Ok, like or dislike him, what do you think? He speared the guy in the stomach on purpose. Should it cost him a game or two?
I vote 'Yes' (I'd pay for 6)
Although Messier is Messier and that will certainly factor into things. The league will probably suspend him. It's comprable to Bertuzzi in that they are both high profile players and if the league does not suspend him they'll have to face questions of the "double-standard" in treatment of the leagues players and the leagues super-players.
It's hard to get into Colin's head but I'd say anywhere from 1-4 games.
The guy hit the ice like a sack of potatoes and not surprising was european. It was kind of nice to see Mess stick up for himself. I liked that small flash of the old Messier, the guy with a bit of a mean streak.
The cold stare - as his opponent lie, lifeless, on the ice before him - was priceless.
If he's gonna retire, that's a heavy penalty considering how few games are left and no playoffs. It's not relevant but it is relevant considering who he is.
I'd suspend him 1 or 2 games this year and the first 4 or 3 games of next year if he doesn't retire. (for a grand total of 5 games).
With the NHL more determined to call penalities, I fear a European revolution where all these pansies who wanna figure skate, fly all over the ice anytime someone gets rough with them.
They did it when it didn't get called, can you imagine what's gonna happen now?
A game or two sure, but i dunno about something extending over two seasons.
I do agree with you, Edge. It's been a rather bad week for stupid stick-swinging or brawling. With this entire censorship thing going on in the US, it's going to effect Bettman's line of thinking. Man I wish this guy would just grow some balls.
The penalties are going to increase so that they show the media that the league is doing "it's best" to counter this "violence". You're going to see players flopping all over hells-half-acre, just to get an extra 3 minutes and a game, tacked onto a penalty.
It was interesting what Selanne said after the TO-COL game on Saturday. Something to the effect of "...maybe we as players and a union need to sit down and talk about these things, this lack of respect in the league...what is it going to take for us to learn - somebody to die?"
The answer to some of this crap is within the players; the high-sticks, the sucker-punches, the knee-on-knees. That can be solved.
However when someone suggests we need to get the brawling out of the game; **** that Calgary game was a great hockey game. It was close and it was a good game...aside from Nashville playing a bit of the trap in the third. It ended off with emotion and after seeing a game end like that I'll definitely watch their next match up.
We seriously need to evaluate what is apart of hockey and what isn't. A guy like Bettman has no clue but the players and the coaches do. Leave it up to them. They're the ones that play.
Let's look at the 'bigger' picture: For the next 2 games we can't complain about Messier getting too much ice time and not seeing enough Lundmark, etc. This could be a blessing in disguise for a possibly-handcuffed Tom Renney... (notice how the team player noticeably better sans Messier?)
who's noticing? Any win without Messier is purely coincidental. The team may play faster, but there's more to the game than speed. And heck, Mess has missed one game this entire season - how could one surmise that this team plays noticeably better without him?
As for Lundmark - in the last five he's averaged about 18 minutes per, tallying zero points, a minus 2 rating, 4 PIMs and registering six shots. I don't think Mess is holding Lundmark back at this point.
who's noticing? Any win without Messier is purely coincidental. The team may play faster, but there's more to the game than speed. And heck, Mess has missed one game this entire season - how could one surmise that this team plays noticeably better without him?
As for Lundmark - in the last five he's averaged about 18 minutes per, tallying zero points, a minus 2 rating, 4 PIMs and registering six shots. I don't think Mess is holding Lundmark back at this point.
After watching lines of Hlavac-M.Green-Jagr, J.Green-Lundmark-Balej, and LaCouture-Holik-Murray form up after Messier left, I think the team played noticeably better. Yes, isn't it odd that Lundmark wasn't with Jagr, but I think his line was playing well and was well suited to use their speed.
It's NOT about Messier holding anyone back anymore. It's about Messier's presence allowing for Renney to have an 'out.' It's about a veteran player given treatement, with the end of his career looming, given more time than needed. With him out, Renney has no choice but to put together combos that might be more palatable to the FUTURE and the talent on hand.
The next 2 games, IMO, will give us an interesting, unfettered look into the future (that is unless Messier starts coaching the next 2 games and takes the rest of the season off, is named head coach by Sather and I start to learn Fantasy Premiership Soccer.)
(I'd pay for 6)
