Since the main board has blown up over the slash on Osgood I thought I would start a thread to actually discuss this. We saw it here in Nashville, I know it was Tootoo that took the stick to the face but I forget who the goalie was. I know we've also seen it several other times in the NHL this year. Goalies have always put their sticks up/out to protect themselves during the forecheck with opponents buzzing around but in the NHL this year it has become way too common place for a goalie to jam the handle of his stick out trying to hit a forechecker in the face. Not only is this a dangerous form of intentional highsticking it could also hurt the forechecker by knocking them of balance and causing them to go into the board awkwardly.
Will this be something that the league takes a serious look at this summer. To me this should be a five game suspension anytime a goalie tries this next year and it shouldn't depend on the on ice officials calling it either. It is a deliberate high stick, no different than a skater hitting a player with his stick in the face purposefully. If a team reports an incident to the NHL for review and it is deemed that the goalie did this then he is gone for five games the first time and who knows what the second or third time. This isn't part of the game but forechecking is and I don't see how this can be excused by saying "well the goalie was just protecting his crease".
Since the main board has blown up over the slash on Osgood I thought I would start a thread to actually discuss this. We saw it here in Nashville, I know it was Tootoo that took the stick to the face but I forget who the goalie was. I know we've also seen it several other times in the NHL this year. Goalies have always put their sticks up/out to protect themselves during the forecheck with opponents buzzing around but in the NHL this year it has become way too common place for a goalie to jam the handle of his stick out trying to hit a forechecker in the face. Not only is this a dangerous form of intentional highsticking it could also hurt the forechecker by knocking them of balance and causing them to go into the board awkwardly.
Will this be something that the league takes a serious look at this summer. To me this should be a five game suspension anytime a goalie tries this next year and it shouldn't depend on the on ice officials calling it either. It is a deliberate high stick, no different than a skater hitting a player with his stick in the face purposefully. If a team reports an incident to the NHL for review and it is deemed that the goalie did this then he is gone for five games the first time and who knows what the second or third time. This isn't part of the game but forechecking is and I don't see how this can be excused by saying "well the goalie was just protecting his crease".
maybe its time to go a little ol' time hockey ... Nail 'em right in his mind!
I like your thoughts nif. They are certainly a basis with which to begin a rule change....
I'm not good at gaugeing suspensions so I threw out the 5 games as a somewhat random number being more meaningful than a slap on the wrist 1 gamer and a heavyhanded 10 game.
Do you think I am off on the severity of the suspension?
I'm not good at gaugeing suspensions so I threw out the 5 games as a somewhat random number being more meaningful than a slap on the wrist 1 gamer and a heavyhanded 10 game.
Do you think I am off on the severity of the suspension?
I think it would probably be smaller, simply because it may come down to a judgement call quite often (that all goalies will vehemently deny). I could see a 1 game suspension with escalators (something a bit more steep than the current diving escalating system). Personally, I like the 5 game idea, but I can't see it happening as stated.
If we really care about the safety of the players and the integrity of the game, I think it is very important that goalies face a steep penalty by endangering a player like this. I have seen Osgood, Nabokov, other goalies extend the stick, especially the butt end at an onrushing player. I don't buy 'protecting the crease' as there are clear penalties for charging the goalie on the books.
A stick infraction is a stick infraction-- if forwards and D are always responsible for their stick, why shouldn't a goalie be held to the same standard? Actually, the forechecker is even more vulnerable as he is often trying to beat an icing or just racing to an open puck and this seems a premeditated intent to injure act.
If we really care about the safety of the players and the integrity of the game, I think it is very important that goalies face a steep penalty by endangering a player like this. I have seen Osgood, Nabokov, other goalies extend the stick, especially the butt end at an onrushing player. I don't buy 'protecting the crease' as there are clear penalties for charging the goalie on the books.
A stick infraction is a stick infraction-- if forwards and D are always responsible for their stick, why shouldn't a goalie be held to the same standard? Actually, the forechecker is even more vulnerable as he is often trying to beat an icing or just racing to an open puck and this seems a premeditated intent to injure act.
Turco butt ended Helm in the face while he was forechecking a player behind the net in game #1. That went uncalled and unfined.
The league has far greater issues to deal with than this. If they make something like this which has been happening since the dawn of the NHL a priority while spending yet another offseason completely ignoring the headshot problem then the league really isn't focused on player safety at all.
The league has far greater issues to deal with than this. If they make something like this which has been happening since the dawn of the NHL a priority while spending yet another offseason completely ignoring the headshot problem then the league really isn't focused on player safety at all.
You're kidding right? This is essentially the equivalent of saying "Hey Mister!" then slamming someone in the face with a baseball bat when they turn around.
I was sitting close to the glass when Nabby hit Tootoo in the face. It was dirty, ugly and uncalled for. Although taking any kind of hit on Tootoo is a favorite league pasttime. Tootoo played clean this year, seriously stepped up his game, and did absolutely NOTHING to provoke Nabokov. Nabby just took a step and WHAM! down went Tootoo.
The Turco hit was just as nasty.
There is "hey, get out of my way!" and there is being a thug. The latter needs to be punished.
You're kidding right? This is essentially the equivalent of saying "Hey Mister!" then slamming someone in the face with a baseball bat when they turn around.
I was sitting close to the glass when Nabby hit Tootoo in the face. It was dirty, ugly and uncalled for. Although taking any kind of hit on Tootoo is a favorite league pasttime. Tootoo played clean this year, seriously stepped up his game, and did absolutely NOTHING to provoke Nabokov. Nabby just took a step and WHAM! down went Tootoo.
The Turco hit was just as nasty.
There is "hey, get out of my way!" and there is being a thug. The latter needs to be punished.
To be fair, Nabby didn't touch Tootoo with his stick. It was high (face level) to the on-rushing forechecker, but Tootoo fell because he saw it late and lost balance trying to avoid it. He got in Nabokov's face because of intent (can't find the article right now, but Tootoo said something along the lines of Nabby trying to take his head off, rather than any contact being made).
I agree that goalie's sticks need to be watched more closely, and I think a game misconduct should be given to goalies that lift their sticks to shoulder or above level.
