Patrice Cormier Hit in the Q

[byerxa]

On Team1200 this morning Pierre McGuire was saying this is already happening and is a tactic commonly used by US schools to help lure players there.

There is no fighting in NCAA either, and they wear full face masks. However, supposedly the stick work has become somewhat nasty (but still not as dangerous as the B.S. Cormier dished out).

[wboudrea]

David Branch was just on OTR and he said that there is an agreement between the OHL and NHL/AHL to honour suspensions both ways. Liambas is playing in the IHL and Branch said that he had a converstaion with the commish of that league about how he feels about Liambas having the opportunity to play so soon after that incident. He would not go into more details about their conversation.

[thematt]

David Branch was just on OTR and he said that there is an agreement between the OHL and NHL/AHL to honour suspensions both ways. Liambas is playing in the IHL and Branch said that he had a converstaion with the commish of that league about how he feels about Liambas having the opportunity to play so soon after that incident. He would not go into more details about their conversation.

Maybe someone was reading our posts here ...OK very unlikely.

TMAC, I completely agree with you that this was not a hockey play at all. All I was saying about some things injuring some players and not others is that a league can't base what is and isn't a punishable offence because someone was/wasn't injured. That's why I think the extra 2 minutes if you draw blood on a high sticking call is BS. Some people get cut and bleed a lot easier than others. If a stick hits someone in the head, it should be a big penalty no matter what. Same thing with Cormier...there might be a player or 2 (probably not but maybe) that wouldn't have been in convulsions on the ice, however that shouldn't change the opinion of what the act was, and that is a disgusting mess.

[tmacgolf]

All I was saying about some things injuring some players and not others is that a league can't base what is and isn't a punishable offence because someone was/wasn't injured. That's why I think the extra 2 minutes if you draw blood on a high sticking call is BS. Some people get cut and bleed a lot easier than others. If a stick hits someone in the head, it should be a big penalty no matter what. Same thing with Cormier...there might be a player or 2 (probably not but maybe) that wouldn't have been in convulsions on the ice, however that shouldn't change the opinion of what the act was, and that is a disgusting mess.

Agree with your points 100%. I wonder if Tie Domi's head of cement would even withstand that hit?

[thematt]

Agree with your points 100%. I wonder if Tie Domi's head of cement would even withstand that hit?

I think cement is a little brittle, so it might have taken the first blow, but would have exploded upon hitting the ice.

[Shivas Irons]

Reports have Cormier gone for the rest of the season and the playoffs. Fitting.

[davevandyk]

Reports have Cormier gone for the rest of the season and the playoffs. Fitting.

yes, it sounds fair to me, based on the intent to injure and malicious intent he showed. A bonus to the decision handed down is that the Devils have publicly said they would honour the suspension, which sounds like they won't allow him to play on their AHL affiliate, which I think is the right thing to do.

[nokids]

A bonus to the decision handed down is that the Devils have publicly said they would honour the suspension, which sounds like they won't allow him to play on their AHL affiliate, which I think is the right thing to do.

that snake Lou Lamorillo changed his mind. devils are appealing.

[Chambokl]

that snake Lou Lamorillo changed his mind. devils are appealing.

The Huskies are appealing... not the Devils.

[davevandyk]

The Huskies are appealing... not the Devils.

This was to be expected. The huskies paid a steep price to get Cormier and he would be a valuable player to have for them, especially in the playoffs. I don't think the decision will change, but they hav nothing to lose so why not?

[nokids]

my bad. i was too eager to jump Lou L.

[goochy]

I don't want to sound patronising but I'm not sure you fully undersatand the law in this example. Assault, as this surely was, is a criminal offence not a civil offence. Therefore it is up to the state to indict the accused, no-one has to "press charges". If the police believe there has been a criminal act committed they can investigate and the Crown proscecution service can decide whether to charge the accused or not.

Just because something happens on ice, or a rugby field, or a football field field does not make it exempt from the law. This is what the rule of law means...the law applies to EVERYONE, EVERYWHERE even hockey players. Obviously there is risk you have implicitely consented to by taking part in sport (otherwise boxers would be arrested after every fight) but that implied consent only covers actions intergral and acceptable to the sport. I believe this hit was way beyond that. I would have absolutely no sympathing if he was criminally charged here. If someone did this in a bar, or on the street, he would/should be charged.

As you mentioned, all this sympathy/discussion on what should happen to the perpetrator and little discussion of the victim. If he serves his season suspension, big deal, he'll be back. His victim (much like Moore) could have had his career ended or worse because of this cowardly, premeditated assualt that has absolutely NO place in sport.

sorry for the rant

I agree with you completely on what you are saying, and if the victim of the attack comes forward and wishes to press charges, then I completely agree. I don't agree with the league pushing police to press charges though, or with the coach of the team (ie Patrick Roy in this case) pressing the police.

If Tam's lawyers decide that it is in his best interest to pursue charges against Patrice Cormier, then that is fine with me, but it shouldn't be the league or anyone else that starts that process. Just like in the Bertuzzi case, it was Steve Moore who initiated the charges against Bertuzzi, which to me is fine. He had his career ended by this guy.

Also, unfortunately in a contact game, what injurs one might not injure another, so the question that has to be asked is where do you draw the line? The NHL and all leagues have Intent to Injure rules and penalties associated with them, so at what point do they go past those and decide that police need to be involved? I think that's only a decision that can be made by the victim of the hit.