Does Giordano get suspended for the hit on Aho? Update:No hearing scheduled - Per NHL

[direwolf]

Originally Posted by Corral

If that was a Flames player on the receiving end of the check, my bet is you would be outraged.

I might be concerned if a Flames player was injured, sure. But I certainly wouldn't be outraged by the play itself, as that hit was about as clean as they come. It's unfortunate that the guy was injured and I'm glad he's gonna be ok. But there was absolutely nothing wrong with what Gio did there.

As mentioned countless times in this thread already, Aho basically ran into Gio with his head down coming through centre ice. If you're not gonna keep your head up while trying to execute a play like that, you're just asking to get rocked. There was nothing else Gio could have done in that situation as a defenceman who is trying to prevent a scoring chance. The hit was clean. End of story.

[Yrebmi]

Originally Posted by savemedrzaius

Looks not good.

Skates on ice. Shoulder tucked. Knowing that Gio is practically stationary at the time makes it hard to see where he can be seen as culpable.

Reading a lot of different boards on this, and the far majority of non Cane nor Flames fans see it as a clean hit. Hope the DOPS concur.

[Macindoc]

Originally Posted by Corral

Yep - blanket no head shots rule is needed. So long as the NHL insists on scrutinizing the intent of the player who delivers the blow, hits to the head will unfortunately remain in the game. When a guy is hit and has to be held as he skates off the rink - its a head blow and the player delivering the hit should be suspended without pay - intentional or not. Much like it is when sticks get into the face and it draws blood - the extra penalty is based on harm to the victim.

No place for this in the game - the onus should be on Giordano to avoid the hit.

Excuse me, the onus should be on Gio to avoid being run into by a player who is skating right in front of him through the slot with the puck and his head down? What's he supposed to do, step out of his way? Bow with a flourish and say "After you, sir"? Hitting the opponent to separate him from the puck is the appropriate play. A player who is properly positioned should not be forced to hook or hold an opponent just to avoid body contact. Aho's lack of awareness led to him being unprepared for a hit and to him changing body position immediately prior to the hit. He has no business crossing through the slot in front of a defenseman with no awareness of anything beyond his own skate laces.

Edit: with both skates on the ice, his elbow tucked in, and essentially remaining stationary holding the ground he is entitled to, one could argue that Gio did everything he possibly could to minimize the impact of the hit on Aho. Furthermore, the above photo demonstrates from the direction of Aho's head movement TOWARD Gio that the head could not have been the initial point of contact, otherwise the head should have been leaning away from Gio.

[Ryan Coke]

At first I thought it was totally clean, but after watching all the replays, he does catch Aho’s head. No intent, but needed to aim lower to ensure he didn’t hit the head, so will likely get a game or 2.

I do think if roles were reversed and Johnny got hit by Faulk exactly like that, the tone in here would be substantially different.

As a Flames fan I hope he isn’t suspended, but in a neutral analysis, I’m not too hopeful.

[jonkaupp]

Originally Posted by Corral

Yep - blanket no head shots rule is needed. So long as the NHL insists on scrutinizing the intent of the player who delivers the blow, hits to the head will unfortunately remain in the game. When a guy is hit and has to be held as he skates off the rink - its a head blow and the player delivering the hit should be suspended without pay - intentional or not. Much like it is when sticks get into the face and it draws blood - the extra penalty is based on harm to the victim.

No place for this in the game - the onus should be on Giordano to avoid the hit.

This is such a bad take. Shoot this bull#### into the sun.

[Macindoc]

Originally Posted by Ryan Coke

At first I thought it was totally clean, but after watching all the replays, he does catch Aho’s head. No intent, but needed to aim lower to ensure he didn’t hit the head, so will likely get a game or 2.

I do think if roles were reversed and Johnny got hit by Faulk exactly like that, the tone in here would be substantially different.

As a Flames fan I hope he isn’t suspended, but in a neutral analysis, I’m not too hopeful.

See my previous post. The initial frames after the impact show Aho's head moving toward Gio. Any contact with the head was incidental to a downward movement of Aho's body after the initial hit.

It this results in a suspension, I can just see the consequences going forward for the league. Players will spend the entire time with the puck between their legs, claiming that anyone who hits them should be assessed a 5 minute penalty, get a game misconduct and be suspended. That will huge improvement to the game, won't it?

[oldschoolcalgary]

Originally Posted by Ryan Coke

At first I thought it was totally clean, but after watching all the replays, he does catch Aho’s head. No intent, but needed to aim lower to ensure he didn’t hit the head, so will likely get a game or 2.

I do think if roles were reversed and Johnny got hit by Faulk exactly like that, the tone in here would be substantially different.

As a Flames fan I hope he isn’t suspended, but in a neutral analysis, I’m not too hopeful.

Aim lower?

Gio is standing up, not jumping, not raising his shoulder... not sure what "aim lower" is supposed to mean...

how on earth do guys like Hamilton aim lower? he's 6-5...

obviously there is some bias involved; the hope is that the NHL isn't bias...

pretty unfair as Gio doesn't change his trajectory and Aho, from the ring of the faceoff circle along the boards to the point of contact in the slot, had at least 30-40 feet with his head up after he got past Hamilton at the blue line before the collision with Gio

[blender]

As a fan of the game who feels that more should be done to eliminate hits to the head I can see the rationale behind a suspension being issued here. Not that I think Gio did anything too egregious, but the way to eliminate headshots is by blanket suspensions for them, accidental or not.
However, it has to be said that far worse goes unpunished, especially in the playoffs, so who knows what will come of it.

Wheel of justice about to spin...

[JJFlash]

Gio should be suspended 5 days with pay and forced to go somewhere tropical with his family.

[crapshoot]

Originally Posted by Ryan Coke

At first I thought it was totally clean, but after watching all the replays, he does catch Aho’s head. No intent, but needed to aim lower to ensure he didn’t hit the head, so will likely get a game or 2.

I do think if roles were reversed and Johnny got hit by Faulk exactly like that, the tone in here would be substantially different.

As a Flames fan I hope he isn’t suspended, but in a neutral analysis, I’m not too hopeful.

How low can he possibly aim though? Aho had his head way, way down. Gio's shoulder at impact was way lower than it would if he was just standing upright. You can't very well ask him to get down on his knees in order to be in his right to make a hit, can you? I don't really see how Gio could have gotten below Aho's head on that play.

[jonkaupp]

He literally stands his ground as Aho comes across him. Some of these takes are asanine. Aim lower? He didn’t aim, he even tucked his damn elbow. Anything that happened to Aho was on himself as he’s the one that lowered his head trying to go across the middle of ice. Gio wasn’t even moving for christ sake.

[Ryan Coke]

Originally Posted by oldschoolcalgary

Aim lower?

Gio is standing up, not jumping, not raising his shoulder... not sure what "aim lower" is supposed to mean...

how on earth do guys like Hamilton aim lower? he's 6-5...

It’s the hitters responsibility to avoid head contact. Obviously a hitter is aiming and trying to control where the point of contact is on the hittee.

And your right about a guy like Hamilton....just because he is 6’5 doesn’t give him the right to hit heads of anyone who is 6 feet.

There is lots I agree with you and others about this. He was just standing his ground, Aho was not protecting himself, and Gio was aiming for chest. But he got far more head than I thought at first, and to avoid that needed to aim the principle point of contact further away from his head.

It’s too bad, because I love some big hits. But I think based on the way it is now called, we may be without him for a game or 2.

[GoJetsGo]

" But he got far more head than I thought at first, and to avoid that needed to aim the principle point of contact further away from his head."

This makes no sense.

Gio is stationary with his arm tucked. It was Aho colliding with Gio. Gio was aiming to stand him up with his arm tucked. Aho collided into Gio and his head followed suit. Not Gio's intention or fault.

[crapshoot]

Originally Posted by Ryan Coke

It’s the hitters responsibility to avoid head contact. Obviously a hitter is aiming and trying to control where the point of contact is on the hittee.

What in your mind should Gio have done differently? Should he have gotten out of Aho's way just because Aho was putting himself in danger? Then all anyone need to to to run free with the puck would be to simply put his head way down low and instantly become untouchable and able to score at will.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by GoJetsGo

" But he got far more head than I thought at first, and to avoid that needed to aim the principle point of contact further away from his head."

This makes no sense.

Gio is stationary with his arm tucked. It was Aho colliding with Gio. Gio was aiming to stand him up with his arm tucked. Aho collided into Gio and his head followed suit. Not Gio's intention or fault.

Well it’s not like Gio was just standing there posing for selfie with a fan.

He clearly and intentionally meant to hit Aho. It just wasn’t predatory nor did he intentionally target the head.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by crapshoot

What in your mind should Gio have done differently? Should he have gotten out of Aho's way just because Aho was putting himself in danger? Then all anyone need to to to run free with the puck would be to simply put his head way down low and instantly become untouchable and able to score at will.

Lol. Yeah because those are the only two moves on hockey. Bone crushing hit or pylon.

And the last part of your post is asinine. This rule has been around a while. Your slippery slope scenario has already been proven false.

[GoJetsGo]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

Well it’s not like Gio was just standing there posing for selfie with a fan.

He clearly and intentionally meant to hit Aho. It just wasn’t predatory nor did he intentionally target the head.

That would be why I said he was "trying to stand him up".

When I said " Not Gio's intention or fault." I was referring to the part where Aho's head did come into contact as a result of the impact.

[Beninho]

Originally Posted by GoJetsGo

1) It's not semantics. You've used the word jump and dive about a guy who's standing still. Asinine. It's nothing to do with homer glasses, it's you having a factually incorrect take of what you're watching.

2) I've seen multiple Cane and Oiler fans mention "if that was Gaudreau". Johnny is probably the best player in the league at NOT doing things like that. Blindly cutting into the middle staring at the puck with no idea who's in *front* of you. I can't see him ever doing that and if he did, he'd be at fault just like Aho was because the defender was standing still in his path. Johnny can stick-handle with the puck on a string without ever looking down at it. Terrible example to deflect away from the deficiencies in your argument here.

The only time Johnny has been truly rocked in the NHL was in his rookie year vs Datsyuk, I don't recall him ever getting hit like that again. Aho got rocked twice this game. If Aho was smart he would learn from this play just like Johnny seemed to do. Maybe I'll sound bias here but Aho was the reckless one on that play, this isn't Sm-Ligga, if you toe drag with your head tucked in while in the slot you should get lit up. If you're a smaller guy in the league you cannot afford to look down at the ice for a second. Johnny has never been that reckless. I would tell Gio to make the same play every time.

[crapshoot]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

Lol. Yeah because those are the only two moves on hockey. Bone crushing hit or pylon.

And the last part of your post is asinine. This rule has been around a while. Your slippery slope scenario has already been proven false.

Of course he was going to hit Aho, he was coming through the slot at speed with the puck, it's Gio's job to hit him in order to prevent the scoring chance. Really, what do you think Gio should have done other than get out of Aho's way to avoid the colission? No one seems to want to answer that.

Yeah, sure it's asinine, mainly because NHL players in general will always know better than running straight though the slot at speed with their heads down like that.

[Winsor_Pilates]

I think he'll get 1 game.

Aho is at least 50% at fault here, but the onus these days is on the defender to let up and do whatever they can to avoid the head.

A lot of hockey fans may not like that, but it's the reality of trying to protect from head injuries in today's sport.
They literally have to protect forwards from themselves.

If that happened to Johnny, I'd be pissed but I'd also think Johnny put himself in harms way. A lot of people here seem to be arguing it's Aho's fault vs it's Gio's fault, but why can't it be a bit of both?