Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community - View Single Post - Matheson does his best "WWE" slam on Pettersson

Split98 · 10-15-2018, 01:59 PM

I think Matheson was very aware of who he had in his clutches, and the size and strength disparity. At best, he could be surprised at how much force he threw Pettersson to the ice, but the purposeful push to the ground was there - and the brief moment from clutch to push was certainly enough for Matheson to know what he was doing.

That said, if it's 95% of the league in his clutches, he's likely not hurting anyone and it's a powerful finishing move. It's a hit and push that we probably see quite frequently but it's not normally a 150lb kid that's being thrown from the board-dasher to the ice. He manhandled the kid, he knew he could manhandle the kid, and the kid unsurprisingly got hurt. If we're all being honest, I think that the best we could say for Matheson in this instance was that he wasn't very concerned for Elias' well-being.

If you imagine Tkachuk on the receiving end it's likely just an aggressive play (and he probably had it coming...). The head impacting the ice really only happens when the player has lost control of his body. The problem with the hit is that he knew Pettersson didn't have control of his body, and he was using his own strength advantage to put him there. It's not a dirty move, but it does seem predatory to me when you consider the subject and the outcome.

Tough to suspend, and I hardly want more injuries to come of it. It's a pretty tough call, but IMO this is a score only Vancouver can settle. The game is fast and hard, and the Canucks are going to have to find out how to get this kid through his younger years. I just wish there was more respect out there, and player code would take care of issues like this.

10-15-2018, 01:59 PM	#213
Split98 Franchise Player Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Ontario Exp:	I think Matheson was very aware of who he had in his clutches, and the size and strength disparity. At best, he could be surprised at how much force he threw Pettersson to the ice, but the purposeful push to the ground was there - and the brief moment from clutch to push was certainly enough for Matheson to know what he was doing. That said, if it's 95% of the league in his clutches, he's likely not hurting anyone and it's a powerful finishing move. It's a hit and push that we probably see quite frequently but it's not normally a 150lb kid that's being thrown from the board-dasher to the ice. He manhandled the kid, he knew he could manhandle the kid, and the kid unsurprisingly got hurt. If we're all being honest, I think that the best we could say for Matheson in this instance was that he wasn't very concerned for Elias' well-being. If you imagine Tkachuk on the receiving end it's likely just an aggressive play (and he probably had it coming...). The head impacting the ice really only happens when the player has lost control of his body. The problem with the hit is that he knew Pettersson didn't have control of his body, and he was using his own strength advantage to put him there. It's not a dirty move, but it does seem predatory to me when you consider the subject and the outcome. Tough to suspend, and I hardly want more injuries to come of it. It's a pretty tough call, but IMO this is a score only Vancouver can settle. The game is fast and hard, and the Canucks are going to have to find out how to get this kid through his younger years. I just wish there was more respect out there, and player code would take care of issues like this.