[News] Witkowski 10 games, Tkachuk Suspended 1 Game

[Sandman]

I think beating on a guy's face after he falls through an unsecured door and ends up prone and unable to defend himself is a p***y move no matter what he did-and I'm Irish.

[ReinhartonD]

10 games for Witkowski is not a punishment for Detroit; 1 game for Tkachuk is. Witkowski is a 27 year old whose lifetime NHL stats are 63 games, 0 goals, 4 assists, 97 pm. He's more often a scratch than not; probably a lot of the next 10 he wouldn't be playing anyway.

After this year, from what I hear, Tkachuk's brushes with league discipline will be overshadowed by what his brother will do. Maybe Flames should try to draft him as well, and just bring him up from junior to play against Detroit next season on a line with big brother...

[Calgary4LIfe]

The wheel of justice spins again. Tkachuk gets suspended, but nothing for Mantha. I seriously hope that Hamonic isn't trying to play through something tomorrow. If he was legitimately hurt by that incident, the Flames should file a grievance with the league.

You don't need to get fighting out of the game. What you do need is to remove all this excessive BS that you rarely see any longer where guys go way too far. That's when the league is embarrassed. That's when players get hurt, and seriously embarrass the league.

Hell, I hope that the players who are suing the NHL use that video of Mantha wailing away on a vulnerable Hamonic off the ice surface, ignoring the linesman, and seeing the NHL not do or even say a damn thing about it. That's the message here in my opinion - as long as it doesn't draw much media attention, we won't do a single damn thing about it, regardless of how dangerous it may be.

I am not sure what is uglier now - Mantha throwing punches on Hamonic in that situation, or the league for not even acknowledging it. To me, it is clear-cut evidence that the league really doesn't push player safety as much as it pushes PR spin.

As an aside, and with the benefit of hindsight, the Flames should have called up Gazdic for his rare (hopefully only) game. Witkowski is a goon and nothing more, and apparently had not dressed for a number of games. He was inserted into the lineup - that should probably have raised an eyebrow or two, but it was missed (and in no way is this a critique of Gulutzan - I think someone like Darryl Sutter may have picked up on it, maybe a few other experienced coaches in the league, but I can see why it was missed). It is incidents like these that make the Flames go looking for toughness in the off-season, and try and reach for guys like Smith and Kanzig who you hope end up being NHL'ers that can fill that role for them. You don't need a tough guy... until suddenly you really need one.

This team really misses Engelland's presence at times. If this was last season, Witkowski would have went after Kulak, but Engelland would have done the intercept (as he would have been on the ice with Kulak if that was the case), and things would have not escalated the way they did. Heck, I would bet that Engelland would have made a beeline to Witkowski immediately on his next shift as soon as he saw Witkowski trying to instigate earlier in the game. Probably nothing would have happened all game, and at least for sure nothing would have escalated.

If the Wings didn't play a goon in the first place, NOTHING would have happened in this game. I look back at that Vancouver game where Hartley started the 4th line, and got a fine for it when the fighting erupted. Other teams can start their 4th line - there is no rule stating you can't. Now the shoe is on the other foot, and Witkowski was instigating all game. Yet somehow the Flames are once again taking a hit for it. Sure, Witkowski got suspended for the next 10 games, but he probably wouldn't play the next 10 games either. Flames are the only team that took a hit here.

The league's department of player safety is really a joke. I thought that considering the moves they made in that department this year, things might actually improve. Nope. Still the damn stupid wheel of justice. "Irrelevant" teams like the Flames will always get the short end of the stick somehow, big name players will always get the benefit of the doubt, and the NHL is confused as to why a bunch of ex players with CTE is suing the league in part for the league not protecting them.

I guess a guy who mounts another guy off the ice, and then proceeds to ground and pound with impunity, is too difficult a link for the league to grasp.

It is a joke of a league that does next to nothing to stop concussions even when they are staring at a lawsuit square in the face. Justified the Tkachuk tap. Now justify to me why Mantha didn't receive a thing.

[kmart]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

The NHL really didn't help itself today with this joke by the Player Safety Department.

Let me take a step back, at the beginning of our football season, we as coaches were mandated to take a safe tackling course and teach it to our players. The idea was to protect the players and reduce concussions.

Everyone thought that we did it solely for safety, but the truth is that in terms of contact sports, we're losing the public relations battle, with law suits against the NFL and Hockey over concussions, the last thing the NHL needs to do is not suspend an idiot that's doing a ground and pound on a defenseless player while the Linesman uselessly tries to break it up.

In football everytime I watch a pro game or college game and I see a dangerous hit, I'm basically saying "Thanks for nothing you guys" because I know that every parent that's watching the game is having doubts about enrolling their kid in football.

Its going to be the same thing in all contact sports including hockey. Everytime sports net shows that parents aren't going to be all that pumped about their kid playing the game, On top of that when the punishment is basically nothing but an atta-boy by his team mates, well, I go back to my first point. . .

We're losing the public relations battle.

Let me be really clear, I'm fine with fighting in hockey, that's fighting. Two guys say lets go, they drop the gloves and they settle it, and when one opponent is defenseless you stop the beating. What Brouwer did a few games ago was wrong, what the Wings did in this game was really wrong.

The NHL had a chance to pump the brakes, and be able to say to everyone watching, we're on top of this, player safety is important, instead they fracked it up and made arses out of themselves, and now there's a ultra embarressing clip on Sports shows. Thanks a lot guys, in 10 years football and hockey will dwindle and its thanks to shyte shows like this and a incompetent players safety department.

The funny thing is this, because I'm old and I was raised to play hockey in a very old school way, my first thought was, in the first game of next year against the Wings you punish the Wings, you drop the gloves, and you get your pound of flesh. But now what will happen, is the NHL will mishandle this again, they'll show up and warn the Flames not to do anything or suspensions and punishment will be handed out, so in fact the very act that should have been punished will be doubly awarded.

This one is really as much on the Detroit coaches as the players, and honestly as soon as that idiot stepped on the ice, not only should there be a player ejection and suspension, but the head coach should be ejected and a 5 minute bench penalty issued, so the team is now 5-3 for 5 minutes.

MT got suspended because the logic was that he escalated this thing, but its pretty sad that a player gets dangerously beaten senseless on the ground in the opposing players bench because their resident idiot got tapped on the ankle, which is the NHL's logic, but in my world they call that insane clown logic, where the worse act and the retaliation goes completely un punished and in effect rewarded.

Way to go NHL, in the battle for credibility and public relations wins you're 0-2 today.

I always thought the credibility of the league's safety goes away from you hire players to head the department. What does George Parro's really know about safety? Well instead of going after doing the beating he goes after the instigator. The guy was an enforcer in his previous employment, of course he is going to protect those who have their fist's out.

The idea of player safety in the NHL is ridiculous, instead of sending a message to protect long term health they targeted the player who did nothing in terms of long term health affects. The idea of it is flawed, with their demand that players be injured for suspension or "repeat offender" suspensions. All players should be subject to suspension regardless of being repeat offenders or not, of course a repeat offender would get more.

If the NHL was as popular as the NFL the criticism they would receive would be off the charts from sports analysts across the US. The popularity of the NFL has already decreased in the USA due to long term health concerns, if the NHL doesn't resolve issues like this their popularity might decrease too.

[Snuffleupagus]

What a load of crap, the Flames $3 million a year so-called mouth piece needs to go crazy here.

It's time to earn a salary and it's time for media truculence

[roberts10]

“Slashes” lol ... sure. More like “taps”. What a load of bs.

[Burner]

its ironic that in the press release they call it a slash - kind of admitting it wasnt a spear....

[Rtown]

Haven't seen this brought up yet but how come Blashill is getting off scott free? He's the one that incited the whole thing by putting a goon out in the late stages of a blow out. I mean if the roles were reversed what do you think the league woulda done? (DSutter vs Preds anyone?)

Just another load of crap from the cowardice League and ##### journalism from the hacks that don't want to ruffle the feathers cuz of one of the league's darlings.

[Lord Carnage]

Originally Posted by Burner

its ironic that in the press release they call it a slash - kind of admitting it wasnt a spear....

That's actually one of the things I've been wondering... have they rescinded the spearing major/game misconduct because it is now officially a slash?


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[Robbob]

So the Mantha thing got me thinking about the extra 10 min he got which looks like it probably was rule 46.2 agressor. Which got me thinking and I remembered Nurse got 3 games under that rule. I do think what Nurse did was worse, but he also got 3 games.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Robbob

So the Mantha thing got me thinking about the extra 10 min he got which looks like it probably was rule 46.2 agressor. Which got me thinking and I remembered Nurse got 3 games under that rule. I do think what Nurse did was worse, but he also got 3 games.

Nurse does not play for one of the NHL's American darling teams though, the rules are different.

[CampbellsTransgressions]

It's incredible the conspiracy that Flames fans have uncovered that seemingly nobody else from around the league has become aware of.

[Yamer]

My ideal outcome here would have been:

Witkowski - Automatic 10 game suspension
Tkachuk - 1 game suspension, spearing and game misconduct rescinded
Mantha - maximum fine

Witkowski was black and white, Tkachuk is a guy with a reputation that sparked the whole thing (but didn't spear anyone), and Mantha is a non-repeat offender who got caught up in the moment and did something dangerous and dumb.

To me, that sends the right message all the way around.

[northcrunk]

Burkie should lose his #### over this and take a fine.

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

I have no issue with what Tkachuck did and it was far from dangerous, but I don't really have an issue with the league handing out a minor suspension for him engaging a player who had already left the game. Can't really tell a player he gets 10 games for coming back on the ice surface but then send a message that it's ok for players on the ice to engage with the same player.

[zuluking]

Originally Posted by Backlunds_socks

Why did it so important to cpers to point out errors in others post? It adds nothing to the discussion

I think you meant: “Why IS it so important to CPers to point out errors in others’ posts?”

Hope that helps!

[soulchoice]

Let's be real here bout the situation. There is no nothing to see here in reality. The 10 game suspension is correct and the right call as per the rules. Even Tkatchuks discipline I have no issue with. Mantha should have gotten a fine.

Witowski although a bad and not a true nhler is not a goon nor an enforcer. Some people are talking like he is Colton Orr or a mcgrattan. Even when fighting was more prevelant he would have been a middle weight. If he was to fight a real fighter in this day and age such as Reaves or Emgellemd there would be no contest.

He can handle his own just like Ferland/maroon can. But he is not a goon nor an enforcer by any stretch. His hockey history and fight card reflect that as well.

[Backlunds_socks]

Originally Posted by zuluking

I think you meant: “Why IS it so important to CPers to point out errors in others’ posts?”

Hope that helps!

I did mean that. Glad you were able to read through it though.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by CampbellsTransgressions

It's incredible the conspiracy that Flames fans have uncovered that seemingly nobody else from around the league has become aware of.

If you go to other message boards the complaints are pretty consistent whenever their team plays the Wings in Detroit. They have been getting favourable officiating for well over a decade now.

[Dion]

What a door knob!!!