Driving and ice hockey is a horrible analogy. These guys are taught from the second they put on skates to not cross check people in the back. Accidents are bound to happen driving. This was a pre-medidated cross check. He initiated the contact.
If i saw a guy driving next to me and was like hey, he's a little to close, let me just bump him off me, i'd be ****ed.
It's not comparable at all
Adding this in for those people that thought this hit was fine.
Quote:
Dr. Robert Molinari said Richards is incredibly lucky. Molinari is the spinal surgeon at the University of Rochester Medical Center and also teaches spinal medicine. He said Richards would have suffered a life-altering injury had his head hit the boards in a slightly different manner.
“Had he been a few degrees to center, he would be a quadriplegic. He’s lucky his head went to the side,” Molinari said this afternoon after watching video of Kaleta’s seemingly innocent-looking cross-check to Richards’ back.
Innocent-looking to those who aren’t aware of just how dangerous that hit can be on a hockey rink. There really is no play that is more dangerous when it comes to the risk for spinal injury: A shove from behind to a player that his between four and six feet from the boards. It ends up having same result as spearing in football.
Except in football, the guy doing the spearing is the one at risk because he tilts his own head downward and exposes himself for an impact that will explode the vertebrae in his spine. In hockey, the player that gets hit is in peril because he usually has no time or no way to reach up with his arms to cushion his impact with the boards.
“Once you have the head down and are lining up all the vertebrae, then all the force of the impact goes right to the vertebrae and they can burst,” said Dr. Robert Bronstein, an orthopedic surgeon at URMC’ and the Rochester Americans team doctor.
“That’s what was scary about the hit (by Kaleta),” Bronstein said. “When I saw it, I was wanting to see if he got up or he was moving.”
The innocence of the play is also why younger players — and obviously NHLers, too — must understand this was an ultra-dangerous hit. “Those are the hits that can cause the worst injury,” Bronstein said. “That’s why they (the referees) have got to keep calling them.”
Former NHL player and coach, and now New York Islanders analyst, Butch Goring on Twitter (@91Butch) said the hit was deplorable:
“Kaleta hit really dangerous,wish players could be judge and jury.This type of hit is unacceptable,teammates should hold him accountable.”
Last edited by 16 To Stanley: 03-07-2013 at 04:05 PM.
Driving and ice hockey is a horrible analogy. These guys are taught from the second they put on skates to not cross check people in the back. Accidents are bound to happen driving. This was a pre-medidated cross check. He initiated the contact.
If i saw a guy driving next to me and was like hey, he's a little to close, let me just bump him off me, i'd be ****ed.
It's not comparable at all
Adding this in for those people that thought this hit was fine.
Where did you get the quote from Dr.? Good to see that it pretty much shuts up all this faking junk now, or should for good.
Lol at people thinking Richards was faking it. Missing his second game tonight and that quote from the doctor speaks to how serious this almost was. Lucky for the Rangers Richy wasn't playing that well anyway.
Wondering if anyone will call Steve Ott out for his atrociously unprofessional interview the day after the incident in which he echoed the "Richards milked it" crowd.
Where are those people anyway? They seem to have vanished...
Richards needs an oscar, he's one hell of an actor huh? It takes real dedication to miss your second straight game just so he doesnt get ridiculed for faking that head first dive into the boards huh?
On a realistic note: How about players getting a suspension for the infraction plus they also get X number of games tacked on to their suspension for the number of games missed by the injured player........
Last edited by OHLFan8771: 03-07-2013 at 09:52 PM.
Reason: offensive
Don't think Kaleta deserved 5 games at all. It should've been just a check, Richards falling is what made it worse. It's like punishing a player whose deflected shot got a player in the face.
Don't think Kaleta deserved 5 games at all. It should've been just a check, Richards falling is what made it worse. It's like punishing a player whose deflected shot got a player in the face.
bet ott feels like a real piece of work... so should the same people who thought... "well if Ott thinks so it must be right!". some ex teammate
How can anyone criticize Ott? Richards gets hit, appears to be in a world of hurt and then a couple minutes later he's back on the ice. Something doesn't look right...
I said it before and I'll say it again. If anyone is to be criticized its the New York Rangers for rushing Richards back so fast.
How can anyone criticize Ott? Richards gets hit, appears to be in a world of hurt and then a couple minutes later he's back on the ice. Something doesn't look right...
I said it before and I'll say it again. If anyone is to be criticized its the New York Rangers for rushing Richards back so fast.
I think it's pretty obvious at this point that the trauma to his body hadn't quite hit him at that point. Not unlike a concussed player shaking it off and finishing the game.
In any case if we're going to criticize anyone Kaleta is the one to start with. The good doctors quoted up above are pretty explicit about how easily that could have been a lot worse. Personally I think Kaleta is a dirtbag--among a handful of players in the league who actively seek out players to injure. I don't buy the 'he's cleaned up his act' anymore than I buy it when the same is said about Matt Cooke. it's too bad because both are good 3rd/4th line wingers without needing to resort to that.
For seriously old news this thread sure is active. Kaleta was in the wrong, he got punished. Not sure why there is still any further argument?
Because he played in the largest media market in America and because Richards was a star. There is a video of Mario crosschecking a guy headfirst into the boards and then getting upset when he retaliates, just one of those things.
these hits been happening forever, just a double standard.
Because he played in the largest media market in America and because Richards was a star. There is a video of Mario crosschecking a guy headfirst into the boards and then getting upset when he retaliates, just one of those things.
these hits been happening forever, just a double standard.
I mean, really? Do you really think that that play was similar to the Kaleta/Richards play?
I'm actually on board with you that the league lets its stars get away with quite a bit, but you chose a really horrible example.
This thread should be dead but people keep feeding the trolls. I suppose I may be doing that myself right now, but if anyone is seriously still questioning the legitimacy of Richards' injury they are stupid. Plain and simple.
The guy got a stinger. He panicked in the immediate aftermath, as most any human would. Adrenaline carried him through the rest of the game once the concern about a serious injury waned, and the lingering damage has now caused him to miss two games. There is nothing controversial left to discuss anymore.
Driving and ice hockey is a horrible analogy. These guys are taught from the second they put on skates to not cross check people in the back. Accidents are bound to happen driving. This was a pre-medidated cross check. He initiated the contact.
If i saw a guy driving next to me and was like hey, he's a little to close, let me just bump him off me, i'd be ****ed.
It's not comparable at all
Adding this in for those people that thought this hit was fine.
Quote:
Innocent-looking to those who aren’t aware of just how dangerous that hit can be on a hockey rink. There really is no play that is more dangerous when it comes to the risk for spinal injury: A shove from behind to a player that his between four and six feet from the boards. It ends up having same result as spearing in football.
That was exactly what I was saying. Glad to see that a true professional is in agreement (not that I expected otherwise).
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Look at the replay folks. Kaleta practically cross-checks Richards when he's in a vulnerable position. He's done this on numerous occassions.
I can't understand how anyone can defend him. Or why they're even trying to. He has a reputation of a dirtbag for a reason. He's done this to numerous players.
Richards has missed the last two games. Acting? Really? You people can't be serious.
Richards: Hey coach, I feel great but I think i'll take another night off because I don't want anyone to mock me on Hfboards.
Torts: You're right. We can't absorb that kind of scrutiny. Take the night off. We'll win w/o you Richie.
Look at the replay folks. Kaleta practically cross-checks Richards when he's in a vulnerable position. He's done this on numerous occassions.
I can't understand how anyone can defend him. Or why they're even trying to. He has a reputation of a dirtbag for a reason. He's done this to numerous players.
Richards has missed the last two games. Acting? Really? You people can't be serious.
Richards: Hey coach, I feel great but I think i'll take another night off because I don't want anyone to mock me on Hfboards.
Torts: You're right. We can't absorb that kind of scrutiny. Take the night off. We'll win w/o you Richie.
Seriously guys? I mean, seriously?
Made me think of the Varlamov and Ovechkin Russian spy commercial.
is that kaleta is a known *******. a repeat offender that has not and will not learn his lesson. IMO since fines and suspensions don't work someone needs to knock his block off
How can anyone criticize Ott? Richards gets hit, appears to be in a world of hurt and then a couple minutes later he's back on the ice. Something doesn't look right...
I said it before and I'll say it again. If anyone is to be criticized its the New York Rangers for rushing Richards back so fast.
Um.. what? You don't think Richards had a choice to come back or not? He obviously wanted to finish the game and try and help his team win. If anything should be said it's the fact that Richards has some balls and is somewhat of a warrior to finish the game. I didn't think he had that trait in him, but apparently he does.
ex teammate
