So...Shawn Thornton will probably need his own thread....

[forty_three]

Neal has a phone hearing, so that already guarantee's that his suspension won't be more than five games. The league has supposedly said that any hearing where the player in question could be suspended for more than five has to be an in-person hearing.

Once again, the league proves they really don't give a shit about "player safety".

 

[KennyBanyeah]

Here's my two cents on a already wealthy thread...

Thornton's outcome is worse, Orpik knocked out... Neal's cheapshot is worse. (I've never liked James Neal.. he's a cheap dirty baby). There is no place in hockey for what Thornton did, but I'm positive he didn't intend to injure Orpik... Neal however, I believe his intent was to drive his knee into Marchands head to injure him...

I agree somewhat. Thornton's play was bush league though and should be in no way downplayed. He has to know that what he did could result in injury. He gets paid to punch people in the head. Doing so to a defenseless player lying on ice? That could be dangerous.

They both deserve lengthy bans.

 

[Darkstone42]

Actually the suspension deserved more but the Pens, based on their number 1 seed last year, were able to carry over their suspension-in-the-bank from last season to reduce the length of James Kneel's ban.

Is James Kneel going to be a thing?

I could probably be okay with that.

 

[KennyBanyeah]

Is James Kneel going to be a thing?

I could probably be okay with that.

I just came up with it now...Gotta say I'm pretty proud of myself.

 

[Forty_Sixand2]

I just came up with it now...Gotta say I'm pretty proud of myself.

Time to set up a faux twitter account!

 

[KennyBanyeah]

Time to set up a faux twitter account!

I don't use twitter...

 

[evolver115]

Actually the suspension deserved more but the Pens, based on their number 1 seed last year, were able to carry over their suspension-in-the-bank from last season to reduce the length of James Kneel's ban.

Yes, because we all know Cooke and the Pens got away with one after Melnyk's thorough investigation uncovered the truth.

Once again, the league proves they really don't give a shit about "player safety".

They never had to until the threat of lawsuits in sports for concussions threatened to rob their profit margins. Now, they just play a charade of giving a shit.

 

[higgyfan4]

Sorry if this has already been posted...

Here is Bill Winters, a USA Hockey referee and a hockey fan, with an open letter to the NHL and NHLPA:

"Dear NHL and NHLPA,

"You're putting me in a very awkward position. I feel like a parent who constantly has to justify their child's bad behavior.

"You see, I am a hockey fan. A die-hard. I've skated since I was 9 years old, dreaming of being the next great New York Ranger, played rod hockey on my parents' dining room table until it was too scratched up to eat off of, played every hockey video game ever made, realized after high school I couldn't play a lick so I got into scorekeeping and PA announcing for my local high school and college teams, then finally became a USA Hockey referee seven years ago.

"The public conception of hockey is always the same tired, old 'I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out.' We as hockey fans know that isn't the case, but then SportsCenter in the USA, which devotes maybe 90 seconds to hockey per night, gets to show James Neal purposely kneeing Brad Marchand in the head while he's down on the ice in a move straight out of WWE. Then we get to see the public mugging of Brooks Orpik by Shawn Thornton which starts with a textbook, instructional video worthy slew-foot, continues with jumping on top of a defenseless man and pounding him into unconsciousness, and ends with the sight of a stretcher leaving the ice.

"I don't want to hear any rhetoric about 'The Code' either. When John Scott went after Phil Kessel or Loui Ericsson all we heard was buys like Shawn Thornton were more honorable because they kept to 'The Code' and could score a little. I don't know of any "Code" that encourages what I saw in the Bruins/Penguins game.

"So as a hockey fan, I now have to justify this nonsense to all my non-hockey fan friends. I can't...and I won't. It's stomach-turning. The NHL puts the product on the ice, but I lay this on you, NHLPA. Your members are taking each other out like rival camps on "The Walking Dead".

"I'm sure you will defend James Neal in his hearing, but will you defend Brad Marchand? He was pretty defenseless as that knee clobbered him in the side of his head. I'm sure you will defend Shawn Thornton in his hearing, but will you defend Brooks Orpik? He was pretty defenseless as his feet were kicked out from under him and he was getting pummeled.

"Rant over. I have to go referee a 14U and a 16U game now and hope beyond hope that they don't take a lesson from what they saw in the NHL last night."

Y! SPORTS

 

[JustAsking]

I agree somewhat. Thornton's play was bush league though and should be in no way downplayed. He has to know that what he did could result in injury. He gets paid to punch people in the head. Doing so to a defenseless player lying on ice? That could be dangerous.

They both deserve lengthy bans.

I hope I didn't minimize what Thornton did... because that was not my intention... I just wanted to say I think Thornton did not try to injure Orpik but I believe Kneel did... Thornton wanted to lay a hurting on Orpik, but not injure him... I think... difference in injured and hurting..

Both not acceptable and both deserve long suspension... Kneel will not get what he deserves though.

 

[KennyBanyeah]

I hope I didn't minimize what Thornton did... because that was not my intention... I just wanted to say I think Thornton did not try to injure Orpik but I believe Kneel did... Thornton wanted to lay a hurting on Orpik, but not injure him... I think... difference in injured and hurting..

Both not acceptable and both deserve long suspension... Kneel will not get what he deserves though.

Naww. I wasn't really referring to you. I just thought it needed to be said. People are tending to say one is worse than the other and thereby downplaying one act or the other.

They are just two stupid, bush league acts, independent of each other.

 

[dare2be]

I just wanted to say I think Thornton did not try to injure Orpik but I believe Kneel did... Thornton wanted to lay a hurting on Orpik, but not injure him... I think... difference in injured and hurting..

Both were intent to injure. Period. How can pummeling someone's head on the ice not be an intent to injure?

 

[pixburgher66]

Here's my two cents on a already wealthy thread...

Thornton's outcome is worse, Orpik knocked out... Neal's cheapshot is worse. (I've never liked James Neal.. he's a cheap dirty baby). There is no place in hockey for what Thornton did, but I'm positive he didn't intend to injure Orpik... Neal however, I believe his intent was to drive his knee into Marchands head to injure him...

This makes literally no sense. HE DIDN'T INTEND TO INJURE SOMEONE BY SLEW FOOTING HIM AND ELBOWING HIM IN THE FACE?

Intent is the easiest part of the Thornton issue. He snapped. He completely snapped.

 

[SLY]

Kneel should have gotten 10. Thornton, for what he did, 15-20.

 

[JustAsking]

Both were intent to injure. Period. How can pummeling someone's head on the ice not be an intent to injure?

I see your side of the coin... I do... but it's just my feeling that he didn't want to knock him out and send him out of the game on a stretcher... what thornton did is not acceptable and unfortunately for Orpik, thorton missed with his glove and got him with his elbow pad (not nec. the point of the pad)... if Thorton connected with his glove I don't think Orpik would've been knocked out... but none of that matters, because Thornton shouldn't have done what he done and probably deserves more than what he will get (like kneel)

My opinion is formed because I do not think thornton intended to elbow orpik...

 

[sabresfaninthesouth]

I see your side of the coin... I do... but it's just my feeling that he didn't want to knock him out and send him out of the game on a stretcher... what thornton did is not acceptable and unfortunately for Orpik, thorton missed with his glove and got him with his elbow pad (not nec. the point of the pad)... if Thorton connected with his glove I don't think Orpik would've been knocked out... but none of that matters, because Thornton shouldn't have done what he done and probably deserves more than what he will get (like kneel)

My opinion is formed because I do not think thornton intended to elbow orpik...

I see your point. Maybe more accurately stated that you don't think Thornton intended to injure him as badly as he did?

Your statement though, don't let me put words in your mouth.

 

[Darkstone42]

I can't think of any intention besides one to injure to throw a punch at the head of a defenseless player, especially one on his way down to, and subsequently on the ice.

I might buy the elbow being an accident (I don't, but a strong argument might be able to convince me), that he just fell on him, but if you think that's where the injury occurred, then Orpik was out at that point, and if Thornton didn't intend to injure Orpik, he wouldn't have thrown the additional punch.

 

[element1286]

I can't think of any intention besides one to injure to throw a punch at the head of a defenseless player, especially one on his way down to, and subsequently on the ice.

I might buy the elbow being an accident (I don't, but a strong argument might be able to convince me), that he just fell on him, but if you think that's where the injury occurred, then Orpik was out at that point, and if Thornton didn't intend to injure Orpik, he wouldn't have thrown the additional punch.

Yeah, he might not have intended to put him in the hospital, not sure that matters though. When you throw someone to the ice, and pummel them, going to hospital is a possibility. If Thornton is too dumb or his blood was too hot to realize that, it's immaterial.

 

[pixburgher66]

Orpik was unconscious for 30+seconds according to Blysma...scary as hell.

 

[dash]

As pix stated earlier, I think Thornton just snapped and obviously wasn't thinking clearly. If he wanted to fight Orpik, why slew-foot him (unless he wanted to get him off-balance and gain an advantage). But when Orpik is on the ice, you don't start throwing punches. I do believe Thornton is very sorry for what he did (and I also realize other people think he's full of crap), but as we all know, sometimes good people do bad things and he's gonna have to pay the price for a very bad decision.

 

[forty_three]

I can't think of any intention besides one to injure to throw a punch at the head of a defenseless player, especially one on his way down to, and subsequently on the ice.

I might buy the elbow being an accident (I don't, but a strong argument might be able to convince me), that he just fell on him, but if you think that's where the injury occurred, then Orpik was out at that point, and if Thornton didn't intend to injure Orpik, he wouldn't have thrown the additional punch.

To throw out a hyperbolic argument - when you pull a trigger on a gun pointed at someone you intend to injure them. Where the bullet hits them makes no difference in that.

Thronton didn't mean to hit him with the elbow. But he still crossed several yards of ice and pulled a guy away from a linesman to start punching him when he wasn't ready.

He aimed. He fired. End of story.

If you break into a house, what's inside it doesn't matter. You broke in.
If you steal a car, the value of the car doesn't matter. You took what wasn't yours.
If you cheat on a spouse, your internal reasons (or the hotness of your conquest) is irrelevant. You broke your vow.

Outcome doesn't mean shit vs intent. Both Kneel and Thornton intended to injure with malice. They should be punished accordingly. Kneel getting five is a joke. Just imagine if it was Rat boy doing the same thing to Malkin. Stop the "factor" bullshit.

Hell if Torres was just on the ice at the time, he'd be banned for life.