Brad Norton

Hordichuk_24 · 10-01-2003, 12:12 AM

Bad news after tonights game:

"It wasn't all good news for the Kings. Defenseman Brad Norton, slotted among the top-six blueliners for the team, had his lower right forearm sliced by a skate blade during the first period. The blade, which belonged to teammate Brown or Coyote Tyson Nash, sliced through a tendon.

Norton left the ice holding the wound closed with his left hand and was immediately transported to a nearby hospital. Exploratory surgery was scheduled for late Tuesday evening and Kings officials said Norton will likely miss months, if not the whole season . . ."

http://www.aztrib.com/index.php?sty=10766

Face Wash · 10-01-2003, 03:43 AM

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-...adlines-sports

Oh, you didn't think the Kings would get through camp without another awful injury, did you???

I've never seen anything like this in any sport in my life.

This team is cursed.

TubbyTerrion* · 10-01-2003, 08:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hordichuk_24

Bad news after tonights game:

"It wasn't all good news for the Kings. Defenseman Brad Norton, slotted among the top-six blueliners for the team, had his lower right forearm sliced by a skate blade during the first period.

...well... slotted among the top-eight blueliners, anyway

Love Norton as a person. Very accessible, very funny, and you have to admire his perserverance and dedication, but here is a guy who really isn't fast enough to be an NHL defenseman taking a regular shift. After 10 games last year he got moved up to forward so that he could become the team's enforcer in the face of Kenny Belanger's concussion. He was (self-admittedly) uncomfortable at forward, but did his best because he's a good team guy. Season ends, he's a UFA, he re-signs with the Kings because they make him a promise he can go back to the blueline. Works his ass off, but you clearly have to wonder why the Kings, who publicly stated he didn't have the foot speed to be an NHL defenseman, would think he had a shot to outplay the 9 or 10 legitimate candidates for D-spots on the team. We have Brennan and Flinn, so his value up front is clearly diminished. He somehow survives all odds and looks to become one of the healthy scratches on most nights, but with injuries to Miller, Modry, Grebeshkov, etc. --- gets a chance to play, and then this happens.

Teams are supposed to limp to the finish line, not the starting line. Weird.

Shame for Norton personally, but realistically, it just takes one more fringe guy out of the mix as AM and DT make roster decisions.

Skebo · 10-01-2003, 10:09 AM

At some point I expect the player's heads to start spinning around and projectile vomitting. We need to exorcise these demons before we lose more players!

BINGO · 10-01-2003, 11:33 AM

I am glad to be out east, I would not want to get sucked into the "black hole" over LA!

washie · 10-01-2003, 01:25 PM

Wow 3-4 months he will be out after surgery ? Man this and Aulin thing makes me very mad. I hope we can rise above it and play harder.

TubbyTerrion* · 10-01-2003, 01:26 PM

mad?

disappointed, perhaps... but mad?

The Aulin thing was potentially avoidable, as he did not have to try to protect his teammate (debatable) but the Norton thing was while he was in the middle of taking a penalty, so he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

washie · 10-02-2003, 03:24 PM

Yes mad becuase Norton is a good 2 way player for us that plays both D and on the wing. With the team we have and the type of teams in our devision yes that makes me mad. We could have really used him at the start of the season to bunch a few good winning streaks together with Allison and Deadmarsh out.

TubbyTerrion* · 10-02-2003, 03:55 PM

ok then...

(hmmmm...)

pondering the concept.

Game Misconduct · 10-03-2003, 07:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TubbyTerrion

Love Norton as a person. Very accessible, very funny, and you have to admire his perserverance and dedication, but here is a guy who really isn't fast enough to be an NHL defenseman taking a regular shift. . . . Works his ass off, but you clearly have to wonder why the Kings, who publicly stated he didn't have the foot speed to be an NHL defenseman, would think he had a shot to outplay the 9 or 10 legitimate candidates for D-spots on the team.

Maybe I'm missing something here, but I completely disagree. I thought Norton and Schneider were an effective pair last year, and I did not see a single goal scored by the other team due to a Norton error.

Sure, he's no Lidstrom, or even Norstrom/Miller, but I think he's a perfectly serviceable 6/7 defenseman and I'm not understanding this footspeed issue at all. My observation has been that whatever he lacks in speed he makes up for with good hockey sense and physical play.