February NHL News

MiracleOfO2704

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Jul 12, 2005
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That situation was weird. Yeo was taking over after the season anyway, so this just accelerates the schedule. Slipping to the back of the Western Conference playoff pack probably didn't help.
 

Catcher Block

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Mar 7, 2006
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They played their best game of the season in Pittsburgh last week, winning 3-0, but have losses to WPG (x2), OTT, WSH, and MIN on either side of the PIT game, during all of which they gave up 5+ goals.

I'd rather they trade Shattenkirk and any other assets and re-group for next year than try to make it in as the WC2 and lose to Chicago.
 

Dummy Hoy

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Jul 22, 2006
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I'd say that was worse than mcsorely. McSorely was a not max effort smack on the side of the head...it was Brashear's helmet coming off that nearly killed him. NyQuil the just pitchforked him in the face.

Edit: in NO way defending McSorely, just agreeing with you how awful that play by Nyquist is.
 

DJnVa

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Dec 16, 2010
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http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2693064-antoine-vermette-receives-game-misconduct-for-slashing-lineman-vs-wild

Anaheim Ducks center Antoine Vermette seemed to let his emotions get the best of him in Tuesday's game against the Minnesota Wild.

Per Navin Vaswani of theScore, Vermette slashed a lineman in the leg following a faceoff. He had lost the draw and apparently felt the official didn't drop the puck fairly. The 34-year-old received a game misconduct and could receive more punishment from the league.
 

McDrew

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Apr 11, 2006
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I think the 10 games they'll give Vermette is just as excessive as the 20 they gave Wideman last year (two years ago?). Yes, he did something against the rules, and should be punished. He tried to get the ref's attention in an idiotic way, but missing 1/8th of the season because of something incredibly minor seems excessive.
 

TFP

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Dec 10, 2007
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I think the 10 games they'll give Vermette is just as excessive as the 20 they gave Wideman last year (two years ago?). Yes, he did something against the rules, and should be punished. He tried to get the ref's attention in an idiotic way, but missing 1/8th of the season because of something incredibly minor seems excessive.
The rules explicitly say he should be suspended 10 games. It's clearly a Category 2 abuse against the officials, which is making forcible contact without the intent to injure - carries an automatic 10 game suspension.

This one is pretty cut and dry and frankly isn't minor at all. You can't ever hit a ref with your stick intentionally like that. Ever.
 

TFP

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I honestly don't think he meant to spear him directly in the face. I actually thought he was trying to pitchfork him around his back. But it doesn't matter - it's so reckless it deserves a much harsher suspension.
 

Fred not Lynn

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Jul 13, 2005
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I think the 10 games they'll give Vermette is just as excessive as the 20 they gave Wideman last year (two years ago?). Yes, he did something against the rules, and should be punished. He tried to get the ref's attention in an idiotic way, but missing 1/8th of the season because of something incredibly minor seems excessive.
Physical violence towards an official is not "incredibly minor". In fact, it's pretty much the most serious offence in all of sport...and I think this is worse than Wideman because it was done in complete lucidity. Wideman at least had the defense that he was not fully aware of his act after a big hit.
 

McDrew

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I can't easily concede that what he did "violent" though. It was physical, and it was directed at the official, but I did not see it as in any way intended to cause harm or hurt the official. I saw it as Vermette trying to get the ref's attention that he had an incredibly strong disagreement with the Ref on the drop on the face-off. His jawing after the fact also probably didn't help.

Totally think throwing him out of the game was appropriate.
Totally think that a suspension is important to ensure other players don't take the same actions.
I still just think 10 is excessive. I think what Nyquist did is a worse offense and deserves a longer suspension than this.
 

kenneycb

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Dec 2, 2006
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You just can't hit an official in any manner given they are completely naked and vulnerable out there. Allowing for a little contact leads to a slippery slope. If you have an issue with the ref, go up to him after the course of play. Don't whack him on the leg regarding something he can't fix.
 

LogansDad

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Nov 15, 2006
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While I agree that what Nyquist did was obviously a worse offense, there is also a big difference between doing it to another player, who is prepared for the physicality of the game and also in a position to dish it back, and doing something to an authority figure on the ice, who is almost certainly not expecting to be hit, and likely not in the same physical league as the player on the ice.

IMO it is similar to the difference between getting in a bar fight with another patron or assaulting a police officer. So it doesn't surprise me that Vermette will likely get longer than Nyquist.
 

TFP

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I can't easily concede that what he did "violent" though. It was physical, and it was directed at the official, but I did not see it as in any way intended to cause harm or hurt the official. I saw it as Vermette trying to get the ref's attention that he had an incredibly strong disagreement with the Ref on the drop on the face-off. His jawing after the fact also probably didn't help.

Totally think throwing him out of the game was appropriate.
Totally think that a suspension is important to ensure other players don't take the same actions.
I still just think 10 is excessive. I think what Nyquist did is a worse offense and deserves a longer suspension than this.
Here are the categories for "Abuse of Officials". This is automatic - there is no grey area and this isn't a judgement call. He deliberately applied physical force without intent to injure. There's absolutely no doubt this is a 10 game suspension.

40.2 Automatic Suspension – Category I

Any player who deliberately strikes an official and causes injury or who deliberately applies physical force in any manner against an official with intent to injure, or who in any manner attempts to injure an official shall be automatically suspended for not less than twenty (20) games. (For the purpose of the rule, “intent to injure” shall mean any physical force which a player knew or should have known could reasonably be expected to cause injury.)

40.3 Automatic Suspension – Category II

Any player who deliberately applies physical force to an official in any manner (excluding actions as set out in Category I), which physical force is applied without intent to injure, or who spits on an official, shall be automatically suspended for not less than ten (10) games.


40.4 Automatic Suspension – Category III Any player who, by his actions, physically demeans an official or physically threatens an official by (but not limited to) throwing a stick or any other piece of equipment or object at or in the general direction of an official, shooting the puck at or in the general direction of an official, spitting at or in the general direction of an official, or who deliberately applies physical force to an official solely for the purpose of getting free of such an official during or immediately following an altercation shall be suspended for not less than three (3) games.
http://www.nhl.com/nhl/en/v3/ext/rules/2015-2016-Interactive-rulebook.pdf
 

McDrew

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By the rules, as they are written, he should and did get a 10 game. I'm not arguing about how the league would interpret the rules.

My biggest problem is that Nyquist got less of a suspension. I think Nyquist's offense was clearly worse even if you take into account the fact that Vermette's offense was against an official. But that's just my opinion on that. We can disagree.

IMO it is similar to the difference between getting in a bar fight with another patron or assaulting a police officer. So it doesn't surprise me that Vermette will likely get longer than Nyquist.
This counter-argument I can understand. I don't think its true 100% of the time, but it is in the overwhelming majority of cases, and I can see how protecting the refs in a similar way with a no tolerance policy is important.

Let me put what I'm trying to say another way:
I think the scaling of the suspensions as written in the rulebook for automatic offenses are punished at a harsher scale than suspensions awarded to players by DoPS. I think the solution is either to reduce the automatic suspensions, or get DoPS to suspend more for malicious/repeated behavior.
 

SoFloSoxFan

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I think the scaling of the suspensions as written in the rulebook for automatic offenses are punished at a harsher scale than suspensions awarded to players by DoPS.
The automatic suspensions for violations against officials are, and should be, scaled differently. I think that's the basic point of disagreement here. In a very important way, it's not the level of violence inflicted on an official that matters, its simply the existence of any level of violence in the first place.
 

cshea

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Nov 15, 2006
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Arizona traded Michael Stone (50% retained) to Calgary for a 3rd round pick and a conditional 5th.

Arizona getting out ahead of the rental market. McKenzie is hinting they may not be done today. They have Hanzal and Vrbata to sell off as well, and perhaps Shane Doan if he chooses to leave.
 

cshea

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Ron Hainsey (50% retained) goes to Pittsburgh for a 2nd round pick and Danny Kristo.

Nice return for Carolina.
 

PedroSpecialK

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Dec 12, 2004
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I guess Rutherford really wanted to get Hainsey a playoff game. That's real steep for a guy who's 134 of 139 in the NHL in terms of GF% over the past 4 years for defensemen with > 3,000 minutes (albeit on a dreadful team).
 

Greg29fan

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Jul 14, 2005
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Penguins basically didn't have a choice but to acquire a defenseman with Maatta (hand surgery) and Daley (knee surgery) both out six weeks. Justin Schultz is also just coming back from a concussion. I'm fine with who they got and what they gave up.
 

McDrew

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Apr 11, 2006
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If I were a betting man, I'd start to put money on whatever Metro team gets added as a wild card to the Atlantic bracket making the EC finals. This division is shit this year.
 

TFP

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If I were a betting man, I'd start to put money on whatever Metro team gets added as a wild card to the Atlantic bracket making the EC finals. This division is shit this year.
The Bruins are in 9th place and 4 points out of 1st in their division. They're also 11 points out of 7th place in the conference.
 

cshea

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I really don't get that for LA.

Bishop has a .911 save percentage. Budaj .917. There are other factors involved, but goaltending was basically the last thing the Kings needed.
 
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soxhop411

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Dec 4, 2009
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I really don't get that for LA.

Bishop has a .911 save percentage. Budaj .917. There are other factors involved, but goaltending was basically the last thing the Kings needed.
A few things…
the Kings have a bunch of B2B game, and games with 1 day off the rest of the season
https://www.nhl.com/kings/schedule/2017-02-01/PT?gclid=CJ7U4ZWIr9ICFRBEfgodNnkKaQ

While Budaj started the season “hot” he has run out of gas the last month

Since Feb 1st he is 4-6 with a .903 SV%.

And yes while Quick is back he is still a wild card. He has missed all of the season (up until yesterday) with a groin injury… So there is a chance he re-injures his groin again sometime this season. And will allow the Kings to ease quick back into the role (instead of riding him into the ground)

I think that is why they traded for Bishop.. He is insurance for when/if Quick goes down again
 

burstnbloom

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Jul 12, 2005
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The rental market is insane. Matt Duchene will get traded for 8 first round picks if that's the price on Hanzal.
 

PedroSpecialK

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Dec 12, 2004
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...and that Hanzal price is exactly why I agree with TFP's post in the Rumors thread. Not that it makes a big difference but Minnesota also gets a 4th back.

Good trade for Chayka- takes some stones to not try and extract more by Wednesday afternoon.
 

twothousandone

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Yzerman supposedly had been saying he'd want a first round pick in exchange for Brian Boyle. What Minnesota just gave up validates that, but there may also be no one other than Minnesota who agrees that's the right value. For someone out west, looking to counter The Wild, I could see a second-round pick for Boyle getting it done. It sure seems Yzerman is selling.

EDIT: Or maybe that's what Toronto will give up.

EDIT 2: Or maybe they'll give up Froese and a second.

And the fact that Yzerman admitted the Kings deal was the only option he had other than keeping Bishop is refreshing.