Gustav Nyquist 'accidental' high-stick to Jared Spurgeon

[flamesfan6]

Originally Posted by MarkGio

But I will say this. Spurgeon does the lazy thing and cross checks Nyquist from behind. Spurgeon SHOULD have imposed his body in the puck battle along the boards by trying to gain body position over Nyquist. Instead Spurg stands behind Nyquist and as soon as Nyquist looks like he has control of the puck he gets cross checked behind.

Nobody is talking about Spurgeon though. Because he's the "victim". Even though what Nyquist did was ####ed up, NOBODY would have an issue with Nyquist turning around and swinging his fists at Spurgeon's nose. He could go ape #### on Spurg and every one wouldn't call Nyquist dirty, or suspension worthy. Is a pummeling any less violent? This is the paradox of violence in the NHL right now.

At least on-ice justice made philosophical sense.

Spurgeons play happens multiple times in every game in the NHL, what he did is not out of the norm or dirty, and wasn't that hard.

Nyquists response is not OK to anything that happens in the game.

[Karl]

Originally Posted by Magnum PEI

Probably gets one or two. Seemed more like a careless jab than an intentional stick to the face.
Reminded me a bit of the Keith/Carter incident, and in both cases they seemed remorseful immediately after.

Originally Posted by btimbit

Nailed my thoughts as well. Looked like it very well could have been an accident, and his body language to me said "Oh crap, sorry!" But either way you need to control your stick and/or emotions better than that. 7 ish games wouldn't seem unreasonable

You guys have got to be kidding.

[Itse]

Originally Posted by MarkGio

Meh, nobody tracks this stuff.

I pretty strongly disagree, fight fans have always kept track of this stuff. And they post even the old ones on YouTube, but I can't at least easily find any actual bench brawls more recent than that. (Lots of videos calling linebrawls bench brawls though.)

I was born after said date and I've seen it on live TV. When did the 3rd man in rule come into effect? Or when did the bench rule come into affect? Those were way after 1987. So why would the league make rules for extinct problems 15 years after the last event?

Especially if you're born after 1987, I strongly suspect your memory is misleading you. You're most likely thinking of line brawls, or another league.

[chockfullofgoodness]

Originally Posted by Karl

I don't understand how there are a few people in here who think that shot on Spurgeon was any accident.

I watched this game on NBC and it looked bad enough on first viewing, but then during the intermission they even showed a replay featuring a look on Nyquist's face just before he was about to commit that spear to Spurgeon's face, and Gus had an incensed and predatory look on his face while looking back at Jared. Basically an 'I'm gonna kill you' or 'You're dead meat' sort of look.

Yeah, that was NO accident. Nyquist should get at least 10 games for that.

Agree 100 percent. That was BRUTAL. The sad part is that Nyqvist will probably only get 5 or 6 games because Spurgeon didn't get hurt. The intent to do serious damage was definitely there.

[driveway]

Originally Posted by MarkGio

Meh, nobody tracks this stuff. If a few guys stay on the bench, is that not defined as a line brawl. I was born after said date and I've seen it on live TV. When did the 3rd man in rule come into effect? Or when did the bench rule come into affect? Those were way after 1987. So why would the league make rules for extinct problems 15 years after the last event?

From the article Itse linked:

(Note: There have been 9 more bench clearers, the last happening in 1996, but those all occurred before the game, after the game, or during intermission.)

The specific dates of those fights can be found here: http://www.dropyourgloves.com/Fights....aspx?League=1

The last "bench-brawl" in NHL history took place at 20:00 of the 3rd period between Calgary and Toronto on March 9, 1996.

[MarkGio]

Originally Posted by Itse

I pretty strongly disagree, fight fans have always kept track of this stuff. And they post even the old ones on YouTube, but I can't at least easily find any actual bench brawls more recent than that. (Lots of videos calling linebrawls bench brawls though.)



Especially if you're born after 1987, I strongly suspect your memory is misleading you. You're most likely thinking of line brawls, or another league.

I dunno. Youtube didn't happen until 2005 and I have my doubts that before Netscape explorer and only a few thousand webpages was there a WWW fight-tracking website set up watching ALL 82 games from all (back then) 20 teams on dial-up 36K internet. That was when CBC basically had exclusive broadcasting and only a few FOX and TNT games were bought and broadcasted.

And like I said, if only a few guys come off the bench, or if a few guys stay back, is that no longer bench brawling? Like I said, the league made the bench rule back in 2005 or so, so I can't see them making a rule of guys jumping off the bench if it wasn't an issue.

Edit: how would anyone even track this back then? Most games in the states were blackouts and there wasn't a Gamecentre or CentreIce. So either some cheesy little website had 30 season ticket holders on salary attending every game, or they're using penalty data. And penalty data is flawed because not everyone gets a penalty from a bench clear.

[MarkGio]

Originally Posted by flamesfan6

Spurgeons play happens multiple times in every game in the NHL, what he did is not out of the norm or dirty, and wasn't that hard.

Nyquists response is not OK to anything that happens in the game.

Let me be clear, I think what Nyquist did was wrong and he deserves a good suspension. My point wasn't to justify his actions.

But Spurg was lazy. He didn't even dig for the puck. He just cross checks Nyquist in the numbers as soon as Nyquist touches it. And if Nyquist turns around and clobbers Spurgs face in with his bare hands, nobody bats an eye lid. Spurg could have a broken cheek-bone and nose from Nyquist punching his face and its OK, but a stick whip which leads to no injury is too far? My point is only to ask the questions.

[Flash Walken]

he'll get 7 games, the NHL will act like it's a harsh suspension for a first time offender, we'll all role our eyes and the next time nyquist will remember to keep the stick low into the abdomen.

[Strange Brew]

The momentary insanity excuse means nothing IMO. He may have had immediate regret but that means nothing in terms of punishment. That is just disgusting to witness.

[thefoss1957]

While the high stick is unforgivable, so too, is the cross check delivered by Spurgeon...honestly, this referee "managing" the game, instead of calling obvious penalties, sets up these sort of retaliations.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

My read of that play is Nyquist saw red, completely flipped, took a swing with his stick on instinct and as soon as he saw what he'd done immediately regretted it. In light of his history, it's one of those things that I wouldn't be surprised if we never saw him do again. Compare that to seeing someone like the aforementioned Duncan Keith do it, where it's part of a pattern - yeah, the "momentary insanity" thing definitely does make a difference to me. It has to do with whether he's likely to do it again.

Five games seems right to me.

[thefoss1957]

The "in-person" hearing", is a guaranteed 5 games minimum, isn't it? They can tack on more, to boot.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

No, they can still give you less, but they can't give you more without at least offering the in-person hearing.

[ComixZone]

Based on Duncan Keith's suspension from the other year, 6 games for Nyquist seems fair.

[MarkGio]

Originally Posted by driveway

From the article Itse linked:



The specific dates of those fights can be found here: http://www.dropyourgloves.com/Fights....aspx?League=1

The last "bench-brawl" in NHL history took place at 20:00 of the 3rd period between Calgary and Toronto on March 9, 1996.

Here's where they get their info:
http://www.dropyourgloves.com/Credits.aspx

Why is a bunch of usernames with footage and library data, and places like Toronto Star and magazines? Because games weren't widely broadcasted before the 2000s:

From its debut in the 1992–93 NHL season until the 2001–02 NHL season, weekly regular season games were broadcast on ESPN on Sundays (between NFL and baseball seasons), Wednesdays, and Fridays, and were titled Sunday/Wednesday/Friday Night Hockey. Prior to the 1999, these telecasts were non-exclusive, meaning they were blacked out in the regions of the competing teams, and an alternate game was shown in these affected areas.

From the 1992–1993 season to the 1993–1994 season, ABC televised six weekly regional telecasts on Sunday afternoons beginning in March (or the last three Sundays of the regular season). This marked the first time that regular season broadcasts of National Hockey League games were aired on American network television since 1975 (when NBC was the NHL's American broadcast television partner). ABC would then televise three weeks worth of playoff games (or the first three Sundays of the playoffs). They didn't televise the Stanley Cup Finals which instead, were televised nationally by ESPN and locally by Prime Ticket in Los Angeles (1993) and MSG in New York (1994). Games televised on ABC were not subject to blackout.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hist...tes_television


So basically the data is non-existant and random guys who VCR recorded what little broadcasts were available submits them, otherwise their depending on journalists who attended the games and wrote summaries in the local paper.

But hey, at least they acknowledged it's possible I was able to witness one...

[Alberta_Beef]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

Based on Duncan Keith's suspension from the other year, 6 games for Nyquist seems fair.

If Keith had a record heading into that, which I think he did; then it may just be 5.

[Anduril]

Would be happy if the ruling was actually strict but no doubt it'll end up being about 5 games.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by calgaryblood

Another useless post that doesn't address the point. Mark Gio does it all the time and transplant99 did it and ran away when I had a reply about the subject.

Provide facts and address the posts or don't reply at all. Like most of the pro-fight crowd they make useless one liners like this and then disappear from the thread.

Ran away?

No idea what you are talking about. I said then and now...you have no clue if which you speak so I was no longer wasting time on you as it is an effort in futility.

[SportsJunky]

Here is Beaulieau's spear to the nards on Chara yesterday also. Ouch.

[puckedoff]

Originally Posted by MattyC

10 yrs ago was 2007 not 1987.

Well that's just depressing