Yea yea yea.. another Rant, tough!!
I'll rant if I want too lol..
Soooooooooooo...
Here's the scoop, Daniel Alfredson...
Stanley Cup Finals playing against the Anaheim Ducks.
Yes.. I'm sure by now we've ALL heard about the incident.
It's been all over the news, CBC, NBC, Nhl.com..It likely
Filled the pages of many Canadian newspapers, and some
Down in Anaheim.
My question is this....
WHY??? WHY???? Has the NHL not reviewed this Incident?
Just in case you've been living under a Rock..let me recap
For you.
A few seconds left in the second period of Game four of the
2007 Finals, Alfredson decides he's gonna take ONE last shot
At the net, as some players normally do, maybe..just maybe
You'll get lucky and catch the goaltender unaware right??
And get in a very late goal.
Ahhh, if only that was the case..but INSTEAD..the Captain
Of the Ottawa Senators..JUST before he lets go on the puck,
Turns, his body..and his stick..*Directing* the puck
Straight in the direction of Scott Niedermayer with a
SLAP SHOT!!
Oh..now of course he denies that it was an intentional shot
AT Niedermayer, no one in their right mind would admit to
That afterwords, I mean.. what would that mean for your
Name and career?.
But IMO his actions CLEARLY show his intent.
There WAS a few seconds left, why would you NOT shoot the
Puck at the net if there was a small chance it might go in?
Especially taking a look at the scenario, it's not like there
Was allot of traffic and there was no point in it.
His excuse of *just wanting to get rid of the puck* is BULLSHIT
From my perspective.
I've YET to see a player who has ONE last chance to shoot
The puck at the net..*Before* the buzzer goes, decide not
To at least try.
If he had truly decided NOT to take a last shot at the net,
He could have simply..NOT SHOT THE PUCK AT ALL.
Instead..he Turns..Toward Scott..and Fires a bullet which
Although hits Niedermayer, was lucky to not cause any
Injuries.
(Incident is about midway through this video)
Alfredson had a loaded weapon, and he pulled the trigger.
Of almost ALL the cheap shots taken this year, I am adamant
That this one should not only have been one of the HIGHEST
In priority to review, but it should have led to a very
Stiff suspension, if not..NHL Dismissal.
You may all disagree with me, go ahead, but before you do..
Lets take into account some of the stories about puck injuries,
To Fans, Players..and Refs alike.
Lets talk about when Elizabeth Hahn, 32, of La Grange
Park was hit in the right earlobe while reaching for a
napkin at Chicago Black hawks game. The impact of the puck
tore off a piece of her earlobe and caused a blood clot
in her brain that required surgery to remove. Hahn is
suing the Black hawks, the United Center and the NHL for
$400,000.
Or when Brittanie Cecil, a 13-year-old from West Alexandria,
Ohio, was struck in the forehead at a Columbus Blue
Jackets game. Cecil, who died two days later, was the
first fan killed at a NHL game.
Or even perhaps when Blumhagen was seated in the stands,
a hockey puck hit by Western Michigan player Karl Merkle
left the ice and struck Blumhagen in the face. Blumhagen
sustained a broken jaw, facial injuries and several
fractured teeth, which required five root canals.
(During a university game in Michigan)
Not to mention the Countless foot/ankle injuries sustained
By pucks going near speeds of 100 MPH.
THIS IS NO JOKE!!
HOW could the NHL decide not to review this??
Or make a statement of their stand on the incident??
SURE.. players are protected, they wear helmets, and sometimes
Face Shields and whatnot, but the possibility for serious injury
Is STILL there, to the neck, face, etc...
And to think it was done intentionally..is sickening.
McClennan of the Flames was suspended 5 games for an intentional
Stick across the midsection of a Detroit player.
Pronger was suspended TWICE in the last two series for intentional
Hits to the head.
Now.. I'm all for rough and tough hockey, yes.. I love seeing players
Fired up, the *good* fights and hits during a game. I realize it's
Playoff hockey, and cheap shots will happen like it or not.
But just because this player happens to be a Captain, and a Star player
In the NHL, does NOT mean he should not be accountable for his
Actions. Especially one that could have had near tragic consequences.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
good post, you're right on, i talked about this on my hockey blog and like i stated in my blog, if it was a tough guy that did this instead of Alfredson, we all know he would have been suspended for a long time. it's a double standard, and it's always been there, tough guys are always penalized more. Alfredson is classless and for those that support him are clueless. Even Brett Hull knows Alfredson did that on purpose.
I think the NHL didn't review this for a couple of reasons...
1. PROVING intent would be impossible. Alfie could say he just shot it in that direction and got an unlucky shot. There just really is no way to PROVE intent.
2. Media Pressure. The end of the game put the Ducks up 3-1. The NHL was already getting the wrath of Canadian media over the lack of teeth to Pronger's suspension. To put "Canada's team" down without their captain for game 5 would have not been a good look the NHL wanted out there. Many felt the NHL had things stacked against the Sens in the first place. A game later, it makes no difference anyways.
3. How do you suspend Alfie for that when Pronger only got 1 game for each of his hits which were far more dangerous and damaging? Had Pronger gotten 2 or 3 games for his cheapshot the Alfie getting 1 might have been understandable. Even Bettman spoke about how the games become more and more important and 'valuable' as the playoffs go deeper. It was part of his justification about Pronger only getting 1 game for his repeat offense. If that is the case, then Alfie suspended for Game 5 would be more than Pronger Game 4. I would have a hard time saying what Alfie did was worth more games!
Thanks for stopping by Sportsfan and hockeynutz :)
hmmm, though I gotta say Mr Nutz..the age old saying;
*Actions speak louder than words* could easily apply to the Alfredson shot.
Especially when even from the limited views we've been able to review it at, the NHL has far more at their disposal.
Enough to at least warrant a LOOK SEE, and give a statement on their stand.
If it's that evident to US with what we've seen, surely they've got enough to determine if they think it was intent.
Hell.. any play reviewed by them ends up being based on their *opinion* of the play, the Pronger hits, etc..as to if it was *intentional*. some are easier than others, I'll grant you that.
But letting this go IMO is setting a bad precedent for it to happen in the future.
And IMO.. letting it go looks far worse for the NHL, than taking the Captian out. I wouldn't be one bit surprised if even the average Sens fan feels that way.
And again.. Sure the Pronger hits were more damaging, but there's no way on this planet they were more dangerous.
You've been around hockey long enough to know what the *possible* outcome could have been had that puck hit him in the neck or face, the face sheild only comes down so far.
I digress Mr Nutz, I disagree with your take on it all ;) lol.
But non the less..we're all just writing our opinions, and yours are always welcome and appreciated.
I just know you, and know you don't mind me er.. disagreeing with you lmao :)
Post a Comment