Kelly Hrudey’s High Horse
October 15, 2007 by Tyler
Filed under NHL Players
I might possibly be the biggest supporter of Hockey Night In Canada, but Kelly Hrudey certainly leaves a lot to be desired in a hockey television personality.
Granted, Hrudey has gotten better over the past couple of years, but he still over-emphasizes the most trivial aspects of the game and his analysis of the game is still inconsistent.
During Saturday night’s broadcast of a great game between Vancouver and Edmonton, Hrudey used the intermission to beat his “Jordin Tootoo deserves to be out of the game” drum.
Tootoo is what he is…a hard nosed player who knows his role and plays to his strengths and abilities. Kelly Hrudey continues to use every opportunity to belittle and degrade Jordin Tootoo. I’m not sure exactly what it is that Hrudey has against Tootoo, but it appears to be some sort of personal vendetta.
I will not debate the fact that Tootoo looks for opportunities to make a big check on the opposing players. However, Hrudey accused Tootoo of not “getting up to defend himself” following the clothesline that was laid on him after he legally (it may have been charging) hit Daniel Winnick of the Phoenix Coyotes.
Hrudey’s comment that Tootoo was unwilling to stand up and defend himself after he was clotheslined to the ice was absolutely unfounded and ridiculous. Honestly, if Kelly Hrudey has been paying any sort of attention at all to the NHL over the past few season, he would have many examples of Jordin Tootoo fighting. In fact, Tootoo fought 12 times during 2006-2007 even though he apparently “refuses to stand up and defend himself”.
Even though the hit may have been charging, why is Hrudey picking this one player and this one incident to repeatedly harp on? There have been countless hits that were far worse than this one.
Tootoo did not leave his feet on the hit and there was no elbow. It was a direct shoulder to the head which, even with current the emphasis on hits to the head, is still legal.
Hrudey was spouting off about the “intent” of Tootoo’s hits. He spent several minutes outlining how body checks are meant to “create scoring opportunities” and to “intimidate opponents”. Hrudey then went on to mention how Tootoo’s intent is to hit players as hard as he can. I would argue that most players attempt to hit as hard as they can and that a hard body check is a form of intimidation, which Hrudey previously said was acceptable.
I would definitely say that Scott Stevens hit players as hard as he could and that was one of the most effective parts of his game. No, I am not comparing Scott Stevens to Jordin Tootoo because that would be ludicrous. However, I will say that the intent of their body checks was/is partly for intimidation purposes.
I invite you all, and Mr. Hrudey, to view the following video. I believe that at least half of these hits are just as bad as Tootoo’s check on Winnick, and many of them are worse!
Several of these hits are blatant penalties; including hits to the head, charging, boarding, and elbowing.
The bottom line is that Hrudey needs to select a better example of the topic that he wants to preach about before he gets up on his soapbox.
Kelly, have you heard of Steve Downie?
Rusty on Mon, 15th Oct 2007 8:54 am
Thank you. I agree completely with you about Hrudey. I’m not sure why he picks on Tootoo, all the time. When Toots first started his career, Hrudey was one of his biggest supporters, but now he takes every opportunity to bash the guy. Hrudey was a goalie, and I don’t feel he has the right to comment on fighting. He has no clue what it is like to be out in the middle of the ice. I have watched Toots since the beginning of his career, and it is very obvious when the coaches send him out to do damage, or he is suppose to behave himself. Hrudey has forgotten what it is like to have someone pay his salary. Toot is a hard hitting player, but for the most part is not a dirty player (for the most part). If you watch his body checks, hits, or whatever, they are usually in the middle of the ice or against the boards. I have never seen him run a player in the corner with their heads down, like some have done. He has never used his stick as a weapon. Because he is so much shorter than the other players, usually he will catch them with his shoulder, which sometimes will look like a dirty hit. Except for his punch to the face to the Dallas Player, which could be considered defending himself, was really the first questionable thing that I have seen him do, since being in the NHL. Since then Hrudey has really had it in for him. He must be a fan of Modano. How the hell do you defend yourself, when you have had a clothesline across the adam’s apple. I am sure he couldn’t even breath for a while. It is a good thing Toot has such good neck muscles, others that could have been a broken neck, whiplash, or a broken windpipe. That guy should have been suspended, but because it was against Toot, the NHL won’t call it the same. Which is okay, Toot is tough and a big boy, but he knows he is the only one going to stand up for himself. Anyways, Hrudey really needs to take a pill and chill, he really needs to find a new train to get off on. Thanks for listening to my ramblings.
Tyler on Tue, 16th Oct 2007 8:16 am
Rusty,
Thank you for the comment. I may be biased as I am a fan of Tootoo, but I still honestly believe that Hrudey needs to be more careful when selecting topics to speak about in front of a national audience.
Please feel free to leave comments and contact NHL Digest any time!
Thanks for reading.
Tyler
Wayne on Wed, 17th Oct 2007 12:28 pm
I have seen tootoo play. He has no skill but being able to skate. All he does is run around (if you will) at top speed trying to maim someone. I agree with Kelly Hrudy 100% and believe you are sadly mistaken. The players themselves want this type out of the league. I have played and coached many many years. I have seen many hockey players that could skate, but they couldn’t “play hockey”. Tootoo is one of them.
Pat on Wed, 17th Oct 2007 1:18 pm
Kelly Hrudey is such a knob (and I personally think the world would end if he and Pierre Macguire ever hosted together). And I’m sick at his “back when I played goal for so and so” rants. Seriously, who fucking cares you washed up piece of shit! Stop it already – you were a terrible player and you’re a terrible analyst! You suck and you should be replaced. Actually, the NHL is making the mistake of copying the NFL and assuming retired players are good analysts. 90% of these clowns can hardly spell the word “at”, let alone speak in front of millions of people with any charisma (note every interview given by a hockey player…SNORE). Anyway, Kelly Hrudey sucks balls and I saw him at a Tim Horton’s in Edmonton one time and he was hungover, reeking of booze, and was a complete asshole to the person making his “everything bagel”. I hope Tootoo cracks his head open.
Rusty on Thu, 18th Oct 2007 12:54 pm
Wayne, I know there are alot of people who would share your view on Mr. Tootoo. You say the “Players themselves want this type out of the league”. The players have a big association, and if that was so true, they could pass it so this would happen. Most I hear say they need fighting in the league to bring in the fan base. That includes the NHLPA, NHL Commission, Hrudey, Cherry even Brett Hull, who was ever in 1 fight in his career agrees with. Well I don’t agree, I watch the International, Olympics, Worlds where fighting and dirty hits are not allowed, and it is some of the best hockey I have seen. I don’t like to see guys leave the ice on stretchers, and no where else would these dirty hits, or sticks used as weapons be allowed, and not be considered assault charges, than on the hockey ice. As long as there is fighting, or the NHL decides to get serious about charging these guys, or a 3 strikes your out, something, you will always have questionable hits. I am tired of making guys like Mr. Tootoo take the fall for the leagues down falls. He is doing what he believes it takes to stay in the league. You obviously have not been a close watcher of Jordin. I have watched Jordin since his junior career, and there he was more of a dirty player, than anything he has done in the NHL. This was more though, because of his age and size in juniors, which made his hits hard. In the NHL he is small, and trying to hold his own, but unlike some of you non believers, if Jordin is given the time on the ice, and the lines, he can be an excellent hockey player, he does not need his hard hitting ways, and if the coaches actually tell him not to fight he follows orders quite well. So far Jordin has not been given the time on ice to prove himself. When he was with the Admirals, he did quite fine, although he still was a shit disturber, but he had the ice time. Anyways, I don’t want to beat the Tootoo drum, but I know you don’t watch him, other than the highlights, because he can skate fast, but he falls alot, and alot of times his control of his skates are questionable. To get back to the subject though, the buck does not start or stop with guys like Toot, but with the league and the coaching staff, and Hrudey needs to realize that, along with others. Until then Toot and other players will continue to do what they are told to, and allowed to.
Sean on Fri, 3rd Apr 2009 8:07 am
If Hrudey is like me then he hates Tootoo because of his cheap shot on Robidas which was a cowardly play to say the least.