesn't get suspended. It was an accident, avoidable, yes, but one that I doubt anyone of us can remember happening in our lifetimes but I am sure we all have seen players swing their stick in frustration thousands of times.

[ajs510 122]

The team should be the one in this case that determines the punishment if they feel it is warranted.

That's all I'm saying.

[BigDMcGee 3,352]

The team should be the one in this case that determines the punishment if they feel it is warranted. The league can feel free to add more rules and start punishing this type of incident from this date on. It's like most of you think that because this happened that there will be some crazy rash of similar incidents if he doesn't get suspended. It was an accident, avoidable, yes, but one that I doubt anyone of us can remember happening in our lifetimes but I am sure we all have seen players swing their stick in frustration thousands of times.

God bless you.

[Fenxis 99]

Players have been swinging their sticks at posts and the glass and boards and on the ice for decades. One accident and the place erupts into an Bettman like overreaction.

Vokoun was getting up as Ballard swung the stick-- according to Bettmanomics that means it's Vokoun's fault.

[digitalmonkey 929]

It's Brett Hull's fault.

[Nashtak 0]

You're missing the point. There's not a single person anywhere that thinks he meant to hit Vokoun. What some of us are saying it that you are solely responsible for controlling your stick while on the ice. Follow through on a shot and clip a guy in the face -- that's high sticking, whether you meant to do it or not. Cut the guy, it's a double minor or major. The rules of hockey don't distinguish between "accidental" high sticking and intentional.I'd bet if they gave him even a game or two, that would be the end of guys smashing their sticks recklessly out there.

1. I think they actually don't give high sticking to someone who follow through a shot.2. Considering you believe the ref should have given him high sticking on his own teammate; Should they call interference every time someone miss an open ice hit and hit his own teammate instead?3. The Ballard incident doesn't have anything to do with accidental or intentional, he hit his own teammates. That's why the league hasn't taken any action and that's why they might not take any action.

[BigDMcGee 3,352]

2. Considering you believe the ref should have given him high sticking on his own teammate; Should they call interference every time someone miss an open ice hit and hit his own teammate instead?

I think I asked that, didn't I? That's what cross checking is, right? If I didn't ask that, I was trying to.

[bdc30 0]

this is such a dumb argument. I never said they should have given him a high sticking penalty.