Comments on: A Statement From Chris Simon

By: JerryL17

JerryL17 — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 17:51:09 +0000

I did see the replay and I also it happen. I again emphatically state, that Simon did not swing the stick. He rammed it into Holwigs face as in a cross checking motion. I never said I was defending Simon's action but rather was pointing out what the atmosphere was in explaination as to why it occurred.

I have considered the ramifications of just such an incident as your hypothetical. But the situation of a player having his livelyhood or dream of playing in the NHL taken away like Morris, is intolerable. In such a case as your example, if Avery is unable to return because of injury, too bad for Crosby. That, I believe, will remove some of the the nonsense.

By: nonhl2005

nonhl2005 — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 12:30:36 +0000

You point about the non-penalty is valid but to try to defend what Simon did by saying "He did not swing it." is a crock, Swing: to move (the hand or something held) with an oscillating or rotary movement:.Look at the video again, he swung the stick.

I even commentened on an earlier post that more emphasis should be put on the players like Hollweg, this is not the first time he has hit a player from behind and nothing happened to him, penalty or otherwise.

As for the Injury to match the Suspension imagine the ramifications of that. Let's say Crosby get's a match penalty for boarding Sean Avery. Do you think the Rangers would let Avery step back on the ice if by his injury it keeps Crosby off the ice? Hell no. This is the same league that still insist on benefiting a pentalized team with a Penalty Shot. Not until they get their heads out of their asses ( or someone, god forbid, gets killed ) are these things going to be corrected.

By: nonhl2005

nonhl2005 — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 10:54:04 +0000

We shouldn't judge a 5 time suspendee as being a goon? He is the defenition of goon, his problem is he never got away from the goon mentality. Take Rick Tocchet for example, here is a guy that came up through the ranks as a fighter with scoring ability. He got to the NHL and made name for himself as a fighter and after that reputation was secure he started to score. That is where Simon went wrong and never recovered. He had the ability to become a good player that could befend himself or a teamate at the drop of a hat. Now he will go down as a cheap ass goon, because he's been suspeneded 5 times, that's 5 TIMES people, not one or 2, but 5 times, for goonish activity. He deserved more then 25 games and should be sitting out next season. For anyone to defend him is just plain blind loyalty. What does he have to do, kill somone before he's put off the ice for good? Then what will his defenders say?

By: JerryL17

JerryL17 — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 08:44:02 +0000

It is different when you play the game and are caught up in the heat of the moment. But there was more to this incident. A boarding call not made in a game where a lot of things went "unseen" by officials including a game tying goal. Funny how they found their eyes to call penalities that probably should have been let go. Inconsistancy with the new rules or the personal choice of "Let'um Play"?

I know it is politically correct to jump on the whipping boy band wagon but consider what put Simon in the position to make such a bad decision. In my opinion, the atmosphere of a non call. There were quite a few in that hard fought game.

Consider also these events have two parts. Intent and injury. Simon surely had the intent to injure Holwig, who many say was simply finishing a check. That check from behind put Simons face into the boards. A dangerous play that caused injury to Simon who collasped to the ice following the hit. Look at Simon's face when he gets up. It is red and a crease runs the length of a check (HD). He suffered a mild concussion. When Simon got up it was clear he was looking for Holwig and intentionally ramed the stick in Howig's face to injure him. (He did not swing it.) He intended to hurt Holwig and did injure him.

What about the injury? Holwig fortunately required only two stiches and did not have his neck broken. The injury was really minor in comparrison to those commented on of Morris (Bertuzzi) and Brasher (McSorley). While the intent to injure is common to all three acts the difference is the injury. I do not think the league addresses the injury to the player enough. Perhaps the offender should also be unable to play until the injured player returns? If he does not, neither does the offender. I think this is only right. I did not see this issue discussed in the media and believe it should have been. Well, I guess it is all about how you look (PC) reporting the game rather than discussing it. Perhaps we'll get to that when we're all tired of whipping Simon.

By: laserman

laserman — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 23:58:10 +0000

There is the possibility he was hit so hard by Hollweg that he was hallucinating, and Hollweg looked like a Pinata. Gotta give him the benefit of the doubt…(yeah right…)

By: gg_idiot

gg_idiot — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 23:16:44 +0000

No, I'm saying Bertuzzi planned on injuring him. I'm sure it didn't have to be the neck, it could have been the knees, anything really. http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=115408&hubname=

By: gg_idiot

gg_idiot — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 23:15:47 +0000

No, to me any story that has been posted 20 times already is just plain *****ing stupid. Someone that comes here and spouts random shit about the Leafs as if that would insult me, well they also fall into the *****ing stupid category.

By: Jenkinstein

Jenkinstein — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 17:45:24 +0000

So what should happen if (and the way things are going it might) a player gets killed on the ice. Manslaughter or not, the courts have a place in all parts of society, and we've moved beyond Roman times where slaves and christians would be fed to the lions or sent into an arena to be slaughtered without legal protection. Hockey rinks are not like international waters, the rules of the country apply in all events and hockey fans must accept this instead of going off on ignorant rants like this one.

By: Heinzee57

Heinzee57 — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 15:07:16 +0000

Hillarious...

57

By: puckhead94

puckhead94 — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 14:00:14 +0000

Apparently, the concept of sarcasm is not something you're aware of. I guess to you, any story that excludes the Toronto Maple Leafs isn't something that needs to be posted anywhere.