Ken Dryden: After the Hit

English: Ken Dryden goalie mask, Hockey Hall-of-Fame (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you haven't seen this article, It's worth a read, but I don't agree with it. Not at all. I have never been a fan of Ken Dryden, post NHL career. Dryden has been one of the strong voices for taking fighting out of the NHL. A bad move in my opinion.

Ken Dryden, Grantland.com -- Yet if some of the decisions made afterward by the referees,1 by NHL senior vice-president of player safety Brendan Shanahan,2 or even the conclusions drawn by the media were technically wrong or contorted, they seemed right. The consequences of the hit, to many, somehow had to matter. The referees penalized Gryba for interference, even though he had committed no infraction. This wasn't interference. But the referees, somehow, still seemed right. In his reasoned-sounding judgment in suspending Gryba, Shanahan may have split the wrong hairs in concluding that Gryba made principal contact with Eller's head, but Shanahan, somehow, still seemed right. Commentators argued back and forth with each other, but mostly they argued with themselves — But Eller had his head down … but look at the injuries he suffered … But Diaz fed him a suicide pass … but look at the injuries he suffered … But it was a clean check … but look at the injuries he suffered.

Dryden goes on. Here it is...

There is another ethic in sports that has also always been there, and still is. It is worn as a badge of honor, particularly by the "tough guys." It goes: I will not hit someone when he is down. I will not hit someone when he is defenseless. There is no courage in that. There is dishonor in the doing. The question in this case: What makes a Gryba hit clean and good on a defenseless Eller when a punch to the face of someone lying on the ice, equally defenseless, is not?

In an age of concussions, maybe the first ethic is wrong. Maybe the second ethic is right. Maybe we don't just have a responsibility to ourselves. Maybe we do have a responsibility to everyone else, too. Maybe that's what the referees, Shanahan, the commentators, and the public are saying.

Maybe things are changing.

It's really not hard to see where this is going. It's a mind set, now we will start spending players that make legal hits, if they severely injure the player that was on the receiving end. This is what happened in the case with Lars Eller. In my opinion, NHL senior vice-president of player safety Brendan Shanahan Eric Gryba because if he hadn't he would have been ripped apart in the Montreal Media. It didn't matter if the hit was a legal hit.

Related articles

• Lars Eller destroyed by Eric Gryba (ndgoon.blogspot.com)
• NHL suspends Senators' Gryba 2 games (msn.foxsports.com)

Chris Neil elbows P.K. Subban and he embellishes yet again

I thought this was funny, even the announcers think that P.K. Subban embellished in an attempt to get the a call from the referee. I also think this is why some people don't like Subban and his antics. I have said this a thousand times, he's an awesome talent, it's the other crap that takes away from his game. I will give him a 4.5 on that one. If Chris Neil really wanted to elbow him, he would know it.

Rene Bourque elbow on Cory Conacher

So, I want to know why Montreal Canadiens forward Rene Bourque isn't getting a call from the NHL’s Department of Players Safety today for this vicious elbow on Senators forward Cory Conacher? Seriously? Looking at the video evidence last night’s game, I have concluded that this elbow is just as bad, if not worse than the elbow that resulted in Bruins defenseman Andrew Ference getting suspended for one game. I would really love to hear what others think of this elbow. Why do you think that there is no suspension coming?

Montreal Canadiens vs Ottawa Senators Donnybrook; P.K. Subban is a clown

Tonight, the Montreal Canadiens acted like a bunch of classless hacks. I don't know who the bigger clown is, P.K. Subban or the head coach of the Montreal Canadians. I don't blame the Ottawa Senators for taking the Habs to the wood shed tonight, Canadiens were begging for a beat down and they kept slashing the Senators and they obliged the Canadiens.

I also don't blame the Senators head coach Paul MacLean who called a timeout very late in the game. Make that 17 seconds left in the game. Of course the head coach of the Montreal Canadiens didn't like it. “As far as I’m concerned, it was classless,” Montreal Canadiens head coach Michel Therrien said.



Finally, talking about classless hacks. P.K. Subban runs his mouth up and down the ice, the guy is an absolute circus clown. Subban leaves his feet to check his opponent and is basically a two bit punk. When asked to fight, Subban turtles or runs and hides behind the refs, unless it's someone that weighs less than him.

Tonight, Subban (6'0" 200 lbs) fought heavy weight fighter Kyle Turris (6'0" 170 lbs), who is another player that is not known for his fighting prowess, according to Hockeyfights.com, Turris has been in three fights during his NHL career. Subban should really be proud of this fight, then he breaks the hockey code by punching Turris as he lays on the ice while he is tied up by the official.

subban leaving feet in gm1 RT @sensprospects Besides outcome, how is this hit diff than Gryba's hit? Guess allowed twitter.com/SensProspects/…
— sensblog (@sensblog) May 4, 2013

Carey Price appears to lose a tooth

Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price took a skate to the face from fellow teammate Jared Tinordi. At the whistle, Price skated to Canadiens bench and it looks like he handed the trainer his dislodged tooth. So, the first thought that comes to mind. Is there a bare nerve in Price’s mouth?  All I can say is ouch! That has to hurt? Nothing hurts more than losing teeth and air on a bare nerve. One has to wonder; don't these guys wear mouth guards?

NHL: Gryba to have hearing on Eller hit

"It's a clean hit with a bad result," Former NHL official Kerry Fraser. I don't believe there should be any [supplemental discipline], Fraser continued.

NHL.com -- The NHL has scheduled a disciplinary hearing for Ottawa Senators defenseman Eric Gryba on Friday for his hit on Lars Eller of the Montreal Canadiens in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series.

With just under 6 1/2 minutes left in the second period of Thursday night's game, Gryba caught Eller with a crunching hit at the blue line as the Canadiens forward was receiving a pass from defenseman Raphael Diaz. Eller was taken off the ice on a stretcher after landing face-first following the hit. He was expected to spend the night at the hospital with head and facial injuries, according to the Canadiens.

The following grounds for potential supplemental discipline are being considered: Illegal check to the head. However, the Department of Player Safety retains the right to make adjustments to these infractions accordingly upon further review.

Gryba was assessed a five-minute major for interference and a game misconduct on the play. Montreal scored once during the long power play, but Ottawa rallied with three goals in the third period for a 4-2 victory.

Game 2 of the series is scheduled for Friday night in Montreal.

Here is what the head coach of the Senators coach Paul MacLean had to say about the hit.

"(If I’m Eller), I’m really mad at player 61 [Raphael Diaz], whoever he is, because he passed me the puck in the middle of the rink when I wasn’t looking,” said MacLean. "That’s always been a dangerous place as far as I know. Ever since I’ve been playing this game, that’s a dangerous place to be — bad things happen."

@goon48 hit to the head. #MTLvsOTT twitter.com/AndyMPressoir/…
— JRoads ™ (@JRoadsreal) May 3, 2013

Related articles

• Lars Eller destroyed by Eric Gryba (ndgoon.blogspot.com)

Edit: Lars Eller destroyed by Eric Gryba

After watching some of the analysis post hit, I am not sure we need to page the NHL Department of Player Safety. Former NHL official Kerry Fraser gives us a pretty good explanation of what happened with hit and they had the benefit of having a big screen TV screen to break down the hit.

Edit: Senators defenseman Eric Gryba absolutely destroys Montréal Canadiens forward Lars Eller with a vicious shoulder-to-torso hit, in my opinion this is probably not a violation of the NHL's rule 48. Also, I would not be too happy with my teammate for making that suicide pass.

Buffalo's Steve Ott demonstrates textbook embellishment

Speaking of clowns. This is a textbook embellishment. You can't tell me that a big guy like Steve Ott who is 6'0" and 193 pounds, should be able to be knocked over this easily, no way, it's not possible. This should be a penalty on Steven Ott for embellishment. I also believe that it's probably not a smart play by Flyers defenseman Oliver Lauridsen because he fell for the bait as well. Not a good day for the Flyers defender.

More P.K. Subban and Canadians Diving.

After the game last night, Boston Bruins head coach Claude Julian wasn't happy with the Montreal Canadians, he said they were embellishing to draw penalties on the ice. I don't think that you would have to work very hard to prove his point. The Canadians historically, are a team that is known for it's embellishment.

I included the check that Boston Bruin's tough guy Shawn Thornton put on Canadian's defenseman P.K. Subban, in my opinion, it looks like Subban over dramatized that hit quite a bit. Sounds like Bruins head coach Claude Julian agrees with me as well.

“It’s about the game and the embellishment embarrasses our game and we need to be better,” Julien said, before turning his focus solely to Subban. “It’s pretty obvious when P.K. gets hit and throws himself into the glass and hold his head. You know what? If we start calling those for embellishment, maybe teams stop doing it. Until we take charge of that, it’s going to be an issue.”  

Was that hit a penalty? I suppose, but because of  P.K. Subban's reputation of being a diver, and a flopper, he's not going to get the benefit of the doubt. Personally would compare Subban to an Alex Burrows type player, I would imagine the ref wasn't inclined to call a penalty on that play, look at the video, it's there for you to see. 

To me it looked like an embellishment and Subban should have received an Academy Award for his acting skills. 

“Tonight, as everybody saw there is a lot of embellishment,” Julian said. “This is embarrassing for our game, embellishing. Right now They [Canadians] got over 100 power-plays so far and it’s pretty obvious why. We’re trying to clean this out of our game and it’s got to be done soon."

In my opinion, the Habs are becoming the Vancouver Canucks of the east.

Max Pacioretty or was it David Desharnais' goal against Boston

Boston Bruins versus the Montreal Canadians... At first, it appeared that the puck had gone off of Max Pacioretty's stick, but after further review it was obvious that it went off of Johnny Boychuk's stick and the goal was awarded to David Desharnais.

Montreal goal listed as to Max Pacioretty, but thatll be changed to David Desharnais off Johnny Boychuk's stick en route to net. Habs up 2-1
— Joe Haggerty (@HackswithHaggs) March 4, 2013

Joe Finley vs. Brandon Prust

Wow! Big Joe Finley is becoming a much better fighter and not leading with his chin any more as he did in his first professional fight. Actually, I would say that Finley did pretty well in this fight. Brandon Prust was in 20 fights last season and has been in 6 already this season, so I tip my hat to the former fighting Sioux defenseman Joe Finley.

Related articles

• Brandon Prust vs. Steve Ott (ndgoon.blogspot.com)

Brendan Gallagher has concussion after being driven into the boards

Another hit, from the dangerous hit department. Also, from the big shock department, another dirty hit from a Philadelphia Flyer. Seems to be a re-occurring theme in the NHL, another dirty hit by a Philadelphia Flyer. Don't expect the Flyers Luke Schenn to get any form of supplemental discipline for this hit on Brendan Gallagher.

Mikhail Grabovski does his best Alex Burrows impersonation

What is with these NHL players biting each other? This is ridiculous, last time I checked, aren't NHL players grown men? Do we not punish our children with consequences when they bite their friends and classmates in school. In my humble opinion, Mikhail Grabovski should have to sit for a game or two for his childish shenanigans. Grabovski has a hearing this afternoon with the department of players safety.

NHL.COM --- Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mikhail Grabovski faces a hearing with the Department of Player Safety on Sunday afternoon for an incident in Toronto's 6-0 victory against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night.

Grabovski received a 10-minute misconduct and a roughing minor for an incident during a scrum at the 11:30 mark of the third period. Grabovski was tangled up with Montreal Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty during the incident in question. Pacioretty was also issued a 10-minute misconduct on the play.

It's gut check time for the NHL. This is one of these cases where the NHL needs to make an example out of Grabovski and throw the book at him. Suspend him for a game or two, that would be okay with me. Heck, why not make it hurt and suspend him for three to five games.

P.K. Subban shows us how to dive and embellish

This week, diving and embellishing has been the hot topic. So, who better than the Canadians defenseman P.K. Subban, who is a very talented and up and coming young defenseman. That being said, Subban's on ice behavior is disgusting, and his antics  makes him look like a fraud.

I will call it like it is, Subban is a poor sport, no one wants to watch people flail around on the ice like they've been shot. If you're an up and coming player and you aspire to be a diver, P.K. Subban, Alex Burrows and Ryan Kessler are the players that you want to emulate.

Brandon Prust vs. Steve Ott

Nothing makes me happier, than watching Hab's tough guy Brandon Prust work the Sabres tough guy wanna be Steve Ott like a clown. I guess if Steve Ott wants to continue getting pounded on a regular basis, more power to him. Last season, Prust had 20 fighting majors playing for the New York Rangers. This season, Prust already has eclipsed the four fight mark in a little over two weeks.

P.K. Subban Guarantees we will have a season

Canadian’s defenseman P.K. Subban guarantees that we will have a season.

“We will, we will,” Subban said. “Guarantee we will. I think so. I think so. I find it hard to believe we lose the season on contracting rights and CBA length… “

I sure hope that P.K. Subban is right.

"O Captain! My Captain!" - UND picks Mac to be captain

Official Press Release

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – University of North Dakota senior defenseman Andrew MacWilliam has been named captain of the men’s hockey team for the 2012-13 season. Senior forwards Corban Knight, Danny Kristo and Carter Rowney were each named assistant captains.

MacWilliam, who served as an assistant captain as a junior, has appeared in 122 career games, the most among returning UND players, and owns a career plus/minus rating of +24. Last season, the Calgary, Alberta, native played in all 42 games and collected two goals and five assists along with a career-best +12 rating. He was also named to the WCHA Final Five All-Tournament Team.

The 6-foot-2, 230-pound MacWilliam was a seventh-round draft pick (188th overall) of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2008.

Knight, like MacWilliam, served as an assistant captain as a junior in 2011-12. The High River, Alberta, native played in all 42 games and amassed career highs in points (40), goals (16) and assists (24). His career +40 rating leads all returning UND players. Knight was a fifth-round draft pick (135th overall) of the Florida Panthers in 2009.

Kristo, a native of Eden Prairie, Minn., is UND’s top returning scorer with 109 points (42 goals, 67 assists) in 117 career games, including a career-high 45 points last season. In 42 games as a junior, Kristo also established career bests in goals (19), assists (26), game-winning goals (3) and plus/minus (+16). He also won UND’s Virg Foss 3-Star Award after receiving the most 3-star voting points from the media following home games. Kristo was a second-round draft pick (56th overall) of the Montreal Canadiens in 2008.

Rowney enjoyed a breakthrough season as a junior, finishing third on the team with a career-high 18 goals and fourth in scoring with a career-high 33 points. Nine of his goals came on the power-play and three stood as game-winners. The Sexsmith, Alberta, native tied for the WCHA playoff scoring lead with eight points in five games, including a league-leading six assists.

UND went 26-13-3 overall in 2011-12 and captured its league-record third consecutive Broadmoor Trophy as WCHA Final Five champions. It was also the program’s league-leading 11th WCHA playoff title.

UND opens the 2012-13 season, its last as a member of the WCHA, with exhibition games against Manitoba (Oct. 6) and the U.S. Under-18 Team (Oct. 12) before opening the regular season Oct. 19-20 at the Alaska Goal Rush tournament in Fairbanks.

Who is going to sign P.K. Subban?

PK Subban (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Here is an interesting story on The Hab's defenseman P.K. Subban,  apparently the Habs have offered a contract to the young defenseman for two years worth 5.5 million or 2.75 million a year, however, Subban has not yet agreed to the terms and or signed a new contract.

Some fans around the league have suggested that their favorite team sign the Hab's defenseman to an offer sheet.

Stu Hackel, Red Light Blog --- Among the most buzz-y stories this week has been the plight of Pernell Karl Subban, the Canadiens’ restricted free agent defenseman who remains unsigned. It’s worth questioning, however, if this story is worth all the buzz, although almost everything involving P.K. grabs the hockey world by the lapels and screams for attention, which is not necessarily a bad thing.

The way this story has been reported, or at least repeated, is that the Habs have offered P.K. a two-year deal for $5.5 million that he has rejected. Subban is supposedly “unhappy” and “negotiations have hit a roadblock” according to one content provider, and he’s “very far away” from reaching an agreement, according to another. More than one blogger (OK here’s one) has called for their favorite team to extend the 23-year-old an RFA offer sheet, certain that he’d be the answer to its blueline problems. This talk of Subban becoming an offer sheet target for general managers seeking defensemen spread to the XM Satellite Radio on Friday morning, with hosts and guests very curious as to why no team has gone after him.

Had the Flyers not extended an offer sheet to Shea Weber last month, the chatter about snaring another team’s RFA would hardly be as prevalent. The experience wouldn’t be that fresh in our collective minds. But the lessons of Weber and all RFA signings — which GMs understand well — haven’t resonated much for some reason.

Here’s the thing: Teams don’t sign RFAs to offer sheets very much because they tend not to achieve the desired result. The player’s original team invariably matches the offer and, as we saw with Weber’s situation, there are only hard feelings between the clubs and maybe even some between the player and his team. The only thing RFA offer sheets accomplish under the current CBA is that another team ends up negotiating a contract for a player it ultimately doesn’t sign.

Last season, Subban had seven goals and 29 assists in 81 games for the Montreal Canadians. Subban also is a restricted free agent  - so unless someone like the Philadelphia Flyers signs Subban to an offer sheet - the Habs defenseman isn't going anywhere so he is pretty much stuck with the current offer they Habs have on the table.

Friday Links --- Hockey dreaming.

More and more it's looking like there is going to be revenue sharing in the new CBA.

Every article you see has the words revenue sharing and haves and have nots included in it.

I can't imagine the haves of the NHL are going to be that crazy about the prospects of having to share the wealth with the lesser fortunate teams.

Tim Panaccio, CSNPHILLY.COM --- The two sides will meet again on Wednesday.

NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr would not take a stance on whether the union agreed entirely with the league on revenue sharing. Still, it’s widely known the players feel the expansion of such is not only necessary, but also the only way to resolve the vast revenue gaps between the “have” and “have nots,” while limiting the salary hit the players are expected to swallow in the next CBA.

What has not been discussed yet -- but figures to be -- is whether the owners will accept a luxury tax, similar to what Fehr negotiated with Major League Baseball.

There are no less than 10 teams in the NHL that annually spend to the salary cap limit or beyond. Those are the teams that support the underlings that can’t manage a profit.

There is some news from the UND Hockey front... Fighting Sioux senior forward Danny Kristo, is ranked 7th for the Montreal Canadiens.

7. Danny Kristo, RW: Kristo will be returning for his senior season with the Fighting Sioux of the University of North Dakota in 2012-13. The second-round pick in 2008 (No. 56) is coming off a junior season when he finished second on the team in scoring with 42 points in 45 games

Apparently Donald Fehr isn't all that worried about September 15th which is the day that the current CBA expires.

I also think the last thing the NHL owners want to do is have another lockout, especially if the there are teams that are suffering as bad as some claim. 

David Schoalts, The Globe and Mail ---- Bettman said he still thinks there is time to get a new agreement before the season starts in early October. Fehr once again pointed out the players are willing to work even after the current agreement expires.

"All I've said is Sept. 15 is not a magic date unless someone wants to make it so," Fehr said. "There's nothing that happens on Sept. 15 if we don't have an agreement, provided nobody says we're going to go on strike or says we're going to lock the doors."

I guess I am not expecting a counter proposal from the NHLPA anytime soon – the NHLPA just had 76,000 pages of financial information dumped in their laps from the NHL owners… No telling how long they will study the information to make their decision.

Jeff Z. Klein, Slap Shots --- Commissioner Gary Bettman emerged from a negotiating session with the N.H.L. Players’ Association on Tuesday and announced that the league had supplied 76,000 pages of audited financial documents that the union had requested.

 Its official former UNO Mavericks forward Jayson Megna has signed a professional contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins of the NHL. [Official Press Release] Just like others I am perplexed by the move as well.

In case anyone is still wondering Matt Slovin nor the newspaper has not pulled the Jacob Trouba story from the Michigan Daily web page.

Hockey Prospectus on Brock Nelson and Danny Kristo

Corey Pronman a writer that has a NHL prospects page did a review on Former Fighting Sioux forward Brock Nelson and current Fighting Sioux forward Danny Kristo. Here is what Pronman had to say about Brock Nelson.

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3. Brock Nelson, Center
2010-11 Ranking: Unranked
Date of birth: 10/15/1991
Age: 20
Height: 6'4''
Weight: 192
Shoots: Left
Statistics: 42 GP, 28 G, 47 P (Univ. of North Dakota-WCHA)
Acquired: First round, 30th overall in 2010 by New York Islanders

The Good: According to many scouts, Nelson was one of the best players in college hockey this year after taking big steps forward in his development. He really grew into his frame and projects as a legit high-end physical player due to his size, strength level, and willingness to use his body. He's a smart defensive player who showed very advanced awareness in his own end. Nelson's best offensive trait is his hockey sense, as he has good vision and overall offensive instincts to combine with solid puck skills. He looks like a do-it-all forward who can play center or wing, log tough minutes, and still score at the top level.

The Bad: His skating has improved, at times flashing pro-average but more improvement in that area could help. Nelson has no glaring hole, but he also lacks any true wow-caliber tool.

Projection: He could be a good second-line center who can also check top players.

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Here is what Pronman had to say about Danny Kristo – based on what he has said here I do believe that it’s a pretty accurate assessment.

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4. Danny Kristo, Right Wing
2010-11 Ranking: 7th
Date of birth: 06/18/1990
Age: 22
Height: 5'11''
Weight: 188
Shoots: Right
Statistics: 42 GP, 19 G, 45 P (University of North Dakota-WCHA)
Acquired: Second round, 56th overall in 2008 by Montreal

The Good: Kristo rebounded from a disappointing sophomore year with a much stronger junior season, looking much more reminiscent of the player scouts saw during his U-20 years. Kristo arguably is a high-end skater, although I didn't always see that level this season, with a great stride and an effortless ability to hit a dangerous top gear. He's also a good puck-handler who on occasion shows plus ability, but this year the extra element I saw from Kristo was making a lot of above-average if not high-end passes. He's also a gritty player who works hard in the physical areas and can be effective as a penalty killer.

The Bad: Kristo's body is his major issue, as it hasn't developed as one would hope and he needs a boat load of strength to excel as a pro. He also forces bad plays still but not as much as prior years.

Projection: He could be a decent second-line winger.

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