The NHL will not be participating in the Olympics because the NHLPA wouldn't let that be used as a CBA bargaining chip. Hooray.
April News Thread
- Thread starter kenneycb
- Start date
Sucks as a fan, but I understand the league's point of view. They take on a lot of risk with little reward. They've said after previous Olympic Games that there's no "Olympic bump" or anything beneficial for them. They could be full of shit, of course, but it seems logical to me. The cost of shutting down the league for 2 weeks and the injury risks and I understand their hesitancy to commit. Especially with the games being played in South Korea and the time difference likely to significantly impact TV viewership anyways.
I'm guessing they'll eventually reach a middle ground here. The bye week thing is still happening next year, but they changed it so that half the league is off one week and half the league is off the next week. Seems convienent to fit in during the Olympics. I think they will let the owners work things out with their own players on a case by case basis. The bye weeks would limit the games missed by NHL players to only 2-3 games.
I'm guessing they'll eventually reach a middle ground here. The bye week thing is still happening next year, but they changed it so that half the league is off one week and half the league is off the next week. Seems convienent to fit in during the Olympics. I think they will let the owners work things out with their own players on a case by case basis. The bye weeks would limit the games missed by NHL players to only 2-3 games.
Does the league still have interest in Beijing 2022? I know they didn't take kindly to Bach and Fasel using Pyeongchang as a prerequisite to going to China, but I also know they think they can grow the game in China and really want to make inroads.
Marchand has a hearing tomorrow morning. Sigh.
No truth to the rumor that Marchand's defense will be to just play a video of Crosby's cup check on a loop for 5 minutes.
No truth to the rumor that Marchand's defense will be to just play a video of Crosby's cup check on a loop for 5 minutes.
He had a hearing for the slew foot earlier in the year too, right? Doesn't necessarily mean a suspension.
But I imagine it's likely a suspension.
These things usually result in fines (Lucic and Prust come to mind), but I can't see him walking out of his 3rd hearing on the season without getting some sort of suspension.
The Bruins clinching also makes it easier for DoPS to suspend him. We'll see where the dart lands tomorrow. I'm expecting 2 games.
The Bruins clinching also makes it easier for DoPS to suspend him. We'll see where the dart lands tomorrow. I'm expecting 2 games.
Hell, Crosby just got nothing for trying to castrate Ryan O'Reilly. The precedent has been set.
Here's Prust spearing Marchand:
Lucic on DeKeyser in the playoffs
And here's the Crosby / O'Reilly incident
First 2 were fines, Crosby didn't get anything. Lucic has done this a few more times too. I'll have to do more digging but I don't think they've ever suspended for this.
That said, I can't see him not getting a game. His reputation and priors this year seem to only point in one direction.
Lucic on DeKeyser in the playoffs
And here's the Crosby / O'Reilly incident
First 2 were fines, Crosby didn't get anything. Lucic has done this a few more times too. I'll have to do more digging but I don't think they've ever suspended for this.
That said, I can't see him not getting a game. His reputation and priors this year seem to only point in one direction.
Suspended for 2 games.
LINK: https://www.nhl.com/news/brad-marchand-suspension-for-spearing-incident/c-288487660?tid=277549076
LINK: https://www.nhl.com/news/brad-marchand-suspension-for-spearing-incident/c-288487660?tid=277549076
Last edited:
So, he's suspended for the two games he was likely resting anyway? That's no penalty at all, which is no surprise. But Dotchin should call DPS and tell them that.
If Dotchin then smashes Marchand's head into the boards, a la Claude Lemieux, in December, and Marchand misses the rest of the season, is DPS okay with it? Intent to injure is intent to injure, isn't it?
If Dotchin then smashes Marchand's head into the boards, a la Claude Lemieux, in December, and Marchand misses the rest of the season, is DPS okay with it? Intent to injure is intent to injure, isn't it?
Huh?
1) He was definitely going to play tonight, and likely Saturday. This potentially costs the Bruins huge playoff seeding points and costs Marchand a chance to score 40 goals. And he loses 2 game checks. It's absolutely a penalty.
2) Severity of injury does factor into the suspension length.
3) If Dotchin pulls a Claude Lemieux, I'm sure DOPS is not ok with that either.
I have no idea what point you're trying to make here.
Considering winning out gets the Bruins out of the Metro bracket, he wasn't sitting out both games, and there's a decent chance he wouldn't have sat out either game voluntarily.
It was said in the game thread, but I'll add it here: if MARCHAND weren't on his nameplate, DoPS gets this wrong again instead of the two-game suspension he got.
Common sense points to the 2 gamer, however DoPS went about it the wrong way again.
They're not supposed to consider a players history unless they determine that a play rises to the level of needing supplemental discipline. They've never suspended anyone for a spear. There have been 5 fines- Lucic, Hartnell, Garbutt, Steven Gionta and Brandon Prust. By their definition of "repeat offender" is 18 months, Prust was a repeat offender at the time of his fine. I don't think Lucic was, but he had a decent sized rap sheet when he was fined. Garbutt was also a repeat offender, they fined him. So spearing has never resulted in a suspension, and past cases of repeat offenders having hearings for spears has resulted in fines.
Again, I don't have any issue with the suspension. It was a stupid and malicious play, and at some point enough is enough. Marchand needs to cut the shit. DoPS can't have the same guy hauled into their office 3 times in a season and let him off without giving him a game. So common sense dictates the 2 gamer but it's another example of the inconsistencies that come out of that office.
They're not supposed to consider a players history unless they determine that a play rises to the level of needing supplemental discipline. They've never suspended anyone for a spear. There have been 5 fines- Lucic, Hartnell, Garbutt, Steven Gionta and Brandon Prust. By their definition of "repeat offender" is 18 months, Prust was a repeat offender at the time of his fine. I don't think Lucic was, but he had a decent sized rap sheet when he was fined. Garbutt was also a repeat offender, they fined him. So spearing has never resulted in a suspension, and past cases of repeat offenders having hearings for spears has resulted in fines.
Again, I don't have any issue with the suspension. It was a stupid and malicious play, and at some point enough is enough. Marchand needs to cut the shit. DoPS can't have the same guy hauled into their office 3 times in a season and let him off without giving him a game. So common sense dictates the 2 gamer but it's another example of the inconsistencies that come out of that office.
Willie Desjardins done in Vancouver.
I know the Canucks were bad this year, but how is that roster Desjardins' fault?
I know the Canucks were bad this year, but how is that roster Desjardins' fault?
Dean Lombardi and Daryl Sutter out in LA. Rob Blake in as GM and Luc Robitaille as president.
https://www.nhl.com/kings/news/aeg-announces-front-office-changes-for-la-kings/c-288666790
https://www.nhl.com/kings/news/aeg-announces-front-office-changes-for-la-kings/c-288666790
Last edited:
Bienvenue au club des vieux garçons
Given they won 2 Cups in 3 years, this is a huge mistake IMO. The Bishop/Budaj move was no doubt a desperate gambit by Lombardi, but IMO he's earned enough rope to work himself out of it. Their core is still entirely intact.
Given they won 2 Cups in 3 years, this is a huge mistake IMO. The Bishop/Budaj move was no doubt a desperate gambit by Lombardi, but IMO he's earned enough rope to work himself out of it. Their core is still entirely intact.
I don't know. The Brown, Quick and Gaborik contracts are among the worst in the league. Lombardi created a pretty big mess there.
I could definitely see that as the cause for Lombardi being cleared out with Sutter. However, I don't think he's compromised their chances. Brown's deal is awful for sure. However, Gaborik is relatively buyout-friendly, and there would likely be a way to move Quick to a floor team (or buy him out as well). Gaborik would get $1.125, $1.625, $3.025, $3.125, and four years of $1.325 if bought out this coming summer. That's somewhat manageable for where the cap is going.
Even with 0 buyouts, assuming Toffoli and Pearson combine for ~$6m AAV in bridge deals, they're still going to have ~$6m of cap space going into next season with this lineup:
XX - Kopitar - Brown
Pearson - Toffoli - Carter
Nolan - Clifford - Lewis
Gaborik - Dowd - Luff
Amadio
Muzzin - Doughty
Martinez - Forbort
McNabb - Greene
Gravel (RFA)
Quick
Zatkoff
Speaking as a kings fan, I felt it was time for a change..... DL's one weakness was loyalty, as evident by the Quick, Gaborik, Kopitar, Brown extensions. He rewarded his players loyalty with money, even when it may have been wiser to wait it out.... Also, while I am forever grateful for DL bringing 2 cups to LA, the Kings have pretty much floundered since their last cup...... and a once deep farm system has become barren due to DL trying to do whatever he can to just sneak us into the playoffs
Gaily bedight,
A Gallant Knight,
In sunshine and in shadow,
Had journeyed long,
Singing a song,
In search of Eldorado.
Hopefully his long time friend Goofus won't be the GM. Though that may be the HiLight of the offseason .
The Pegula's bought the team in 2011. They have now fired 4 coaches and 2 gm's. They bought the Bills in 2014 and have turfed 2 coaches already.
They should probably find a team president that can run things and get the hell away from the rest.
They should probably find a team president that can run things and get the hell away from the rest.
Tangental to actual hockey, but the ESPN termination-a-palooza claimed Scott Burnside and Pierre LeBruin today. Admittedly, beyond Barry Melrose's coverage, and Bucci and Linda Cohn's fandom, there was not a lot of NHL coverage on ESPN anyways, but two decent journalists are now without an employer.
Nobody goes to ESPN for hockey coverage anyway, might be a blessing in disguise if they land somewhere better.
Draft lottery coming up in a few minutes. Not really a great draft this year by all accounts. Colorado has the best odds, followed by Vancouver and Vegas.
