Was Branch too Harsh on Liambis?

I think public opinion is pretty one-sided against the punishment handed down to Erie player Michael Liambas. In fact, I have not seen anyone in favor of Branch’s punishment.

I’m going to take the opposite side of this argument.

This penalty to Liambas was harsh, sure, but it was appropriate. It was a new benchmark for reckless play. Fanelli literally got his head crushed. That CANNOT be met with shrugs and the classic “that’s good, hard hockey” mentality.

No, there has to be more discussion than this. There has to be something.

For those who have not seen it, here’s a video of the hit that has caused such a stir:

It’s not normal, nor is it acceptable that a kid (or anyone for that matter) ends up in a hospital in critical condition for several days because of something that is considered “legal” and “clean”.  I know that these injuries were caused by mutliple factors: Fanelli turned slightly at the last moment. His helmet was not on properly. I am also aware that Fanelli’s head striking the glass is what caused his injuries. I’ll acknowledge that a puck to the face or a skate to the throat could have a similar result. Those types of accidents are almost exclusively random by nature and not preventable. Hitting like a freight train is entirely preventable. Going full speed at a player who is no longer in the play is not right. You can finish a check without trying to put him in to the cheap seats.  This is not even about Liambas and Fanelli in the grand scheme of things. Bigger problems are brewing for hockey.

Hockey’s rock ‘em sock ‘em hero worship has had it’s day. 20 years ago guys could hit hard, but not as hard as players hit each other today. It’s bordering on excessive now. We see the rash of major injuries to the head and otherwise in the NHL, and everyone just sits there flaps their arms about it, but ultimately does nothing. At best there are impotent measures handed out to 3rd & 4th liners. This is not effective. Players are hell bent on putting together highlight reels of themselves, and devastating killshot-type hits are attention grabbers, let’s not sugar coat that or pretend it isn’t there.

What David Branch has done is drawn a line in the sand when nobody else will. Would he have given the same penalty to an 18 year old set to be drafted in the 1st round of the NHL draft? Hard to say, but he’s taken a step in that direction and he’s made it entirely possible that he may do that one day. I point to this blog post (and attached TED conference video): http://www.christopherspenn.com/2009/10/28/heroism-as-the-antidote-to-evil/. The point of that blog and video echoes what is at the heart of the matter here: that someone needs to take a “heroic” action when nobody else will. Branch is not afraid to rock the boat for what he believes to be best for his players safety (and no, I don’t mean to say that suspending a role player in a junior league makes Branch an instant hero, but it makes him progressive and proactive). He is to be respected for that.

I’m not advocating that hockey games look like the NHL all star game. I enjoy chippy hockey. I like the rough stuff. But let’s all agree that sports have to evolve. The change in rules a few years back was a revolution, the next step is figuring out ways to limit these silly needless injuries. Guys are bigger, stronger, faster than EVER before. Equipment meant to protect is now part & parcel of the weaponry.

What’s always been considered legal and clean in hockey may not be anymore. Whereas wars were once fought hand-to-hand with spears, bows & arrows, and swords, we now use laser guided missiles and advanced electronics and unmanned aircraft to do the dirty work. When the right to bear arms was written, I don’t think those who wrote it thought 200 years down the line to a time when people would be shooting each other up for the fun of it, or to steal someone’’s iPods. Would they have written differently knowing the mess it has caused today? Evolution is required. Just because something has always been a certain way, does not mean that way SHOULD and MUST be the way it continues to be.

The same applies to hockey. We tend to say this is the way that hockey has always been, and always should be. That’s  certainly not very enlightened. I’ve learned enough about hockey’s past to know that these types of devastating hits did not happen 25 years ago. Not with the violence and frequency that we see today. Yes, we’ve had the rock ‘em sock ‘em culture for decades, but before  Scott Stevens (who in opinion was the first to bring in these knock out hits and make them popular) it took an entire season’s worth of hard contact to put together one of Don Cherry’s Rock ‘em Sock ‘em videos . Now you can probably put together a full length movie on a monthly basis, and not show the same crushing hit twice. Note: I’m not blaming Don Cherry personally. That was the way hockey was then. When kids end up in the hospital clinging to life, there has to be a change, or at the VERY least, a serious discussion that doesn’t spin in circles.

I feel bad for Liambas. That he can’t sleep, that he’s devastated by what’s happened. By the perception of him that is out there. I don’t fault him for this. He did was he was coached to do, and more likely what is expected of him by this modern hockey culture. I fault the culture of hockey, and the failure of hockey’s leadership to recognize what is going on today. And shame on them if they recognized it and did nothing.

We are getting closer and closer to the point where either a kid or a pro will die in front of our eyes on the ice. Will we shrug then and say “it was a clean hit that just happened to kill him. Tragic, but let’s not change the game because one person died”? Sounds absurd doesn’t it? I know players acknowledge the risk involved with the violent sport they play. If we considered the worst and Fanelli were to pass away from his injuries, Liambas would be going to jail for manslaughter. He should consider himself lucky that Fanelli has seemed to improve and that he’s only lost his ability to play his last year of junior. We have to understand that we were on the razor’s edge of that scenario. Fanelli could have died. He may never play hockey again. He may have health problems down the line because of this. And we chalk it up to “that’s hockey” and move along? Without even considering what can be done to prevent it? Completely unacceptable in my view.

All this being said, what Branch has done is not a solution to what’s going on. Juniors and pros alike will not remember the year-long suspension to Liambas in the heat of the moment, especially not if it is summarily dismissed as is currently being done by most fans and experts. And let’s not go with the “if his chin strap was properly done up this would not have happened” talk. That’s lazy and dismisses the larger issue here. The suspension will at least serve notice that you will be held accountable for what you do on the ice, but at some point there needs to be an evolution in how the game is taught and played and what is considered to be “clean and legal”. We are coming to the point where “clean and legal” is becoming interchangeable with “mean and lethal”. That’s not good sport. That’s bloodsport, and I have no interest in it. But if players continue to get their heads smashed like this, it will not be long until some government pokes their head in and starts asking questions. Then we’ll have a real problem on our hands because at that point it will be too late to discuss. Sure some, if not most will bitch and moan and spit at the government to get out of sports; that there other things to worry about. And they’d be right, but the headless chickens that run hockey make half-hearted changes, or will do what they do best – absolutely nothing. David Branch is getting the ball rolling and unfortunately for Liambas, he will probably be relegated to being the answer to some trivia question in some trivia book.

Have the discussion now before it’s too late.

Let’s have our own discussion; please leave your comments below for or against. Thanks for reading!

NHL Digest Twitter Hockey Links

*This is a new feature of NHL Digest, so please feel free to let me know your thoughts.

I am very active on twitter, sharing thoughts and links at www.twitter.com/nhldigest. That said, I thought it would be great for everyone to log all of my Twitter posts for the day into one place!

If you like it, let me know and I’ll update it daily in the “Hockey Links” Category!

On This Day in Hockey History

On July 5, 1995 the New York Islanders hired Mike Milbury as their head coach, taking over for Lorne Henning.

On July 5, 1979 the Boston Bruins named Fred Creighton as their new head coach, replacing Don Cherry.

NHL Links

Do The Blackhawks Believe Hossa Is Jinxed? http://ff.im/-4Q385

NHL finalizes investigation into Blackhawks qualifying offers – Looks like the issue could be dead. http://ff.im/-4PRKv

The Penguins’ five-year plan, executed in four! – by @Mirtle http://ff.im/-4PMJs

Did Tampa Bay tamper with Mattias Ohlund? – by @Sean_Leahy http://ff.im/-4PLfk

Plenty of stuff about McSorley that you likely don’t know. http://ff.im/-4PGhW

Ottawa journalist wears Heatley jersey in public as an experiment…Good for some laughs! http://ff.im/-4PFYg

Hossa says he chose Chicago because “They have a chance to win the Cup”. Sound familiar? http://ff.im/-4PFDu

Touted Swedish goaltender, Jonas Gustavsson, expects to sign in the next couple of days http://ff.im/-4Pw9V

Los Angeles Kings Q&A with their newest player Ryan Smyth http://ff.im/-4Pdhu

Leafs new signing, Exelby and Ron Hextall weigh in on Heatley debacle  http://ff.im/-4OzLR

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Alex Ovechkin Celebrates 50th Goal

Alexander Ovechkin scored his 50th goal of the 2008-2009 season on March 19.   Ovechkin, who leads the National Hockey League in goals, is favored by many fans as the most impactful and exciting player in the league. Ovechkin celebrated his 50th goal by dropping his stick and when attempting to pick it up, pretended it was too hot to touch!

[Video thanks to On Frozen Blog]

Too Much Celebration?

I wonder what Don Cherry, who criticized Ovechkin on the February 28th edition of Hockey Night in Canada for his excessive celebrations, will have to say about the celebration of his 50th goal?

For those who haven’t seen Cherry’s previous remarks on Ovechkin’s post-goal celebrations, I submit the following video:

In my opinion, as a hockey fan, if you can score 50 goals in the National Hockey League, then you are entitled to a little excessive celebration.  I actually enjoy watching Ovechkin’s celebrations because he shows his love for the game and passion for scoring.

Until he crosses the line from showing passion and excitement for the game to mocking the opposition, I will continue to Ovechkin and his goal celebrations are great for the game.

Honestly, it isn’t as if Ovechkin scores a goal in the opposition’s arena and then skates as fast as he can to center ice, stopping and standing on the other team’s logo – I mean that is disrespectful! (Terrell Owens – NFL Video)

Take a moment and watch the above video again.  Notice how Ovechkin is just randomly swinging his arms and jumping.  Most of the time it is just pure exuberance and random displays of emotion. There is no pre-planned celebration going on – He didn’t pull a Sharpie marker from his skate to autograph his stick (Terrell Owens…again!)

Ovechkin is a Team Player

One key thing to understand is that Alexander Ovechkin gets excited for every one of the Capitals goals.  Many times I have witnessed him jumping up and down and pumping his fists and hurling himself at a teammate who just scored.  That is pure passion for the game, nothing more.

Cherry, in the above video, encourages young players not to act like Ovechkin after scoring. Okay, even if you think Alex is a touch over the top from time to time, he isn’t faking his appreciation for his teammates.

That said, I encourage each and every young hockey player to act like Alex Ovechkin acts when his teammates score.  It is a pure exhibition of excitement and enthusiasm for the members of his team and, if nothing else, he deserves to be recognized for that.

Thoughts and opinions, as always, are most welcomed in the comments section.

Darryl Sittler’s Famous 10 Point Game!

Ever since I saw The Great Darryl Sittler on a rerun of  Deal or No Deal Canada, I thought I had better track down some video of his infamous 10 point performance versus the Boston Bruins.

This video that I found is extra special because it happens to be narrated by none other than Don Cherry, who was the coach of the Bruins at that time. Enjoy!

Jagr Heads To Russia!

Russians Announce Signing of Jagr

Russian hockey club Avangard Omsk said on its website Friday that it had signed Jaromir Jagr for the upcoming season, just one day after the New York Rangers said they were moving ahead without the superstar.

The club in the Continental Hockey League announced the signing on its website but did not disclose the terms of the contract. There was much speculation that Jagr would sign in Russia even before the Rangers decided to move on without him.

It came as no surprise that he signed with Avangard as he played with the team during the NHL’s lockout season in 2004-05.

Naslund To Replace Jagr in NYC

Former Vancouver Canucks captain Markus Naslund has agreed to a $8-million, two-year deal with the New York Rangers spelling the end of the Jaromir Jagr era in the Big Apple.

This is an interesting move.  However, leave it to the Rangers to over-pay a player to under-perform, it seems to be what the Blueshirts are best at.  I’d love to see Naslund have a breakout season in New York, but I honestly don’t see it happening.

Habs Ink Big Georges

When enforcer Georges Laraque played against Montreal last season, he noticed they were missing a big, tough player like himself. Being a Canadiens fan, I can say that they were in dire need of some toughness.  Laraque mentioned in his press conference that he noticed that he could get away with cheap-shots against the Canadiens because “nobody would do anything about it”.

While I am glad to see the Habs add some toughness, $4.5 Million over 3 years seemed a little much.  However, with the way things are going with free agents this season that contract may seem like a steal next July!

On another note:  This signing will single-handedly bring the Canadiens’ team speed down to average.

Bruins Prospect Driving Drunk

Boston Bruins prospect Jamie Arniel has been arrested for impaired driving. It is always sad to hear that players with such bright futures will put themselves in a situation that could not only end thier careers, but therr lives as well (Not to mention the lives of others).

Police allege that Arniel was behind the wheel of a Toyota that zig-zagged across lawns and hit parked cars, utility poles and a stop sign in a half-hour long early-morning smashing spree.

Blake Seeking Stanley Cup

Veteran defenseman Rob Blake has signed with the San Jose Sharks, leaving Pacific Division rival Los Angeles for a more immediate chance at a championship.

I don’t think I can blame Rob Blake for leaving Los Angeles and looking for a chance to pick up a Stanley Cup ring in the twilight of his career.  This move is actually great for both teams as Blake still adds tremendous value on the blueline in San Jose and allows the Kings to continue their rebuilding process with a little more cash in the coffers.

If the Sharks were not considered a Cup contender already, this signing adds instant credibility to that statement.

A Review of Don Cherry’s New Book

Over at HockeyBookReviews.com, Joe Pelletier has a nice review and sample of the cover image of Don Cherry’s new book.  The title of the book is Don Cherry’s Hockey Stories and Stuff – pretty unoriginal title  for one of televisions most colorful characters.

All Time Bad Goals

A nice clip from one of Don Cherry’s Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em movies full of goaltender bloopers.  It’s funny to hear names like Andre Racicot on a blooper film because he was truly deserving of the moniker “Red Light” Racicot even though his goals against average was not that bad.  I will attribute the strength of the 1989-1993 Canadiens teams for his respectable statistics.

The video also includes some great goaltender pouting with sticks being broken over the cossbar – Ron Hextall shows his infamous temper of course!

If you’re  a goaltender and have a game this weekend, please don’t watch this video.

P.S. – The music used in this video is horrendous, but what can you do?