The Legend of Sam Bennett

[dustygoon]

2 minutes for hitting too hard!!

[Poe969]

Originally Posted by transplant99

No question his absence has really hurt the ability of this team to win hockey games.

I didn't say the Flames need him or that they can't win without him. All I mean is that he's a good player and I wish he was on the Flames.

Sorry if my appreciation of another player offended you. Go Flames...and only Flames. Cheering or even liking any player not on the Flames is a horrible offense.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern2814

Oh for the halcyon days when Nobody had an issue with a hit like this.

The glory days when we didn't understand the damaging impacts of head trauma.
Oh how I long for those.

[Wastedyouth]

Originally Posted by Tkachukwagon

https://twitter.com/user/status/1497035818644303873

What a great hit.

The refs continue to be morons. What was the whistle for?

[calumniate]

The league punishes outcomes, not actions :/

[bdubbs]

Did I miss the part where he hit him in the head or something? Looks like a shoulder to chest hit to me...

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by bdubbs

Did I miss the part where he hit him in the head or something? Looks like a shoulder to chest hit to me...

Concussions can happen without a blow to the head.
Thankfully I haven't heard anything about Sillinger suffering a concussion.
But the hit was designed to injure the player. You don't hit someone THAT hard if that's not what you are trying to do. I don't think that should be what checking is for.

[Winsor_Pilates]

That is a great hit!
Glad the CBJ player is ok.

[TheIronMaiden]

That guy needs to keep his head up. The puck is on your stick during an NHL game. Someone is going to try and stop you.

[calgarywinning]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Concussions can happen without a blow to the head.
Thankfully I haven't heard anything about Sillinger suffering a concussion.
But the hit was designed to injure the player. You don't hit someone THAT hard if that's not what you are trying to do. I don't think that should be what checking is for.

Especially in a 6-3 game?

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Concussions can happen without a blow to the head.
Thankfully I haven't heard anything about Sillinger suffering a concussion.
But the hit was designed to injure the player. You don't hit someone THAT hard if that's not what you are trying to do. I don't think that should be what checking is for.

I think it's important to distinguish 'injure' and 'hurt'. It was the flow of the play that designed the hit. I'm not sure it was possible to hit him any less hard without not hitting him at all.

Empty nets lead to some unusual circumstances. I'm not sure it's played the same way by either Sillinger or Bennett if there is a goalie present.

[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by calgarywinning

Especially in a 6-3 game?

Yeah no ####. What's Sillinger doing trying to stick handle into the zone. You're up by three. Fire the puck on the empty net or suffer the consequences.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by dustygoon

2 minutes for hitting too hard!!

It's an obvious charge

[tvp2003]

Originally Posted by powderjunkie

Empty nets lead to some unusual circumstances. I'm not sure it's played the same way by either Sillinger or Bennett if there is a goalie present.

No chance. Which is why Sillinger probably let his guard down, and Sam -- for better or for worse -- took full advantage.

I also think the comments from the coach are because Sillinger was able to get up and skate away. If he gets injured on the play I almost guarantee its a different message.

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Concussions can happen without a blow to the head.
Thankfully I haven't heard anything about Sillinger suffering a concussion.
But the hit was designed to injure the player. You don't hit someone THAT hard if that's not what you are trying to do. I don't think that should be what checking is for.

I'm not that up in arms about the hit to be honest, but I agree with a lot of what you are saying Jiri (or I think what you are saying, I shouldn't put words in your mouth).

The reason hits in hockey exist, was to separate player from the puck, with the hopes that you, or one of your team mates will gain possession of the puck. Injuries can happen even in that construct, and that will always be a risk, but it's the reason hits exists.

The danger with a hit like what Bennett did last night, and similarly with the hit he laid a few years back vs. SJ that caused a stir, is because of the situations (score, time left in game, empty net, etc..) Bennett's need to hit "responsibly" - meaning make sure he doesn't put himself completely out the play etc should his hit fail to generate the desired outcome is completely removed.

Even if he lays a hit out within the confines of rules (which based on my brief view of last nights hit, was in the rules), it creates a situation that allows him to be a reckless hitter, because he doesn't care about the outcome to the play after the hit he lays, because the game is over. He's literally just trying to cause as much damage as possible, while staying within in the confines of the rules.

This is where the debate I think stems. I'd say 90% of the players in the NHL, won't do that....what would be called respect for the other players. Bennett has clearly shown he will take advantage of that situation, and try to cause damage. I think what's clear, fans fall on different sides of the spectrums on this.

I my self, have no need to see players get blown up with massive hits that have no impact on the flow or outcome of the game. What we know now about head injuries, simply not worth it, doesn't add any enjoyment to my watching of the game. I love a big clean hit that actually does it's intended job when the game is on the line, but I don't need devastating hits just cause you can technically say it's within the rules anymore.

All that said, I'm not sure how you would change the rules to manage that, you can't exactly say, "no big hits if the game is almost over and not in the balance....".

[Erick Estrada]

I think the issue is the grey area of contact sports. How much is too much? We have been always taught to finish our checks. Why? Because it punishes and wears down the opposition and you want players to be weary of getting hit as a competitive advantage. No doubt in my mind Bennett wanted to punish the player there. That said he didn't throw an elbow nor was the opponent's head the primary area of contact. I don't think he went all Matt Cooke where his clear attempt was to injure. I think a penalty is totally fair there but not a suspension.

[AustinL_NHL]

I can't say I agree, or at least am on the side of the 90% of players, with the "respect for other players" argument.

You're getting paid millions to play a child's game. Least you can do is be a professional for the entirety of the game, no matter what the score is. I'd rather have the 10% of NHL players who are going to play their hearts out until the final whistle over the other 90% who stop trying once they *think* a score is out of reach.

That's why I love Darryl Sutter's "no talking with the opposition" approach so much, because it's pure business. You can show respect to your friends/family on the opposition after the game, but for that 60+ minutes of hockey, they're your enemy and you're doing WHATEVER it takes to come out on top. No respect.

In the regular season, I can see a little bit of an argument for not going all out with your hits, but if your players become used to letting up on their hits, or just not hitting at all and trying to make a play with their stick, that's a recipe for disaster and bad habits.

Not to mention hitting hard takes on a whole new value in the Playoffs, when big hits can cause the opposition player some good bruising and/or their nagging injuries to flair up a bit, while at the same time making the entire opposition start looking over their shoulder more often, giving your team a nice advantage in a lengthy series.

[blankall]

Definitely a legal hit. Does seem like a bit much though. Players typically lighten up this late into a game that the other team has no hope of winning. Late in the game, when players start taking huge slap shots or going into major celebrations it rubs the other team the wrong way.

It's a full contact game, and there's always a risk of injury. Increasing that risk when the game is already, for all intents and purposes, over has no effect other than to injure another player.

[Lonestar]

This kind of baffles me, play the game within the rules for 60 minutes. Period. It appears to me to be a clean hit.



Do pitchers start throwing fastballs down the middle in the 9th inning because it's a 10-3 ballgame?



The head injury argument I have some more time for, but these are professional athletes in a contact sport. It can happen in the first 30 seconds of the game or the last 30 seconds of the game.

[dino7c]

It wasn't a terrible hit or anything but its not a legal hit

"skating a great distance for the purpose of delivering a check with excessive force. The onus is on the player delivering the check to avoid placing a vulnerable or defenseless opponent in danger of potential injury."

text book charge, got a deserved penalty and ended any comeback attempt


Penalty is probably good though, and we need him there for the Oilers. Panthers play of late has me a little concerned they might blow it.