Matheson does his best "WWE" slam on Pettersson - Update: 2 game suspension

[ForeverFlameFan]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

Also, I can't believe nobody is mentioning this, but how about this:

1) Everyone agrees that the first part was a normal hockey play

2) Everyone has varying positions on how bad the second part was, ranging from "it's dirty and suspendable" to "it's a 2 minute penalty". There's quite a range there, but the consensus is that it was over the line to some extent.

3) Pettersson is injured on the play, making the offense magnified and people are concerned about player safety on something that looks like it was over the line to whatever extent you perceive.

However, what if Pettersson's injuries came on the clean part of that hockey play? How can we determine where he was injured? Could it not have just as easily happened on the check to the boards as much as when he hit the ice?

The problem is, we (myself included) are all assuming that the part of the play we found objectionable is the reason for the injury, but it's just as likely to have happened on the play we all found perfectly reasonable. Pettersson is very slight, and so a regular old body check could have injured him just as easily as the slam.

I think we have to keep some perspective on this one and not get too worked because the end result was an injury.

Pettersson concussed or unconcussed, injured or not injured, that part isn’t what I’m mad about. I’m mad because Matheson checked him and then body slammed Pettersson. Since when is body slamming okay? It’s not.

If Pettersson got injured over a huge check by a bigger player, then alright. That’s not what happened though.

[GioforPM]

Almost identical - what happened as far as punishment here?

https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/...am-borowiecki/

[EVERLAST]

I don’t know if deliberate , premeditated hits can be measured and punished accordingly but there are certain players in the league that aren’t getting it at all when it comes to the way they play.

Right now Tom Wilson, Brad Marchand and others don’t appear to be phased by any kind of fines or suspensions.

The NHLpa isn’t making themselves look good at all when they win appeals and get games and fines reduced.

I don’t see any respect amongst these guys either. I know a few guys who have played in the echl and the AHL and the level of hate and cheap shots we don’t hear about are pretty crazy.
I’d think once you have made it to the nhl some level of respect needs to naturally occur but that doesn’t seem to be the way.

The injury to Pettersson is very unfortunate and I hate the canucks with a passion but that kid isn’t getting any protection . I never saw a single player retaliate after and was shocked.

Something needs to be done though as I hate watching any player not be able to get up after something like that . I still have nightmares when I think of players hit too hard trying to get o the bench afterwards and not be able to .

I love the game and not just the flames . Too many players careers cut short for me

[kukkudo]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Almost identical - what happened as far as punishment here?

https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/...am-borowiecki/

This play seems worse and he got nothing.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by ForeverFlameFan

...If Pettersson got injured over a huge check by a bigger player, then alright. That’s not what happened though.

Yeah, this is pretty closely aligned to my thinking. Another way to look at this is to see the initial hit as something that is still somewhat within Pettersson's control to mitigate or avoid, but once Matheson grabs him and sets him off balance he is completely vulnerable and defenceless. That seems wrong to me.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by kukkudo

This play seems worse and he got nothing.

I don't think depending on how player safety has handled previous infractions is necessarily a good barometer for determining the correct course of action moving forward.

[redforever]

Originally Posted by Wolfman

Pettersson weighs what 125 lbs?

What has weight, age, skill set or whatever have to do with this? A dirty hit is a dirty hit.

[Barca]

Originally Posted by EVERLAST

I don’t know if deliberate , premeditated hits can be measured and punished accordingly but there are certain players in the league that aren’t getting it at all when it comes to the way they play.

Right now Tom Wilson, Brad Marchand and others don’t appear to be phased by any kind of fines or suspensions.

The NHLpa isn’t making themselves look good at all when they win appeals and get games and fines reduced.

I don’t see any respect amongst these guys either. I know a few guys who have played in the echl and the AHL and the level of hate and cheap shots we don’t hear about are pretty crazy.
I’d think once you have made it to the nhl some level of respect needs to naturally occur but that doesn’t seem to be the way.

The injury to Pettersson is very unfortunate and I hate the canucks with a passion but that kid isn’t getting any protection . I never saw a single player retaliate after and was shocked.

Something needs to be done though as I hate watching any player not be able to get up after something like that . I still have nightmares when I think of players hit too hard trying to get o the bench afterwards and not be able to .

I love the game and not just the flames . Too many players careers cut short for me

apparently none of the players saw it and Green couldn't even find a replay on his ipad. So i'm gonna give them the benefit of a doubt.

It was late in the game and they scored on the very next shift Matheson was out.

the fans are calling for the head of Matheson AND Canuck players and coach for not responding. lol so they are lucky thy're on the road right now.

Green refuses to talk about retribution but i think we'll see plenty of it on Jan 13th on home ice.

[Brad Marsh]

It was a rough play for sure, and I wouldn't have thought twice had there been a 2 minutes roughing penalty called on the play. But let's be honest, this type of check-pin-push to the ice play happens multiple times per game. Any time a forward and defenseman come together in the corner really, some version of this happens. The problem is Pettersson's size.

This is a MEN's league and it's a full-contact sport. These are large, strong, athletic players. I see larger kids than Pettersson on a JR. High School Basketball team. Pettersson is too small to engage in this kind of play - and as a result of that, the result of this play was way more violent than it is 99% of the time. I have a hard time thinking the defenseman should "let up" just because it's a smaller guy he's going up against? It's Pettersson's choice to play in the league, to go into the corner, etc.

Maybe I need to watch the play again, but after several slow-motion viewings, I'm really not seeing anything different than what I see multiple times per game, other than the size of the player on the receiving end. He just isn't able to handle the physicality of an NHL defenseman, IMO.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

I don't think depending on how player safety has handled previous infractions is necessarily a good barometer for determining the correct course of action moving forward.

Not for the correct course but it might be predictive.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Brad Marsh

It was a rough play for sure, and I wouldn't have thought twice had there been a 2 minutes roughing penalty called on the play. But let's be honest, this type of check-pin-push to the ice play happens multiple times per game. Any time a forward and defenseman come together in the corner really, some version of this happens. The problem is Pettersson's size. This is a MEN's league and it's a full-contact sport. These are large, strong, athletic players. I see larger kids than Pettersson on a JR. High School Basketball team. Pettersson is too small to engage in this kind of play - and as a result of that, the result of this play was way more violent than it is 99% of the time. I have a hard time thinking the defenseman should "let up" just because it's a smaller guy he's going up against? It's Pettersson's choice to play in the league, to go into the corner, etc.

Maybe I need to watch the play again, but after several slow-motion viewings, I'm really not seeing anything different than what I see multiple times per game, other than the size of the player on the receiving end of the play.

Forget what Pettersson chooses to do or not do in this regard for a moment. He is far and away already the Canucks's best player and is a front runner for the Calder Trophy. He is not just good enough to play NHL hockey, he is good enough to excel at it.

Shouldn't this be enough?

[Brad Marsh]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

Forget what Pettersson chooses to do or not do in this regard for a moment. He is far and away already the Canucks's best player and is a front runner for the Calder Trophy. He is not just good enough to play NHL hockey, he is good enough to excel at it.

Shouldn't this be enough?

Yeah that's the key question for me too.

Hockey right now is still part skill and part strength, IMO. Does a player need both to survive in the league, or should just skill be enough.........?

I don't know what the answer is, but I agree with you that this is the key question.

My opinion is that strength seems to still matter a lot right now, that it's still a full-contact, physical game. It seems to me like both skill and strength are requisite for success.

Now whether or not that's how it should be is another question entirely. I think the game is slowly evolving to less overall physicality - but it's not all the way there yet. And until it is.............

[Jiri Hrdina]

I'd rather that the NHL be a place where players like Petterson can thrive. He makes the game better.

[Barca]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

I'd rather that the NHL be a place where players like Petterson can thrive. He makes the game better.

he was on his way to break a franchise rookie record or something too so that sucks.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

Forget what Pettersson chooses to do or not do in this regard for a moment. He is far and away already the Canucks's best player and is a front runner for the Calder Trophy. He is not just good enough to play NHL hockey, he is good enough to excel at it.

Shouldn't this be enough?

Except you can't just 'forget' what Pettersson chooses to do. If he chooses to go into the physical areas, then he's going to get hit. And he's going to get hit hard. And if his body can't handle that, then frankly, that diminishes his long term value as an NHL player.

[TheScorpion]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Except you can't just 'forget' what Pettersson chooses to do. If he chooses to go into the physical areas, then he's going to get hit. And he's going to get hit hard. And if his body can't handle that, then frankly, that diminishes his long term value as an NHL player.

Well, all that says to me is that there's a difference between a valuable "NHL player" and a valuable "hockey player." Because to me, what Matheson did wasn't hockey, it was something I'd watch on pay-per-view.

[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

I'd rather that the NHL be a place where players like Petterson can thrive. He makes the game better.

Not that its my choice to make but there is a balance to be struck. I agree with your argument, but the last thing the NHL should do is insert rules that cripple a D-mans ability to make defensive plays ( aka what the NFL has done).

This play is a poor example for my argument as I see that it was over the line by this rule book's standard. I am referring to the broader dialog about changing rules to allow for "more skilled players".

[Hockeyguy15]

Gudbranson running Dube was more dirty than this. Matheson should have gotten a 2 minute rough but that's about it.

Edit: Pettersson should be watching what Gaudreau does in the corners. He never stops and stands there, he's always moving. Gaudreau would probably get destroyed like this if he just stopped and stood there like that.

[Brad Marsh]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

I'd rather that the NHL be a place where players like Petterson can thrive. He makes the game better.

And yet we love the physicality too. Look at the number of "post thanks" that the gifs of Bennett's two hits against Colorado garnered in the PGT.

Bennett hits Pettersson that hard down low? Same "violent" result, IMO.

Look I think Pettersson can thrive. He has been thriving through the first 5 or so games. If another development year in a lower league isn't an option, then he maybe needs to be careful about match-ups and corners until such time as he fills out a little bit.

The game can be both physical and a place where skill can thrive. All players play a part in that.

I get that there is a difference between Bennett's clean hits and the "shove down" Pettersson received. But that "shove-down" in the corner happens several times/game, IMO. If a Bennett hit on Pettersson has a violent outcomes, then clean hits start getting questioned.

Maybe that's the direction we are heading. I used to love the big line brawls and all the rest back in the day as well. Maybe we are on a track that will eventually take all contact and physicality out of the game.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

Well, all that says to me is that there's a difference between a valuable "NHL player" and a valuable "hockey player." Because to me, what Matheson did wasn't hockey, it was something I'd watch on pay-per-view.

Yes, I get it. A number of people here are trying to one-up each other on the hyperbole train. But that's immaterial. He's going to keep getting smeared into the boards if he keeps putting himself into position to get smeared into the boards. Maybe this was just the one time it happens. Either as a fluke, or because Pettersson adapts to avoid having it happen again. And in that event, it's all moot. If he doesn't, or if he feels he needs to take the chance of getting creamed to make a play, then that's the choice he makes.