Here’s what Calgary coach Brent Sutter said about Dion Phaneuf’s hit on Anze Kopitar — or, as they’re calling it in parts of the Canadian media, the point at which Phaneuf “made contact” with Kopitar (tapped him on the shoulder, perhaps?)
SUTTER: “It’s a non-call. The icing was waved off, it’s a foot race for the puck.”
PHANEUF: “It was a foot race for a puck and they waived the icing off. We’re both going in hard to battle for the puck and that’s all I’m going to say about that.”
Kings defenseman Sean O’Donnell told The Associated Press, “It’s just a dirty play. We talk about the players not having respect and why are there so many concussions. He didn’t have to do that. He plays hard. He’s not the brightest guy. He runs around a little bit.”
Due to their late arrival in Minnesota, the Kings won’t skate this morning but will have a team meeting in about 20 minutes. More updates after that…
Haha. Love OD’s dig. Like I said last night, the only problem I saw with the hit last night was Phaneuf made no attempt to play the puck. Everyone, even the Canadian media, knows what he was trying to do there. Phaneuf is a thug, but he has enough skill that people tend to overlook how out of control he plays at times. I can’t think of a season, since he entered the league, that he hasn’t caused some type of major injury to another player. Playing the game with no regard for another players well being is the mark of a reckless and dangerous hockey player.
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Not the brightest guy, I LOVE it.
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The Canadian press would have defended Hitler if he played for a Canadian team.
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“…and that’s all I am going to say about that…”
Life is like a box of chocolates…Run Forrest, run!!
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Well played, OD. Well played.
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Ha ha ha i love that OD, next meeting you should beat the snot out of him to!
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Since it was indeed a “foot race for the puck” he would’ve had a leg to stand on if he’d just TRIED to look like he was going for it as well as the man…
As it is, it’s like OD said. He’s just an idiot.
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Will Phaneuf get suspended? How many games
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Maybe that’s why Dewey was selected to the Olympic team over Phaneuf, Bouwmeester and Regehr!
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It was a penalty but not a 5 minute major for boarding. It was 2 mins for interference. They were engaged in physical contact before the goal line. O’Donnell runs his mouth about no respect how about Ivanans running around throwing elbows and knees? The elbow was a head shot. It is really too bad they don’t play each other again, I actually the physicality of the games.
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Too bad the Kings and Flames don’t play again this year except, of course, if they should meet in the playoffs.
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Dayman,
No suspension coming. I read that earlier from sportsnet.
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First…I’m gonna say that I completely agree about the hit being dirty.
But I’m glad it happened.
The kings have been missing the fire that propelled them to the top earlier in the season. To see TM get so emotional, OD lead the push back, and Ivanans doing his work out there is inspiring and motivational for any hockey player. We lack playoff experience and there is no better way to mentally prepare for the playoffs than a heated rivalry. Oh and it sure helps that the Flames could be our first round opponent. I’m loving this….
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Well by all accounts i dont understand why kopi refuses to get angry about this and go out using that anger out on the ice, hitting causing turnovers and push back
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Though there were no serious injuries, this play is the reason no-touch icing ought to be in effect in the NHL. I understand that the icing was waived off; however, if one player goes for the puck, has a step, and the second player has no choice but go for the man, such collisions will occur. The first player will be vulnerable, and if the second player doesn’t care a dangerous hit occurs.
The Calgary argument that this was simply a hockey play is the most convincing anti-touchup argument of all.
Every player who hits another when there is an exposed vulnerability should hold responsibility for the other player’s well-being. It should be much like the stick responsibililty rule–a player must control their own hits. Any hit that sends a blow to the head or causes the head to directly contact the ice or boards should be restrained. Imagine that hockey was played for decades without headgear, and did not result in the sheer volume of concussive head blows seen currently. Restraint was mutual–and understood.
Unfortunately, it will likely require some high-profile player becoming paralyzed before definitive action takes place. Modern society values the ability of its best athletes to place themselves in physical danger for the sake of their sports. The trick is balance within the rules between safety and competition, and mutual respect between the competitors.
It’s the latter that seems to be fading away. Ironically, the LACK of serious injury to Kopitar and his effective return to the game triggered an angry response by Calgary fans, as they booed him every time he touched the puck. While this actually seemed amusing and is the sign that Kopitar and his Kings teammates are becoming a force within the NHL, the motivation behind the booing was crass, at the least. I wonder if today the Calgary fans realize that they were booing because their player had NOT CAUSED A CONCUSSION, FRACTURE OR PARALYSIS of another player. That is the kind of bloodthirstiness which is prevalent in our society today, and likely is the origin of the lack of player-player respect seen in years past.
As for Kopitar, I hope he gets booed more and more on the road, particularly when he makes an effective game-deciding play in a well-played, injury-free game. Such is the game of hockey.
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The thing I just don’t get is why the fans were booing Kopitar for the rest of the game. He clearly, at the very least, got the wind knocked out him and needed to catch his breath. Plus he’s not the one that kicked Phaneuf out of the game, the refs did.
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Living between cgy and edm i can tell you flames fans are very ignorant thats how they act, and watching brent sutters red deer rebels for years thats his brand of hockey, he coached dion phaneaf there for years and now there togeather again
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They were booing him because they think he faked having his head driven into the boards to get the idiot kicked out. It was pretty stupid reason to boo someone, but then again so is booing Paul Kariya and Rob Blake.
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As one can see in the video of the hit, Phaneuf moved the stick from one hand to another before hitting Kopitar. The stick was in the hand closest to both the puck and Kopitar initially, then he moved it to the outside hand. If Phaneuf was going for the puck, that is a very strange move, one that would make it more difficult for him to touch the puck. So, obviously Phaneuf had the intent to go after Kopi and not play the puck. If that hit does not result in a 3-5 games suspension I will be displeased but not necessarily surprised. How many would Gauthier have gotten last year had he done this same move? At least 5, perhaps 10, and part of the explanation would have been that Gauthier had a history. So does Phaneuf. A clear case of an intent to injure on Phaneuf’s part. Dispicable that Sutter, the teammates and the fans have this level of disregard for other players. How can anyone defend Phaneuf in this situation?
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For what it’s worth:
Over the past 15 games, here’s a breakdown of the Kings’ “Fire Power”…
Parse 5 goals
Richardson 4 goals
Doughty 3 goals
Brown 3 goals
Frolov 3 goals
Stoll 3 goals
Simmonds 3 goals
Williams 3 goals
Johnson 2 goals
Kopitar 2 goals
Jones 2 goals
Handzus 1 goal
Elkins 1 goal
O’Donnell 1 goal
Moller 1 goal
Purcell 1 goal
Draw your own conclusions.
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I wonder if Brent Suter and the Canadian media would be saying the same thing if it were JMJF going Phaneuf on Iginla?
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Yeah, Kings need to figure it out and start scoring goals.
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Sebastian, I agree with you. They booed because he stayed down so long but got up and played effectively later. Kopi had the breath knocked out of him, is all.
They booed because Phaneuf was game-misconducted, and gone. The league teaches its refs to penalize players that make dangerous hits, and that hit was dangerous. It’s not that Kopitar was/wasn’t injured; it’s that the hit was a dangerous one on a player in a vulnerable position.
End of story.
Next game…
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3 to 1 Kings victory tonight.
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scvdad: Bet Phaneuf is not suspended, or suspended one game only, probably the former. The key: Phaneuf already has been punished, with the game misconduct. But, Phaneuf has now been/will be warned by the League.
That was a misdemeanor.
The next violation is a felony.
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Steve Jensen:
I feel an offensive explosion coming, six or seven goals in a game.
The effort is there, the luck isn’t.
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I have watched the Kings for forty years. Doughty is a true star,Kopitar a second line center who cannot consistently carry
a team.The team lacks speed , size and toughness.I will be surprised
if we make the playoffs. Murray doing good job with the talent
he has to work with. We lack consistent scoring from forwards.
If Quick begins to falter we are done for this year.
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Bako…I suspect you are right, but frankly, Kopi easily could have been inujured seriously on that hit. The fact that he wasn’t should not deter the proper punishment, but of course it will. The league will wait until Phaneuf does injure someone and THEN they will do what they should do now.
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Well said Bako. (See you Saturday)
Steve Jensen….The truth hurts. Maybe Quisp has the time to put up what each of those goals are costing the team per person. I do know that Parse’s would be 5 digit, maybe even 4. Kopi’s would be high 6 digit.
Tough to look at. I think TM was correct in his Freudian slip of putting Parse on the top line with Smyth and Kopi. Couldn’t hurt with the rate of return Parse is giving.
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Phenuf is a very good defenseman but that play is the exact reason why so many players are getting injured…the complete lack of respect for another player is becoming ridiculous.
After OD’s comment and last nights game, its too bad we don’t play the flames again this season
Kings offense is pathetic. It looks like we are playing for the tie and that’s not the way we started this season. The rest of the league has finally caught up with the Kings and its up to TM to make some adjustments or this season will be over sooner than we all think. The Kopi, Smyth line was struggling before he got injured and the second and third lines are still struggling to score with any consistency.
A blind man can see its not a matter of any one player why our offense is struggling….its the system we are currently playing it looks very familiar to last season. Time for TM to take the chains off the defense and let JJ and DD loose.
You can’t win games when you play with one hand tied behind your back while your opponents play a 5 man unit in the offensive zone and their D men have the green light.
TM…take the training wheels off and lets see how good our team really is! Don’t be afraid to loose a few lopsided games…I guarantee with our talent and intensity we will win more than our share!
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@BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy:
Remember that Calgary had Bertuzi on their team last year. They are used to the “Canadian Thug” mentality there.
I’m upset that the fans aren’t able to see the significance of Phaneuf’s ejection. The fans and DP himself need to understand that the other guy who is trying to get the puck is still a person. They need to understand that this is just a game and that people can be seriously injured.
As was said before, this warning was as much to Phaneuf himself as it was to the refs and other “dirty” players in the league.
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Has anyone told Sutter that Christmas is over.
He looks like a friggin Elf!
Damn, they were a talented hockey family, but they were beaten sverely with the ugly stick.
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“He’s not the brightest guy.” Pretty much sums it up.
A cowardly hit by a sore loser. Just think of all the character that Team Canada will be lacking.
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My first though on the play (before the hit happened) was “OMG, he’s not going to go for icing the puck–he’s going to try to injure Kopitar.” As someone else pointed out, his use of the stick made it obvious to everyone watching (and surely not Kopitar) that he was going to try to leave a mark on the boards with his check.
@ Mike: OD’s not running off about how Ivanans is Einstein or through a “clean” elbow. He’s responding to similar comments the Flames have the audacity to make. From your comments, you make it sound like you want people to try to injure each other again. Talk about not bright!
This BS about how everyone on the planet is supposed to know icing is waved off is insane. Obviously, there’s a good chance someone concentrating on getting to the puck isn’t going to get the instant message while he’s skating on a bee line for the puck. That’s how these things happen. I think it’s pretty obvious a sportsman doesn’t take a shot at someone who may not have gotten the telegram.
…and what’s this crap with booing Kopitar? Was it because he was hit or because he wasn’t injured on the play? Kopitar did look pretty dazed when he got back to the bench. I really doubt he was in the state of line to “milk it.” So what if he was, anyway. What gives the Calgary fans such gaul? Didn’t they notice that the officials evened it up for them by giving OD an effing double minor–I know giving a crap about his teammate was a horrible crime! WTF?
WRT Rob Blake, I don’t boo him, but I understand why he does. He went for the cash and the trophy instead of trying to earn one here. It would serve him right for the Kings to win the cup without him.
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I wish each booing Calgary fan could be divided into three parts like Gaul…
I doubt he’ll get a suspension here, but the game misconduct was the correct call — and he’d better watch it:
“Any player who incurs a total of two (2) game misconducts for Boarding under Rule 44 (b), in either Regular Season or Playoffs, shall be suspended automatically for the next game of his Team. For each subsequent game misconduct penalty the automatic suspension shall be increased by one game.”
http://www.nhl.com/rules/rule44.html
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I’d say it’s a 50/50 chance he gets a short suspension. Frankly, the attitude out of Calgary after the fact is the best reason why he should get a suspension–they still don’t get it!
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The discussion re a suspension is a two-parter…a case of what is just as opposed to the reality of the NHL being incinsistent with regard to suspensions. What is central in this case is that this was not a borderline call in any way. There is intent and there is malice in Phaneuf’s actions. If those things do not result in suspension, then what is the criteria? If a stiff suspension is not levied, then do we assume that the requirement becomes a what (injury) and a who (depends on who the player is)? It is obvious what is justified. Would we be having this conversation if Phaneuf hit Crosby?
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I agree with Bako, although it was a dirty hit, allowing that contact will lead to injury.
On a side note: Go Parse!
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The hit was clean, I don’t know what everybody is talking about. Phaneuf should not have been ejected, but instead, he would have been forced to deal with it the good old fashion way, i.e., scrap.
Did anybody else notice how wimpy Purcell looked in the scrum???
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Right and Rodney King and Reginal Denny did not need their last shot either Sutter.
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The intermission show for the Calgary broadcast was more than fair and I the panel was less than supportive of Phanny. In fact they were big on our guys reacting the way they did. The hit fits nicely into the the definition of boarding in the rule book. Had Phanny at least tried for the puck it would be a bit different. It was pretty clear what his intent was. I do not blame Kopi for trying to sell it like he did, as that is just taking one for the team in a way. But the boofest was well deserved.
Browns penalty shot mishap was sad, but I swear Calgary’s Zamboni was actually an aerator, the pucks were bouncing all over the place. And sadly when he went to stick handle it, the damn thing went up on its side and just dropped back out of reach.
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It’s no wonder the Flame’s fans don’t get it. Did you see them in the stands? They’re a bunch of kids (literaly). It looked more like a Myley Cyrus concert than an NHL game in the stands. pathetic….
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love seans comments… but guess what, dion is a canadian playing in a canadian city, even though he’s a dumbass the fans there dont see it that way… the fans in calgary have been called the best fans in hockey, but after they started booing kopitar for no reason what so ever, i think that description should change….
just what the hell do you know about hockey calgary?
play the puck.
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