Last Tuesday the NHL suspended Predators forward Jordin Tootoo for 2 games for his hit on Sabres goalie Ryan Miller.
And Sabres fans are still pissed that Milan Lucic did not get suspended for his collision on Miller.
Category Archives: Hockey News
Panthers trade with Canucks includes David Booth
Today the Florida Panthers made a trade that has a lot of people scratching their heads. Well maybe Panthers GM Dale Tallon is trying to get the #1 pick next season in the draft, who knows. The Florida Panthers have traded David Booth, Steve Reinprecht and a third-round pick in 2013 to the Vancouver Canucks for Mikael Samuelsson and Marco Sturm.
“A lot of things come into play,” Tallon said of the trade, which was announced a few minutes before the Panthers’ home game against the New York Islanders and not long after the Canucks’ 3-2 OT win against Minnesota in Vancouver. “We’re in the performance business, and I was not happy with our team’s performance, especially the last two games. I wasn’t going to sit still and let this fester and I want to send a message and I want to make changes and I want to get better.
“We felt as far as an organization we get two top NHL players and it allows David to rekindle his career and go to a winning team in Vancouver and regain the touch that he had in previous years.”
…
“They’re two useful, NHL top-notch people that can play,” Tallon said of Sturm and Samuelsson, both of whom are on the final year of their contracts. “They’re solid defensively and offensively.
Source: NHL.com
Shanahan suspends 2 more, Simmonds news
It’s getting tiring to post about suspensions again, but here we go, 2 more players to talk about.
First, Anaheim Ducks forward Jean-Francois Jacques has been suspended for the remainder of the preseason and for 5 regular-season games. Jacques left the bench on a legal line change and started a fight with Vancouver Canucks forward Mike Duco. Earlier in the game Duco bumped the Ducks goalie and Ryan Getzlaf dropped the gloves with Duco but it wasn’t much of a fight. So maybe Jacques wanted to try and give Duco a real beating for the goalie bump?
Brendan Shanahan’s explanation for Jacques suspension
Second, Philadelphia Flyers forward Tom Sestito has been suspended for the remainder of the preseason and 2 regular-season games for an illegal hit from behind on New York Rangers forward Andre Deveaux.
Brendan Shanahan’s explanation for Sestito suspension
Also in that Rangers-Flyers game, Rangers Sean Avery threatened to kill Claude Giroux, which Wayne Simmonds overheard and didn’t like.
Flyers broadcast catching Avery threatening Giroux
Then during the scrum after Sestito hit Deveaux, Avery throws a cheapshot punch at Simmonds who is down on the ice. After the game Avery said that Simmonds called him a gay slur. Simmonds has denied it.
Sestito hit on Deveaux and Avery cheapshot punch on Simmonds during scrum
More news relating to Wayne Simmonds, as the London, Ontario police have found the person who threw a banana on the ice near Simmonds in a preseason game.
Police in London, Ont., announced Wednesday they have charged a man in connection with last week’s banana-throwing incident which took place during a preseason game between the Detroit Red Wings and Philadelphia Flyers at the John Labatt Centre.
Christopher Moorhouse, 26, was identified as the person who tossed a banana on the ice while Flyers forward Wayne Simmonds, who is black, was taking his turn in the shootout.
London Police Chief Brad Duncan said Moorhouse has been charged with engaging in a prohibited activity under the Trespass Act. If convicted, he could be fined $2,000 (Canadian).
Duncan said the police reviewed the incident and determined it did not meet the threshold for charging Moorhouse with a hate crime. Mischief charges also did not apply.
Source: NHL.com
Shanahan suspends 3 more players
Over the weekend news came that Brendan Shanahan has given out three more suspensions to players for illegal hits.
First, Wild’s Brad Staubitz hit Blue Jackets Cody Bass from behind and was given a 5-minute major penalty and a game misconduct. Second, Blue Jackets James Wisniewski hit Wild’s Cal Clutterbuck with an illegal check to the head and was given a 2-minute minor penalty. Both Staubitz and Clutterbuck were suspended indefinitely pending a hearing and review by Shanahan.
*Update: Wild’s Brad Staubitz has been suspended for the remainder of the preseason and for 3 regular-season games. Blue Jackets James Wisniewski has been suspended for the remainder of the preseason and for 8 regular-season games.
Lastly, Sabres Brad Boyes has already found out how long he’ll be suspended for, which will be 2 games for his illegal hit on Leafs Joe Colborne (video below).
Brad Boyes hit on Joe Colborne, September 24th
Read more to see the videos with Shanahan’s explanations for each suspension.
Busy day for NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan
The NHL season has not started yet and the NHL’s rookie disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan is a busy man. Today Shanahan suspended two players for a total of 15 games.
First, Calgary Flames tough guy Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond was suspended for 5 games for checking Canucks Matt Clackson from behind, which then led to them fighting.
Next, Flyers tough guy Jody Shelley was suspended for 10 games for boarding Leafs Darryl Boyce from behind, which also led to a good fight with Shelley getting bloodied.
Click read more to watch videos with Brendan Shanahan’s videos explaining what Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond and Jody Shelley did wrong and why they got suspended. Wait, what? Videos with an explanation? Yes, I know it’s much different from old times, but Shanahan and the NHL put together videos with an explanation for each suspension. Good job Mr. Shanahan with your first time handing out suspensions.
Leafs re-sign Luke Schenn for 5 years
The Toronto Maple Leafs have re-signed defenseman Luke Schenn to a 5-year contract. Schenn is one of the young up-and-coming good defensemen in the league and will be one of Toronto’s best.
While details have not yet been made official, cable sports network TSN says Schenn is expected to earn approximately $3.5 million US per season. The Canadian Press, citing a source, reported the deal is worth $18 million.
“I’ve been given nothing but a great opportunity here,” said Schenn. “I’m looking forward to the next five years here in Toronto.”
Schenn, 21, played all 82 games last season and scored five goals and 17 assists.
Source: CBC.ca
Teemu Selanne isn’t done yet, returning to Ducks
Great news for Anaheim Ducks fans and hockey fans. Teemu Selanne has signed a one-year contract to return to the Anaheim Ducks. Despite being 41 years old, Selanne is still capable of producing good numbers and he will definitely help a young Ducks team.
Anaheim announced the deal Thursday for Selanne, the franchise’s 41-year-old career scoring leader.
Selanne was the NHL’s eighth-leading scorer last season with 80 points, the third-best season by a player in his 40s in league history. The Finnish Flash is the 27th-leading scorer in NHL history, 14th in goals.
Selanne was expected to return after his outstanding season, but spent the summer debating his future after postseason knee surgery. He has been skating daily in Anaheim in recent weeks.
Selanne’s decision to return is a huge boost to the Ducks, who open training camp on Saturday.
Source: NHL.com
Young stars earn big contracts
It’s time for some of the young stars to make the big money contracts as New York Islanders John Tavares and Buffalo Sabres Tyler Myers both signed long-term contracts today that will get them big money.
The Islanders signed forward John Tavares, the 2009 No. 1 overall pick, to a 6-year contract extension worth $33 million that will keep him with the Islanders through the 2017-18 NHL season. The new deal won’t start until after this upcoming season.
“I look forward to honoring this long-term commitment,” he said. “This is an exciting team to be a part of right now. We have a group that I feel will contend every year for a championship, and I’m privileged to be a part of the Islanders’ future.” (Source: NHL.com)
The Sabres signed defenseman Tyler Myers, drafted in the first round in 2008 and won the 2010 Calder Trophy, to a 7-year contract extension worth $38.5 million. His current entry-level contract has one year remaining.
More sad news: Wade Belak found dead
Wow there is more sad news in the hockey world today as former NHL tough guy Wade Belak has been found dead in a Toronto hotel. Belak was only 35 years old. (Source: TorontoSun.com) *Updates down below.
We are saddened by this news and our prayers and thoughts go out to Belak’s family and friends. Wade Belak was one the toughest guys in the league when he played. He had a memorable fight late in his career, back in 2009, where he KO’d Donald Brashear, watch it below.
Wade Belak KOs Donald Brashear
*Update: The Canadian Press is reporting that Wade Belak committed suicide by hanging himself in a downtown Toronto hotel and condo.
“From what I understand right now, there were no warning signs,” NHLPA special advisor Mathieu Schneider said Thursday in an interview. “Maybe we’ll learn something different over the next few weeks. But everyone that I’ve heard from so far is just in shock.”
Belak leaves behind wife Jennifer and daughters Andie and Alex. The family will hold a private funeral service in Nashville on Sunday.
“Wade was a big man with an even bigger heart,” Jennifer Belak said in a statement. “He was a deeply devoted father and husband, a loyal friend and a well respected athlete.
“This loss leaves a huge hole in our lives and, as we move forward, we ask that everyone remember Wade’s infectious sense of humour, his caring spirit and the joy he brought to his friends, family and fans.”
(Source)
9/3 Update: Via PuckDaddy, CBC’s P.J. Stock is saying that there’s more to come from this story.
“So many things spread so quickly. I feel terrible for Wade’s family and his family and friends and the team about how quickly everything spread. And now it just opens up so many possibilities on why he passed away. It follows up of course the Rick Rypien(notes) story and [whether they are] related. It’s just a snowball that’s gotten way out of control and I don’t know how to reel it back in.
“There’s going to be a little bit more to the story. I was just with him a couple of weeks ago and I know a lot of people who know Wade really well, and a lot of people are throwing this on depression and he was not a real depressed guy. He might have had a couple of issues but not demons like Rick Rypien did. Not demons that would have taken his life.
“I believe they’ve taken the word ‘suicide’ away from this and called it an ‘accidental death’. That’s kind of the latest.”
Stock later said: “Let’s just call it an accidental death right now. But he did die of strangulation,” and that “it’s not fair” to place the deaths of Derek Boogaard, Rick Rypien and Wade Belak in the same context.
Sad news: Rick Rypien has passed away
There is terrible news tonight that former Vancouver Canucks tough guy Rick Rypien has passed away. He was only 27 years old and signed with the new Winnipeg Jets in the off-season. The News1130 site is reporting that Rypien committed suicide.
“Rick was a talented player with an extremely bright future,” the Jets said in a statement. “His hunger for the game made him a valued team member both on and off the ice. This loss has impacted us as more than just a hockey team.”
“As many people are aware, he had strong ties to True North Sports and Entertainment, the Winnipeg Jets Hockey Club, the former Manitoba Moose Hockey Club and the Vancouver Canucks. We would like to express our sincere sympathies to the Rypien family as well as Rick’s friends. We also appreciate all of the support that has come pouring in from Rick’s fans.”
“Rick has been a beloved member of the Canucks family for the past six years,” the team said. “Rick was a great teammate and friend to our players, coaches and staff. We send our deepest condolences to the Rypien family at this most difficult time.”
Source
This is just terrible news to hear. Our prayers and thoughts go out to Rypien’s family and friends.
