NHL Discussion (Other than Jets)

[GOLDMEMBER]

Sounds like buff is close heard zip on Ladd. Trade him and someone else for Hamonic!

[blue_gold_84]

http://www.tsn.ca/ducks-f-horcoff-suspended-20-games-for-peds-1.428881

Yikes. Must've been pretty low quality PEDs.

[New_Earth_Mud]

Sounds like buff is close heard zip on Ladd. Trade him and someone else for Hamonic!

Id trade Ladd n Pav for Ham in a sec.

[blue_gold_84]

Id trade Ladd n Pav for Ham in a sec.

The Islanders don't want either of them.

[theaardvark]

Wideman?  Accident, or on purpose.

Looking at the short gif's, immediately say "20 games". 

Looking at the longer tapes, including the hit on him and him wobbling back to the bench, I'm thinking he's been knocked loopy, and is heading instinctively to the bench,  doesn't see the linesman skating into his path until its too late, and bring up his stick to protect himself. 

Some people are suggesting if it had been a red sweater, he'd hug instead of hit the guy, and that might be true.  But we don't know that.  If it had been an opponent, blocking his way to the bench, no issue. 

Here is my concern.  In the wild, Zebras are striped as camoflage, and I'm wondering if he was discombobulated enough that the optical centres of his brain couldn't resolve the black/white linesman from the boards/ice.  That combo blends in nicely to the background and if his vision was fuzzy at all, that backwards skating lineman could have been a blur that suddenly resolved into an object a split second before the collision, and instinctively Wideman defends himself.

If this was a goon, or someone famous for stickwork, or taking cheap shots, I have no issue with throwing the book at him.  But Wideman is not that player. 

I think the bigger problem is being missed here.  The fact that both he and the lineman continued without undergoing concussion protocols is disconcerting.  People are claiming that because Wideman didn't go to the quiet room after his hit, it proves he knew what he was doing.  I don't see that.  I see that a player wasn't protected by the system and sent off.  Then, things escalate, because the linesman ends up spending until 5am in the hospital going through the protocols.  Should he not have done that at the time of the hit? 

In my eyes, this was an unfortunate accident, and both player and linesman are victims of not being protected after the incident.  Wideman will get 10-20 games, for sure, but I don't think he deserves that.

[blue_gold_84]

Flames' D Wideman suspended indefinitely:

http://www.tsn.ca/flames-wideman-suspended-indefinitely-1.430044

What the hell was he thinking? I've watched the replay more than a dozen times and it sure doesn't seem accidental, as he seems to shove the linesman.

[theaardvark]

Flames' D Wideman suspended indefinitely:

http://www.tsn.ca/flames-wideman-suspended-indefinitely-1.430044

What the hell was he thinking? I've watched the replay more than a dozen times and it sure doesn't seem accidental, as he seems to shove the linesman.

Did you watch the whole replay including the hit on Wideman and him getting up and heading to the bench?  Listen to the commentators...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOx0Cwi6wR0

If you just watch the gif's a completely different look...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiZEjWLgpMY

[blue_gold_84]

Did you watch the whole replay including the hit on Wideman and him getting up and heading to the bench?  Listen to the commentators...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOx0Cwi6wR0

If you just watch the gif's a completely different look...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiZEjWLgpMY

That's the exact replay I've watched and what's been shown on TV and online. What exactly am I listening to from the commentators?

[Colton]

Flames' D Wideman suspended indefinitely:

http://www.tsn.ca/flames-wideman-suspended-indefinitely-1.430044

What the hell was he thinking? I've watched the replay more than a dozen times and it sure doesn't seem accidental, as he seems to shove the linesman.

Such a dick move. If that's an accident he stops and makes sure he is alright. Who "accidentally" bulldozes a defenseless linesman and doesn't even stop to check if the guy was hurt or apologize? I was absolutely baffled when I saw how many people immediately jumped to defend this as an accident.

[blue_gold_84]

Such a dick move. If that's an accident he stops and makes sure he is alright. Who "accidentally" bulldozes a defenseless linesman and doesn't even stop to check if the guy was hurt or apologize? I was absolutely baffled when I saw how many people immediately jumped to defend this as an accident.

My thoughts exactly. You stop, apologize, and make sure he's okay. Right then and there. Wideman waited until his next shift to go and say sorry. That seems pretty odd.

How anybody could reasonably defend what he did is beyond me.

[theaardvark]

That's the exact replay I've watched and what's been shown on TV and online. What exactly am I listening to from the commentators?

Their first reaction was that he didn't see the linesman. 

Such a dick move. If that's an accident he stops and makes sure he is alright. Who "accidentally" bulldozes a defenseless linesman and doesn't even stop to check if the guy was hurt or apologize? I was absolutely baffled when I saw how many people immediately jumped to defend this as an accident.

Wideman had to get to the bench and sit down before he fell down.  He was not in his right mind, and should have been sent to the quiet room.  You can see how dazed he was on the bench.  By the time he got his faculties back, he was back out on the ice, and apologized.  I really think he should have been sent for protocol, but no hockey player would ever volunteer for that, teams and the league have to be a lot more proactive in sending these guys off.

My thoughts exactly. You stop, apologize, and make sure he's okay. Right then and there. Wideman waited until his next shift to go and say sorry. That seems pretty odd.

How anybody could reasonably defend what he did is beyond me.

Not defending the action or outcome, just explaining that it wasn't a blatant attack on an official.  He didn't skate up to an unsuspecting ref and whack him.  He was heading to his safe place in a diminished capacity after whacking his head off the glass, and as a well camouflaged linesman skated into his path he brought his arms up (still holding his stick) to protect himself. 

Was it intentional?  Was it an attack on an official?  Is he known for this kind of behaviour?  Not at all.

Is it an offence deserving suspension?  Yes.  He will get 10 games minimum.  Just like a player gets a penalty when his stick hits someone inadvertently, or gets his stick caught between another players legs.  Not intentional, but actionable. 

I just think he's getting a bad rap for what is obviously an accident, and that the league should have stepped in and put both Wideman and the linesman through the protocol.  That's what its for.  And its up to the league to make it happen, hockey players and refs are "too tough" to voluntarily subject themselves to protocol.

[blue_gold_84]

Their first reaction was that he didn't see the linesman. 

Wideman had to get to the bench and sit down before he fell down.  He was not in his right mind, and should have been sent to the quiet room.  You can see how dazed he was on the bench.  By the time he got his faculties back, he was back out on the ice, and apologized.  I really think he should have been sent for protocol, but no hockey player would ever volunteer for that, teams and the league have to be a lot more proactive in sending these guys off.

Not defending the action or outcome, just explaining that it wasn't a blatant attack on an official.  He didn't skate up to an unsuspecting ref and whack him.  He was heading to his safe place in a diminished capacity after whacking his head off the glass, and as a well camouflaged linesman skated into his path he brought his arms up (still holding his stick) to protect himself. 

Was it intentional?  Was it an attack on an official?  Is he known for this kind of behaviour?  Not at all.

Is it an offence deserving suspension?  Yes.  He will get 10 games minimum.  Just like a player gets a penalty when his stick hits someone inadvertently, or gets his stick caught between another players legs.  Not intentional, but actionable. 

I just think he's getting a bad rap for what is obviously an accident, and that the league should have stepped in and put both Wideman and the linesman through the protocol.  That's what its for.  And its up to the league to make it happen, hockey players and refs are "too tough" to voluntarily subject themselves to protocol.

Who cares? How is that is any way relevant to what actually happened?

And you have no idea what he was feeling. So, don't try and tell anyone how you claim to know. The fact is he shoved a linesman after skating in a straight line from the top of the face-off circle with his head up and after slamming his stick on the ice in what appears to be frustration. And it isn't like he just skated into Henderson. He shoved him. He made the deliberate act of shoving him.

And he should be getting a bad rap for what he did. Watching the entirety of the replay shows it looks like anything but an accident. I don't see how there is a valid argument otherwise.

[GOLDMEMBER]

Glad he's suspended indefinitely. The dick head

[theaardvark]

Who cares? How is that is any way relevant to what actually happened?

And you have no idea what he was feeling. So, don't try and tell anyone how you claim to know. The fact is he shoved a linesman after skating in a straight line from the top of the face-off circle with his head up and after slamming his stick on the ice in what appears to be frustration. And it isn't like he just skated into Henderson. He shoved him. He made the deliberate act of shoving him.

And he should be getting a bad rap for what he did. Watching the entirety of the replay shows it looks like anything but an accident. I don't see how there is a valid argument otherwise.

And neither do you.  What possible reason would he have for attacking a linesman?

[Nic16]

And neither do you.  What possible reason would he have for attacking a linesman?

Anger over a non-call definitely seems plausible.