Where do you stand on the issue of fighting in hockey?If you do not know who Don Sanderson is by now, you should.
The 21-year-old defenseman in an Ontario senior amateur league died January 2nd after suffering major head trauma during a December 12th game. Sanderson’s helmet accidentally came off during a fight. He and Corey Fulton fell to the ice at the end of their scuffle and Sanderson’s bare head struck the ice. Sanderson only briefly regained consciousness ever again. He underwent brain surgery, and was eventually taken off life support. This is the definition of tragedy.
And it has re-ignited the debate over fighting’s role in our game. People from all corners of the hockey world are using this as indisputable proof that fighting should be eliminated altogether. With all due respect to Sanderson’s family, friends and teammates, it is not time to abolish fighting. Professional hockey needs it. Not to draw in new fans or keep existing ones, but for its role in policing the action on the ice. In fact, as we have written before, the NHL needs to re-work its fighting rules (remove the instigator penalty) to make it easier to rein in players who cross the proverbial line.
What makes sense in the aftermath of Sanderson’s death are rules like the one the Ontario Hockey Association is instituting. Players will now receive an automatic one-game suspension for purposely removing their helmets during an altercation. The NHL should adopt a similar measure, especially since the only helmet mention in the current rulebook half-encourages players to remove their protection: if you are deemed the instigator in an altercation and are wearing a face shield, you are accessed an additional unsportsmanlike conduct penalty; but if you remove the shield (and your helmet obviously) before initiating the fight, there is no extra penalty.
Our suggestion – lengthening the fighting major from five to 10 minutes. The added time should prevent most superfluous altercations and keep fighting among those who are paid to do it. Coaches won’t approve of a top 6 forward or top 4 defenseman missing 10 minutes to prove he’s tough.
But in the end, we simply cannot remove all the danger associated with playing hockey, just as the NFL will never fully escape concussions and spinal cord injuries. Sticks, skate blades and the ice itself all pose serious health risks, and none can ever truly be eliminated. And let us not forget that players are rarely fans of legislature meant to protect them. Some have suggested tighter chinstraps to keep helmets on during fights and after a big hit, but the union will likely say no to that. And there is one reason that shields are not mandatory: players do not want them to be.
Sadly, our only real option here may be crossing our fingers. Unless we encase players in plaster and outlaw all physical conduct, someone is bound to get hurt, sometimes very seriously.
* * *
The Shootout…One other fighting thought this week: Players need to stop retaliating for big, clean hits. Standing up for your teammates is a must, but an opponent should not get jumped for delivering a legit thump…
The drama/comedy continues in Tampa Bay with rumors of a Vinny Lecavalier trade, quite possibly to Montreal. Lecavalier’s new 11-year, $86-million-dollar contract includes a no-trade clause, but the deal does not kick in until July 1st, so the Lightning are able to move their captain without his permission now. But why would they? He is their best player and their only real draw right now. They just made a huge financial commitment to him, and he returned the favor, donating millions of those new dollars to local charities. The Canadiens are apparently willing to give up 2-4 NHLers for Lecavalier, which would certainly help a talent-bereft roster, but Vinny should be untouchable. Move anyone but him…
And for those of you scoring at home, the League’s punishment scale now reads like this: 2 game for biting an opponent’s finger; 3 games for physical abuse of an on-ice official; and 6 games for (rudely) pointing out that your ex-girlfriends prefer hockey players…
LAST NIGHT'S RECAP
(Photo Credit: Canadian Press)
Alexander Ovechkin leads the Capitals to a road win over the hated Penguins
Washington Capitals (28-14-3) over the Pittsburgh Penguins (21-20-4) 6-3
Capitals LW Alexander Ovechkin had two goals (29 on the season) and an assist to help the Capitals snap a three-game losing streak. Niklas Backstrom had three assists, Brooks Laich had two assists, Tomas Fleischmann had a goal and an assist and Viktor Kozlov, Alexander Semin and Jeff Schultz also scored for Washington, which had four third-period goals. Evgeni Malkin scored his 18th of the season on the power play and D Ryan Whitney potted his first goal of the season. Miroslav Satan scored his 350th career goal in the loss. Sidney Crosby had two assists for the slumping Penguins, who have lost eight of 10 overall and six of seven at home. Crosby left late in the game after a collision with Dave Steckel along the boards. He limped off the ice, favoring his leg. Soon after he went to the locker room and did not return. After the game, he said he didn't think the injury was severe.
Ottawa Senators (15-21-6) over the Atlanta Thrashers (14-25-5) 3-2
Senators C Jason Spezza and winger Daniel Alfredsson each had a goal and assist for the Senators while Dean McAmmond scored the game winner for Ottawa's 2nd straight win. Ottawa goalie Brian Elliott made 29 saves to improve his record to 2-1-0.
Chicago Blackhawks (24-10-7) over the Buffalo Sabres (21-17-5) 4-1
Blackhawks RW Patrick Sharp scored his 21st of the season while captain and center Jonathan Toews added a goal (12th of the season) and an assist. Martin Havlat and James Wisniewski scored the other goals. G Cristobal Huet made 22 saves for his 2nd straight win and hasn't allowed more than one goal in his last six wins. Kris Versteeg, the NHL's rookie scoring leader, added two assitsts. Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith left the game with an undisclosed injury after taking a hard, open-ice hit to the shoulder and head area from Buffalo's Drew Stafford midway through the second period. Keith, who was hit just after releasing a shot, entered the game averaging nearly 26 minutes of ice time. Keith is the anchor of the Blackhawks' defense. He leads the team in ice time and plus/minus at plus-23. In 41 games, Keith has six goals and 21 assists, including an assist in the first period on Wednesday. He has 16 points in his past 17 games. The Blackhawks weren't sure how serious Keith's injury might be. "Dunc was talking after the game," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said. "We'll have a better idea tomorrow." Keith had a hard time getting to his feet after the hit, but may have been dazed and not suffered a more serious injury.
Detroit Red Wings (30-7-6) over the Anaheim Ducks (22-18-5) 4-3
Detroit improved to 16-3-6 this season in one-goal games by scoring twice in the third period (Daniel Cleary and Johan Franzen) to defeat Anaheim. Tomas Holmstrom and Jiri Hudler (PPG) scored the other goals for Detroit while Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, and Steve Montador scored the Anaheim goals. Nicklas Lidstrom earned his 751st career assist passing Larry Robinson for eighth place on the all-time list for defensemen.
OTHER HEADLINES
-The Vancouver Canucks placed goalie Curtis Sanford on waivers as starting goaltender Roberto Luongo prepares to return after missing 23 games with a groin injury (expect his return tonight against Phoenix). "It was a very challenging decision for us, Curtis is not only really respected and liked by his teammates, but the whole coaching staff and management felt exactly the same way," said head coach Alain Vigneault. "Without sharing with you how we came to that decision, we had a decision to come to and I told Curtis this morning that we were putting him on waivers. "I'm not going to get into the specifics [behind the decision]. Curtis is a good goaltender and a good person. If he gets picked up we’re going to wish him the best, if not he’s going to go to Manitoba. At this time we’re going to go with Jason [LaBarbera]."
-The Atlanta Thrashers traded center Jason Williams to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for defenseman Clay Wilson and San Jose's sixth-round selection in the 2009 Entry Draft (a pick previously acquired by Columbus). The 25-year-old Wilson, a native of Sturgeon Lake, Minn., had 1 assist in five games with Columbus this season. Williams, who was signed by the Thrashers as a free agent in July, had 7 goals, 18 points and a minus-9 rating through 41 games in 2008-09. The addition of Williams by Columbus comes two days after the Jackets placed All-Star wing Rick Nash on injured reserve retroactive to Jan. 6. Nash would be eligible to return to the lineup Friday against the New Jersey Devils. Columbus currently has five forwards on IR, including Derick Brassard, Jason Chimera, Jiri Novotny, Raffi Torres and Nash. Thrashers GM Don Waddell has been a busy man this week, having acquired 26-year-old forward Rich Peverly off waivers from the Nashville Predators on Saturday and on Tuesday he dealt forward Junior Lessard to the New York Islanders for 25-year-old defenseman Brett Skinner.
-The New Jersey Devils have made room for the return of unrestricted free agent Brendan Shanahan, signing the veteran on Wednesday. Shanahan signed an $800,000 dollar contract, meaning he will receive about half of that for playing half of the NHL season. With the move, Shanahan rejoins the club that drafted him in 1987. Shanahan spent the previous two seasons with the New York Rangers but was not offered a contract to remain with the club. Shanahan turns 40 on January 23. In 20 NHL seasons with the Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, Hartford Whalers, St. Louis Blues and New Jersey Devils, the three-time Stanley Cup champion has 650 career goals and 690 assists in 1,490 games.
RUMOR MILL
-Nothing to report today. Vinny Lecavalier to Montreal rumors are gaining more and more steam, but that's about it.
AROUND THE BOARDS
-Danny Briere had a goal and an assist in the first game of his minor-league conditioning stint to lead the Philadelphia Flyers' AHL affiliate (Philadelphia Phantoms) to a 7-1 win on Wednesday night. Briere saw his first action in more than a month because of a groin strain. He had surgery Oct. 25 to fix a torn abdominal muscle and he left a Dec. 2 game against Tampa Bay with a groin injury. He hasn't played for the Flyers since that game. He will be back in the lineup for the Phantoms on Friday against Lowell, then should return to the Flyers.
-Goaltender Carey Price, who was voted into the Eastern Conference's starting lineup, did not skate at the club's practice facility in Brossard on Wednesday, and head coach Guy Carbonneau told reporters that if he doesn't play a game before the break, he will recommend that his goalie skip the game. "He's an intelligent person and I hope he will have that in mind," Carbonneau said. "It's his decision. If he can't be on the ice this weekend and can't be part of a game on Tuesday or Wednesday, I don't see why he would play in this game - re-injuring his leg and be out another month." Price did some light skating recently, but spent Wednesday afternoon working out on the treadmill. Price, who edged out Pittsburgh's Marc-Andre Fleury as the All-Star starter, has been sidelined since Dec. 30 when the Canadiens beat the Tampa Bay Lightning in a 2-1 shootout. In 25 games with the Canadiens this season, he was a 16-4-5 record with a .921 save percentage and 2.30 goals against average. The All-Star Game will be played in Montreal on Jan. 25.
The 21-year-old defenseman in an Ontario senior amateur league died January 2nd after suffering major head trauma during a December 12th game. Sanderson’s helmet accidentally came off during a fight. He and Corey Fulton fell to the ice at the end of their scuffle and Sanderson’s bare head struck the ice. Sanderson only briefly regained consciousness ever again. He underwent brain surgery, and was eventually taken off life support. This is the definition of tragedy.
And it has re-ignited the debate over fighting’s role in our game. People from all corners of the hockey world are using this as indisputable proof that fighting should be eliminated altogether. With all due respect to Sanderson’s family, friends and teammates, it is not time to abolish fighting. Professional hockey needs it. Not to draw in new fans or keep existing ones, but for its role in policing the action on the ice. In fact, as we have written before, the NHL needs to re-work its fighting rules (remove the instigator penalty) to make it easier to rein in players who cross the proverbial line.
What makes sense in the aftermath of Sanderson’s death are rules like the one the Ontario Hockey Association is instituting. Players will now receive an automatic one-game suspension for purposely removing their helmets during an altercation. The NHL should adopt a similar measure, especially since the only helmet mention in the current rulebook half-encourages players to remove their protection: if you are deemed the instigator in an altercation and are wearing a face shield, you are accessed an additional unsportsmanlike conduct penalty; but if you remove the shield (and your helmet obviously) before initiating the fight, there is no extra penalty.
Our suggestion – lengthening the fighting major from five to 10 minutes. The added time should prevent most superfluous altercations and keep fighting among those who are paid to do it. Coaches won’t approve of a top 6 forward or top 4 defenseman missing 10 minutes to prove he’s tough.
But in the end, we simply cannot remove all the danger associated with playing hockey, just as the NFL will never fully escape concussions and spinal cord injuries. Sticks, skate blades and the ice itself all pose serious health risks, and none can ever truly be eliminated. And let us not forget that players are rarely fans of legislature meant to protect them. Some have suggested tighter chinstraps to keep helmets on during fights and after a big hit, but the union will likely say no to that. And there is one reason that shields are not mandatory: players do not want them to be.
Sadly, our only real option here may be crossing our fingers. Unless we encase players in plaster and outlaw all physical conduct, someone is bound to get hurt, sometimes very seriously.
* * *
The Shootout…One other fighting thought this week: Players need to stop retaliating for big, clean hits. Standing up for your teammates is a must, but an opponent should not get jumped for delivering a legit thump…
The drama/comedy continues in Tampa Bay with rumors of a Vinny Lecavalier trade, quite possibly to Montreal. Lecavalier’s new 11-year, $86-million-dollar contract includes a no-trade clause, but the deal does not kick in until July 1st, so the Lightning are able to move their captain without his permission now. But why would they? He is their best player and their only real draw right now. They just made a huge financial commitment to him, and he returned the favor, donating millions of those new dollars to local charities. The Canadiens are apparently willing to give up 2-4 NHLers for Lecavalier, which would certainly help a talent-bereft roster, but Vinny should be untouchable. Move anyone but him…
And for those of you scoring at home, the League’s punishment scale now reads like this: 2 game for biting an opponent’s finger; 3 games for physical abuse of an on-ice official; and 6 games for (rudely) pointing out that your ex-girlfriends prefer hockey players…
LAST NIGHT'S RECAP
(Photo Credit: Canadian Press)Alexander Ovechkin leads the Capitals to a road win over the hated Penguins
Washington Capitals (28-14-3) over the Pittsburgh Penguins (21-20-4) 6-3
Capitals LW Alexander Ovechkin had two goals (29 on the season) and an assist to help the Capitals snap a three-game losing streak. Niklas Backstrom had three assists, Brooks Laich had two assists, Tomas Fleischmann had a goal and an assist and Viktor Kozlov, Alexander Semin and Jeff Schultz also scored for Washington, which had four third-period goals. Evgeni Malkin scored his 18th of the season on the power play and D Ryan Whitney potted his first goal of the season. Miroslav Satan scored his 350th career goal in the loss. Sidney Crosby had two assists for the slumping Penguins, who have lost eight of 10 overall and six of seven at home. Crosby left late in the game after a collision with Dave Steckel along the boards. He limped off the ice, favoring his leg. Soon after he went to the locker room and did not return. After the game, he said he didn't think the injury was severe.
Ottawa Senators (15-21-6) over the Atlanta Thrashers (14-25-5) 3-2
Senators C Jason Spezza and winger Daniel Alfredsson each had a goal and assist for the Senators while Dean McAmmond scored the game winner for Ottawa's 2nd straight win. Ottawa goalie Brian Elliott made 29 saves to improve his record to 2-1-0.
Chicago Blackhawks (24-10-7) over the Buffalo Sabres (21-17-5) 4-1
Blackhawks RW Patrick Sharp scored his 21st of the season while captain and center Jonathan Toews added a goal (12th of the season) and an assist. Martin Havlat and James Wisniewski scored the other goals. G Cristobal Huet made 22 saves for his 2nd straight win and hasn't allowed more than one goal in his last six wins. Kris Versteeg, the NHL's rookie scoring leader, added two assitsts. Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith left the game with an undisclosed injury after taking a hard, open-ice hit to the shoulder and head area from Buffalo's Drew Stafford midway through the second period. Keith, who was hit just after releasing a shot, entered the game averaging nearly 26 minutes of ice time. Keith is the anchor of the Blackhawks' defense. He leads the team in ice time and plus/minus at plus-23. In 41 games, Keith has six goals and 21 assists, including an assist in the first period on Wednesday. He has 16 points in his past 17 games. The Blackhawks weren't sure how serious Keith's injury might be. "Dunc was talking after the game," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said. "We'll have a better idea tomorrow." Keith had a hard time getting to his feet after the hit, but may have been dazed and not suffered a more serious injury.
Detroit Red Wings (30-7-6) over the Anaheim Ducks (22-18-5) 4-3
Detroit improved to 16-3-6 this season in one-goal games by scoring twice in the third period (Daniel Cleary and Johan Franzen) to defeat Anaheim. Tomas Holmstrom and Jiri Hudler (PPG) scored the other goals for Detroit while Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, and Steve Montador scored the Anaheim goals. Nicklas Lidstrom earned his 751st career assist passing Larry Robinson for eighth place on the all-time list for defensemen.
OTHER HEADLINES
-The Vancouver Canucks placed goalie Curtis Sanford on waivers as starting goaltender Roberto Luongo prepares to return after missing 23 games with a groin injury (expect his return tonight against Phoenix). "It was a very challenging decision for us, Curtis is not only really respected and liked by his teammates, but the whole coaching staff and management felt exactly the same way," said head coach Alain Vigneault. "Without sharing with you how we came to that decision, we had a decision to come to and I told Curtis this morning that we were putting him on waivers. "I'm not going to get into the specifics [behind the decision]. Curtis is a good goaltender and a good person. If he gets picked up we’re going to wish him the best, if not he’s going to go to Manitoba. At this time we’re going to go with Jason [LaBarbera]."
-The Atlanta Thrashers traded center Jason Williams to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for defenseman Clay Wilson and San Jose's sixth-round selection in the 2009 Entry Draft (a pick previously acquired by Columbus). The 25-year-old Wilson, a native of Sturgeon Lake, Minn., had 1 assist in five games with Columbus this season. Williams, who was signed by the Thrashers as a free agent in July, had 7 goals, 18 points and a minus-9 rating through 41 games in 2008-09. The addition of Williams by Columbus comes two days after the Jackets placed All-Star wing Rick Nash on injured reserve retroactive to Jan. 6. Nash would be eligible to return to the lineup Friday against the New Jersey Devils. Columbus currently has five forwards on IR, including Derick Brassard, Jason Chimera, Jiri Novotny, Raffi Torres and Nash. Thrashers GM Don Waddell has been a busy man this week, having acquired 26-year-old forward Rich Peverly off waivers from the Nashville Predators on Saturday and on Tuesday he dealt forward Junior Lessard to the New York Islanders for 25-year-old defenseman Brett Skinner.
-The New Jersey Devils have made room for the return of unrestricted free agent Brendan Shanahan, signing the veteran on Wednesday. Shanahan signed an $800,000 dollar contract, meaning he will receive about half of that for playing half of the NHL season. With the move, Shanahan rejoins the club that drafted him in 1987. Shanahan spent the previous two seasons with the New York Rangers but was not offered a contract to remain with the club. Shanahan turns 40 on January 23. In 20 NHL seasons with the Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, Hartford Whalers, St. Louis Blues and New Jersey Devils, the three-time Stanley Cup champion has 650 career goals and 690 assists in 1,490 games.
RUMOR MILL
-Nothing to report today. Vinny Lecavalier to Montreal rumors are gaining more and more steam, but that's about it.
AROUND THE BOARDS
-Danny Briere had a goal and an assist in the first game of his minor-league conditioning stint to lead the Philadelphia Flyers' AHL affiliate (Philadelphia Phantoms) to a 7-1 win on Wednesday night. Briere saw his first action in more than a month because of a groin strain. He had surgery Oct. 25 to fix a torn abdominal muscle and he left a Dec. 2 game against Tampa Bay with a groin injury. He hasn't played for the Flyers since that game. He will be back in the lineup for the Phantoms on Friday against Lowell, then should return to the Flyers.
-Goaltender Carey Price, who was voted into the Eastern Conference's starting lineup, did not skate at the club's practice facility in Brossard on Wednesday, and head coach Guy Carbonneau told reporters that if he doesn't play a game before the break, he will recommend that his goalie skip the game. "He's an intelligent person and I hope he will have that in mind," Carbonneau said. "It's his decision. If he can't be on the ice this weekend and can't be part of a game on Tuesday or Wednesday, I don't see why he would play in this game - re-injuring his leg and be out another month." Price did some light skating recently, but spent Wednesday afternoon working out on the treadmill. Price, who edged out Pittsburgh's Marc-Andre Fleury as the All-Star starter, has been sidelined since Dec. 30 when the Canadiens beat the Tampa Bay Lightning in a 2-1 shootout. In 25 games with the Canadiens this season, he was a 16-4-5 record with a .921 save percentage and 2.30 goals against average. The All-Star Game will be played in Montreal on Jan. 25.
TONIGHT'S ACTION:
Boston @ NY Islanders - 7PM
Toronto @ Carolina - 7:30PM
Nashville @ Montreal - 7:30PM
Philadelphia @ Tampa Bay - 7:30PM
Edmonton @ Minnesota - 8PM
Buffalo @ Dallas - 8:30PM
Colorado @ St. Louis - 8:30PM
Phoenix @ Vancouver 10PM
Detroit @ Los Angeles - 10:30PM
%Calgary @ San Jose - 10:30PM
% = Game of the Night
^ALL TIMES EASTERN
*My weekly power rankings, "PLUS/MINUS", comes out Mondays
~Dropping the Gloves with Andrew Bogusch comes out Wednesday evenings
