[News] Kessel suspended rest of preseason. Will not miss any regular season games

[kenk-la]

He should've been suspended for at least two regular season games, the wheel of justice at it again. Kessel did not need to slash Scott the second time, nor the poke after. It is strange how the NHL is letting a lot of these slashing infractions go either weakly punished or not punished at all (ie. Duncan Keith, Taylor Hall, Mike Smith in recent memory, among others). I am aware people pay to see the star players, but when they do something that is reckless and dangerous they too should be held accountable.

[macrov]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Actually, that's a fair fine. Scott was out there for a specific reason, and it had nothing to do with hockey.

Kessel's "suspension" is a pitiful joke though, and still, it is somehow more than I expected. Another misfire by Shanahan.

I think this is fair. It basically tells players, that this is acceptable conduct. And in my opinion, given the context, what Kessel did was completely acceptable. In fact, if Kessel took used his stick to lacerate the guy's face, I think it would have also have been fair conduct.

Goons fight goons. Hockey players fight hockey players. Scott crossed the line, and deserves to get his head bashed in with a metal pipe. IMO with just a few hacks to his ankles he got off easy.

[Vulcan]

This re-enforces the idea that little pukes like Kessel can get away with whatever they want.

[macrov]

Originally Posted by Vulcan

This re-enforces the idea that little pukes like Kessel can get away with whatever they want.

Or it reinforces the idea that clowns like Scott can't fight whoever they want. And it reinforces the notion that in the event a goon goes after a star, the league is going to turn a blind-eye to whatever the star need to do to defend themselves.

I agree with this the leagues position.

[StrykerSteve]

What a joke.

So it's ok to swing your stick viciously towards other players? He used it like an axe trying to chop down a tree. Just because someone wasn't hurt, they let him off with essentially no punishment.

If someone had been killed, I wonder if they would have given at least one regular season game.

[DazzlinDino]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Actually, that's a fair fine. Scott was out there for a specific reason, and it had nothing to do with hockey.

Kessel's "suspension" is a pitiful joke though, and still, it is somehow more than I expected. Another misfire by Shanahan.

Guess the NHL had a funny way around this one

[Bertuzzied]

I would chip into a pool to pay for McGrattons suspension, if he just started wailing on Yakupov right off the faceoff. Get the Kevlar suit ready Grats!

[theinfinitejar]

Originally Posted by Vulcan

This re-enforces the idea that little pukes like Kessel can get away with whatever they want.

This sends the message that if some useless gorilla like Scott tries to attack an actual hockey player, the league is going to let the real player get away with a little bit more than usual, so keep your monkeys in line.

[DazzlinDino]

Originally Posted by Magnum PEI

Surprised he got anything. I don't think three whacks to the shin pad deserves a suspension, and the league doesn't seem to suspend spears anymore.

Okay lets be honest what lets just say Scott ran around 2 handed slashing Kessels ankles. I bet he would have gotten a lot more than preseason games...

[strombad]

Originally Posted by Vulcan

This re-enforces the idea that little pukes like Kessel can get away with whatever they want.

Originally Posted by macrov

Or it reinforces the idea that clowns like Scott can't fight whoever they want. And it reinforces the notion that in the event a goon goes after a star, the league is going to turn a blind-eye to whatever the star need to do to defend themselves.

I agree with this the leagues position.

It actually reinforces both. Enforcers shouldn't be going after star players, even if they're dirty little pukes, and dirty little pukes shouldn't be defending themselves with the blade of their stick, even if it's against someone they shouldn't have to defend themselves against.

Both parties are equal here, any shot at Scott should be met with an equal shot at Kessel, and vice versa.

[Pontine]

What a joke, no consistency...

[KootenayFlamesFan]

Weiss gets 3 pre-season games because Shanahan points out Hall wasn't hurt. Kessel gets the same, once again Shanahan points out there was no injury. Kassian gets 5 games because Gagner gets hurt.

So basically Shanahan is coming right out and saying you can do pretty much anything you want, as long as the other player doesn't get hurt the punishment will not be severe.

That's some pretty terrible, and scary, reasoning.

[theinfinitejar]

Originally Posted by Pontine

What a joke, no consistency...

I dare you to find me a comparable situation to this one.

[ComixZone]

Makes sense to me. This is how you help protect the stars of the game. If they had suspended him anything long-term, it'd effectively be saying it's open season to attack the stars of the game as they can't defend themselves.

[PantherExtreme]

Personally I like that the NHL suspends based on injury. It is one of the simplest and most measurable ways to assess the force/seriousness of a hit. It allows us to get on with things and not lose good players from regular season games due to nothing plays like this one.

What do we do about Kassians jaw breaking high stick versus the 10,000 other high sticks each year? Not give Kassian anything for being reckless? Suspend everyone for every high stick? Watch frame by frame and try to guess how fast each high stick was moving? Or we suspend when you injure someone, simple. It is the most manageable way and that is why the NHL uses it.

Giving the message "careful, an illegal play becomes a suspension when done with enough reckless force that you injure someone" is fair and effective warning for players imo.

[Stay Golden]

If a freak like 6'8 Scott came after me I would probably be swinging a stick in a frenzy too to fend that idiot off.
The NHL gave Kessel the preseason games because it is a nothing suspension just to pacify critics of Kessel's actions.
But lets be clear Scott and his coach manifested that whole unnecessary premeditated altercation.
If Kessel allowed Scott to grab him and Scott started to pummel him it could have very easily end Kessels career or at min Kessel would have definatly be injured.

If we flipped the switch here and lets say that tool McIntyre forces Sven to try and fight him. We would defend Sven's actions and say can believe what that goon was trying to do. I think Kessel was forced into a bizarre situation and defended himself. But where Kessel took advantage of the stick swinging was when Scott was no longer a threat as he was battling with other Leafs and Kessel continued to chop at his legs.
Still I don't feel Kessel should be punished anymore than these 3 games.
It would have been interesting to see what would have be doled out if this occurred in the regular season.
If anything I believe that the Buffalo HC should have been suspended x amount of games for instructing Scott to take care of business. He could be seen talking to Scott and then putting him out the very next shift after the 1st fight. Problem is the NHL can't prove what was said between Scott and "Rolston". ( I'm not sure if it was Rolston behind the bench).

[Bertuzzied]

Originally Posted by PantherExtreme

Personally I like that the NHL suspends based on injury. It is one of the simplest and most measurable ways to assess the force/seriousness of a hit. It allows us to get on with things and not lose good players from regular season games due to nothing plays like this one.

What do we do about Kassians jaw breaking high stick versus the 10,000 other high sticks each year? Not give Kassian anything for being reckless? Suspend everyone for every high stick? Watch frame by frame and try to guess how fast each high stick was moving? Or we suspend when you injure someone, simple. It is the most manageable way and that is why the NHL uses it.

Giving the message "careful, an illegal play becomes a suspension when done with enough reckless force that you injure someone" is fair and effective warning for players imo.

Matt Cooke should have been suspended until Savard returned to the NHL.

[CalgaryFan1988]

They can't have goons chasing around marketed players.

Sabres coach was an idiot for sending Scott out to do it in the first place.

If they suspended Kessel for any real games, it gives goons the green light to go after star players.

If it was Macintyre that went after Monahan I wonder if any opinions in here would have changed....

[DazzlinDino]

Originally Posted by CalgaryFan1988

They can't have goons chasing around marketed players.

Sabres coach was an idiot for sending Scott out to do it in the first place.

If they suspended Kessel for any real games, it gives goons the green light to go after star players.

If it was Macintyre that went after Monahan I wonder if any opinions in here would have changed....

Okay but what of the stick swinging, Kessels actions show other players, goons or not that stick swinging is fair retaliation.

[SHOGUN]

Originally Posted by Stay Golden

If a freak like 6'8 Scott came after me I would probably be swinging a stick in a frenzy too to fend that idiot off.
The NHL gave Kessel the preseason games because it is a nothing suspension just to pacify critics of Kessel's actions.
But lets be clear Scott and his coach manifested that whole unnecessary premeditated altercation.
If Kessel allowed Scott to grab him and Scott started to pummel him it could have very easily end Kessels career or at min Kessel would have definatly be injured.

If we flipped the switch here and lets say that tool McIntyre forces Sven to try and fight him. We would defend Sven's actions and say can believe what that goon was trying to do. I think Kessel was forced into a bizarre situation and defended himself. But where Kessel took advantage of the stick swinging was when Scott was no longer a threat as he was battling with other Leafs and Kessel continued to chop at his legs.
Still I don't feel Kessel should be punished anymore than these 3 games.
It would have been interesting to see what would have be doled out if this occurred in the regular season.
If anything I believe that the Buffalo HC should have been suspended x amount of games for instructing Scott to take care of business. He could be seen talking to Scott and then putting him out the very next shift after the 1st fight. Problem is the NHL can't prove what was said between Scott and "Rolston". ( I'm not sure if it was Rolston behind the bench).

Kessel didn't "fend" him off... he basically cheaply two-handed his ankle while other players were holding him back.