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

[CalgaryFan1988]

Originally Posted by DazzlinDino

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

Isn't that what the 3 preseason game suspension is for? He probably should have got a slashing penalty. I think if it had of happened during the season he would have been suspended 1 game.

Didn't look any worse than Hall's slash last year, which he didn't get anything for (and the player got hurt).

[theinfinitejar]

Originally Posted by PantherExtreme

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.

Finally somebody who understands how it works.

[sun]

I'm fine with this. Kassian's was way worse.

[cowtown75]

I wonder how many real games say someone like Torres or Cooke would of received with them being in the exact same situation as Kessel. Or let's say someone without as much of a bad rep as Curtis Glencross. I think Kessel got off easy here because he is a star and sells jerseys- because in my opinion, savagingly swinging your stick like that is not only dangerous, but cowardly. You are in the NHL, grown some balls and take a lump or too- star or not. Just because one guy is more skilled then the next on the ice shouldn't give him a get out of jail free card to act like a scared woman fighting for their life. Let's get real, Kessel is a man- smaller or not, he could of clinched on to Scott until reinforcements came in for like 5 seconds. Even though Scott is not as talented as Kessel, he still has a job to do too and that is agitate, play physical, fight, and get into the head's of the opposing teams- he did his job and Kessel acted like a girl. Shanahan has set a bad example here and is basically saying that guys with skill can do vicious things to pre-empt a strike cause someone looked at them funny, or verbally abused them or was gonna go for them. Swinging a stick like that at someone else in the NHL, at a "goon" or not has no place and is pretty amateur in my opinion.

[DazzlinDino]

Originally Posted by CalgaryFan1988

Isn't that what the 3 preseason game suspension is for? He probably should have got a slashing penalty. I think if it had of happened during the season he would have been suspended 1 game.

Didn't look any worse than Hall's slash last year, which he didn't get anything for (and the player got hurt).

Personally I think he should have been suspended at least some NHL games. One swinging incident I can understand (cough, cough) but the second one looked like intent to injure. I say that because he wasn't just swinging to scare the guy it's was a vicious 2 hander. Hall should have gotten time for his which is why some people are concerned with inconsistency, especially if injuries are a mitigating factor.

[CalgaryFan1988]

Originally Posted by DazzlinDino

Personally I think he should have been suspended at least some NHL games. One swinging incident I can understand (cough, cough) but the second one looked like intent to injure. I say that because he wasn't just swinging to scare the guy it's was a vicious 2 hander. Hall should have gotten time for his which is why some people are concerned with inconsistency, especially if injuries are a mitigating factor.

Yeah, the kinda spear or whatever at the end was excessive for sure. Was tongue in cheek with my "slashing penalty" comment.

He probably could have got real games, I don't disagree with you. Just think it was very 1980's the way Buffalo handled their player getting injured in the previous fight.

I sort of feel like Buffalo's coach should have been slashed a couple times.

[Flames89]

Sounds about right to me.

[DazzlinDino]

Originally Posted by CalgaryFan1988

Yeah, the kinda spear or whatever at the end was excessive for sure. Was tongue in cheek with my "slashing penalty" comment.

He probably could have got real games, I don't disagree with you. Just think it was very 1980's the way Buffalo handled their player getting injured in the previous fight.

I sort of feel like Buffalo's coach should have been slashed a couple times.

Rolston did get fined, but not sure Carlyle cold have done anything differently, any line he puts out there, would have been an incident. However he admitted after that putting his star out there probably wasn't the best idea in hindsight.

[macrov]

Originally Posted by strombad

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.

I disagree. Clearly the league has no issue with what Kessel did, as they didn't suspend him for any meaningful games over it. And he loses no salary. They have no issue with how kessel reacted. Quite frankly, neither do I.

[macrov]

Originally Posted by Bertuzzied

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

Bertuzzi and Cooke should have life-time bans for ending a players career using illegal actions.

[1991 Canadian]

Originally Posted by fotiou22

The NHL actually got this right. The idea of a pre-season suspension even goes so far as to rub salt in the wound for anyone who thinks there shouldn't be a double standard when it comes to the game's stars and its no name goons. The NHL is not a court of law. It's a corporation that makes money by putting its best assets in front of its customers every night. Not banishing them to the press box or IR.

I've never thought of the NHL like that, but you're bang on. It is a business and entertainment provider. And as much as it pains me, keeping the Leafs and their annoying fans happy is good for business. Just like its good business for the CBC to show their games every saturday.

That said, as a Flames fan, its annoying see someone like Rene Bourque get 5 games for an elbow to Backstroms head as a Flame, and 0 games for an almost identical elbow to Conacher playing for the Habs.

There is a bit of "have" team favouritism at play in the NHL. I can live with the star players getting some favouritism, I don't just like to see the league play favourites with actual teams.

[valo403]

Originally Posted by 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.

Injury is a factor in punishment for on ice actions, just as it is for off ice actions. I don't understand why this shocks so many people.

[dino7c]

lets call a spade a spade he got zero games which is an absolute joke

[trublmaker]

totally worthless suspension, the second stick swing from behind should be at least 5 games of regular season maybe more cause it was totally gutless. Not surprised though as it is Toronto we're talking here.

[KootenayFlamesFan]

Originally Posted by valo403

Injury is a factor in punishment for on ice actions, just as it is for off ice actions. I don't understand why this shocks so many people.

Well, I never said it was shocking. I just don't like it.

Shanahan admits Weiss' hit on Hall was illegal and targeted the head. But Hall never sustained an injury, so Weiss gets 3 pre-season games, that's it.

I'm sorry, but injury or no injury if the NHL wants to crack down on head shots and other reckless plays then injuries should be a small part of the decision, not the main part of it.

[dino7c]

They didn't want the star player in the biggest market to miss opening night. Be honest with yourselves if anyone on the Flames, Oilers, Canaucks, ect. did the same thing they would be missing real games

[valo403]

Originally Posted by dino7c

They didn't want the star player in the biggest market to miss opening night. Be honest with yourselves if anyone on the Flames, Oilers, Canaucks, ect. did the same thing they would be missing real games

Not a chance. If it was a no name guy maybe, but no star player would be suspended for real games over that.

[valo403]

Originally Posted by KootenayFlamesFan

Well, I never said it was shocking. I just don't like it.

Shanahan admits Weiss' hit on Hall was illegal and targeted the head. But Hall never sustained an injury, so Weiss gets 3 pre-season games, that's it.

I'm sorry, but injury or no injury if the NHL wants to crack down on head shots and other reckless plays then injuries should be a small part of the decision, not the main part of it.

Just curious, do you feel that same approach should apply to things in the real world?

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by valo403

Not a chance. If it was a no name guy maybe, but no star player would be suspended for real games over that.

strongly disagree...Calgary doesn't really have a star per say but if say Glencross did that 100% it would be a suspension

[calgarybean]

Kessel should be out for a couple games...preseason suspension is like sending a kid to his room and not removing his TV, iPad or Playstation.