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12
May
2010
A Troubling Question
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Category: NHL, NHL Disciplinary Action
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An Internet aquaintance just told me she supports the players on her team no matter what they do on the ice. This was in regard to a discussion about dirty players.
Wow, really?
Do you, as hockey fans, support your players no matter what? If one of your players deliberately injures an opponent, do you firmly stand behind him?
I hope I’m not the only person who doesn’t.
Discuss.
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I guess I’m a Herb Brooks disciple. The name on the front is more important than the name on the back. I’m one of the first to get on the players if I don’t see them producing how I believe they should, but I will never give up on the team.
My team recently decided to part ways with a homegrown player. Some of my friends are really upset, but you know what? He wasn’t getting the job done. He’ll move on (hopefully to the East) and regain what he was.
I can honestly say though, that my team has never had super dirty players on it. Players that have done bad things, yes. But not super dirty for the time period they were on my team. (no Claude L, no Marchment, no Cooke…)
The one thing to keep in mind is that you don’t really know the intent of a player unless they say so.
It depends how dirty. I mean, defensemen are dirty by nature, as they should be. Peter Forsberg? Dirty but I still loved him. However, had Todd Bertuzzi played on my team when he felled Steve Moore there is no way I could stand behind him.
I guess I draw the line with intent. Are you a “dirty,” chippy player like Adam Foote, Tomas Holstrom or Anton Volchenkov? Or are you someone who is just cheap, taking shots you know can seriously injure someone like either Rutuu, Matt Cooke or Todd Bertuzzi? The former, if they play for my team I’m all for it. The latter. Sorry, William Shatner once said, I can’t get behind that.
There’s a difference between being a punk and a pest. A pest will forecheck, park himself in front of the goalie, everything up to the point of illegality – maybe crossing the line now and then, but not making a habit of it.
A punk, OTOH, crosses the line on a regular basis. Slashing, slew-footing, hitting after the whistle, that sort of thing.
Holmstrom, for example, is famous for annoying goalies. But he does so by parking his ass in front of their faces and refusing to be budged. Whereas Hartnell, in contrast, will run goalies, kick, slash, etc. He crosses that line.
You can determine intent, IMHO, by whether someone makes a habit of being dirty. Anybody who’s played a competitive sport recognizes that there are times when you can lose your head and do something stupid – we’re all human. But when it becomes a pattern? No, I just can’t support someone like that, and I can’t understand people who do.
Thanks for the comments!
I love the Pens, but I detest Matt Cooke. I think he is one of the dirtiest bastards out there and will eventually end someone’s career.
As a Thrashers fan, I will totally admit that I am worried about us obtaining Patrice Cormier. I’m wondering what his style will be and if he’ll be another dirty bastard. I’m hoping he develops into a nice Steve Ott instead of a Matt Cooke, lol. Playing on the edge is one thing, but I don’t want to see someone seriously injured.
Did you hear that Cormier has been formally charged with assault? It probably won’t go anywhere, but perhaps it will have the effect of scaring him straight, so to speak.
The thing is, he’s a talented player. He doesn’t need to pull that stuff. Hopefully he’s learned his lesson.