# NHL: January 2012 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [January 2, 2012, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-january-2012/608131 "2012-01-02T11:27:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-january-2012/608131/121 "2012-01-25T02:57:31Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > I can’t think of anyone I have less sympathy for than Pronger. He did more headhunting with his elbows than the rest of the league combined. I have no doubt he tried to win games by trying to injure players(Red Wings specifically)with head shots so they couldn’t continue in a series. If he never plays again the league is a better place. I’m with **Guin** on this one - the league might be better off without that type of play/player, but I very much doubt his wife, his children and others close to him are. Fuck the idea that it’s about your team - it’s about _brain damage_ and the whole culture of “so-and-so deserved it because he once did ” needs to stop. No one deserves these types of injuries. Not Pronger. Not even Chara, and I hate that scumbag more than anyone. Fans need to grow up. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-january-2012/608131/122 "2012-01-25T03:00:03Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > I have no love for Pronger, but I would never wish a head injury like that on anyone. There are people out there saying they hope Crosby will never play again and it disgusts me. Love him or hate him, but wishing the guy’s career is over? That’s sick. I hate Crosby, because he is whiny and gets a ridiculous number of assists from the refs. But I don’t wish his career was over. Pronger spent a career trying recklessly hurting people, with frequent attempts to deliberately take people out with head shots. I’m not sure how many careers were shortened by the SOB, and more players will have fruitful careers with him gone, and I do hope his career is over, big difference to me. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-january-2012/608131/123 "2012-01-25T03:57:53Z")
I find your attitude absolutely disgusting. There are players out there that I loathe, but I would never wish such a horrendous injury on them\*. They don’t just destroy your career. Mike Webster: (probably the most extreme example I know of) [Game Brain](http://www.gq.com/sports/profiles/200909/nfl-players-brain-dementia-study-memory-concussions) [Ex-NFL stars after concussion: Lives unraveled](http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/24/fred.mcneill.concussions/index.html) [Football safety takes a hit from new data](http://www.tampabay.com/news/health/research/article1135130.ece) [A tormented soul](http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=1972285) (This one’s in four parts) Bob Probert: [Hockey Brawler Paid Price, With Brain Trauma](http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/03/sports/hockey/03fighter.html?pagewanted=all) [Bob Probert’s death could affect NHL lives](http://articles.latimes.com/2011/mar/03/sports/la-sp-elliott-nhl-probert-20110304) Reggie Fleming: [Brain Damage Found in Hockey Player](http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/18/sports/hockey/18concussion.html?pagewanted=all) [Report: Trauma affected player’s brain](http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=4753874) [Fleming’s brain damage a ‘frightening reminder’ of NHL violence](http://www.cbc.ca/sports/blogs/2009/12/flemings_brain_damage_a_fright_2.html) [Reggie Fleming’s story](http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/reggie-flemings-story/article1404659/) THREE enforcers committed suicide in this past year. Autopsies showed severe brain damage from multiple concussions. Actually, I’m kinda disappointed that Ovie’s not in the game. I wanted Kessel to be picked before him, and then take a picture of Ovie. I was so hoping that would happen. Oh well. (MAYBE on Ben Roethlisberger. He’s already a douche, and most likely a rapist.) ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-january-2012/608131/124 "2012-01-25T04:02:19Z")
And you are condemning me for hoping a guy who intentionally causes such injuries to other players never has the chance to do so again? Ok feel free. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-january-2012/608131/125 "2012-01-25T04:14:55Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > And you are condemning me for hoping a guy who intentionally causes such injuries to other players never has the chance to do so again? Ok feel free. Did you even read the articles I linked to? ---
**Author:** ![tim-n-va](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim-n-va/32/3001_2.png) [@tim-n-va](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim-n-va)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-january-2012/608131/126 "2012-01-25T05:56:17Z")
Worst decision of the season: Wanting to avoid DC on the night of the State of the Union with its extra security and street closures, I gave my son five tickets to the Caps vs Bruins. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-january-2012/608131/127 "2012-01-25T15:26:59Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > And you are condemning me for hoping a guy who intentionally causes such injuries to other players never has the chance to do so again? Ok feel free. The solution to taking goons out of the game isn’t to concuss them. I’m sure that’s not actually your position on this, but that’s kind of how your words come across. Stricter headshot rules, better officiating, harsher penalties, better training of players to adapt their game… those are things we need to address. It doesn’t matter what your personal opinion of Pronger, or Crosby, or Savard,or Pacioretty or Kane or Giroux is. It doesn’t matter what you thought of Lindros or Primeaux. Because the next guy to go down could be your favourite player. While people are revelling in the joy that some players they dislike are out of the game, they are ignoring the circumstances that lead to such injuries, they are hiding behind the weak-ass argument that “we can’t prevent them all” and they are refusing to address a reality that is, quite literally, putting men’s lives at risk. It’s also not enough to say “they are professionals, let them decide.” They said that about helmets, too. Look how many players choose not to wear them during warmups (“because nothing could happen then”, right Taylor Hall?) - it’s probably safe to assume they’d all stop wearing one if they weren’t mandatory. Look at the question around visors… there’s an increasing push to make those mandatory too, but idiots who think nothing could ever happen to them keep fighting it. They are professionals, sure. That doesn’t mean they are smart about these sorts of things on their own. The league needs to be in charge here, and they are failing. Is it just me, or does it kind of seem like the league is losing control of it’s players and teams lately? The financial issues surrounding a bunch of teams are bad - rumour has it the New Jersey Devils are seeking a bailout from the NHL to be able to pay their operating costs for this season. You have players opting out of team and league events (Thomas, Ovechkin), leading to bad press. Is there a fanbase in the league that feels that officiating has been good this year? That feels that the supplementary discipline process makes sense? I’m worried the new CBA talks are going to get really, really ugly this year. It’s like the league and the players and officials aren’t at all on the same page, and are reading a different book than the fans are. ---
**Author:** ![tim-n-va](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim-n-va/32/3001_2.png) [@tim-n-va](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim-n-va)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-january-2012/608131/128 "2012-01-25T17:28:25Z")
> [@](#): > > Dare I hope for James Neal to replace him? You got it… ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-january-2012/608131/129 "2012-01-26T01:08:36Z")
> [@tim-n-va](#): > > You got it… I know, I saw that this morning and practically squeed. He should have been there from the beginning (and to be passed over for _Scott Hartnell_ when Toews dropped out), but I’m absolutely thrilled. (BTW, even if I think Thomas is a douche for what he did, am I still allowed to like his Discover Card commercial? I think it’s hysterical.) Back in the day when Jaques Plante first started wearing a mask, people taunted him for being a coward. His response was, “If you went skydiving without a parashoot, does that make you brave?” ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-january-2012/608131/130 "2012-01-26T21:25:49Z")
We were very irresponsible last night. What started out as a quick meetup with friends for dinner before they went to the hockey game ended up with nearly closing out a pub and having a pint for each goal scored in the game… still recovering from that. Damn fun party, though, made so much better by the sound beating the Habs laid on the Red Wings! It’s been a shitty season, but I’m loving the stronger offence and the blow-out wins the Habs have been having lately. This would never happen under Jacques Martin; I’m becoming a fan of Randy Cunneyworth’s coaching. When they win, they win big…when they lose, it’s often in close games. This team is not as bad as their record. Raphael Diaz has been called up to the All-Star Rookie game. Among rookie defencemen, he’s top-3 in points and #1 in shot blocking. A relative nobody out of Switzerland - good for him! Though I think this particular “All-star” game is anything but, it’s still a nice thing for him. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2012, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-january-2012/608131/131 "2012-01-27T01:21:52Z")
Okay, who’s watching the All-Star draft? How did they manage to get Lundquist get to be an alternative captain? I thought they didn’t let goalies be captains? (Unless it doesn’t count for goalies) I still want to cry that Sid’s not playing this time. I really believe he’d be captain. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2012, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-january-2012/608131/132 "2012-01-27T01:34:11Z")
Goalies can be captains, they just can’t act as one during a game (recently, Luongo was the 'Nucks captain for a few years). And Lundqvist as an alternate captain is fine by me… lots of screen time for that pretty face 🙂 It really is more of the mediocre-stars, though, isn’t it? No Crosby, Ovechkin, Toews, Selanne… Love how Teabag says he’s at the all-star game “to celebrate hockey” when he turned down a visit to the White House _to celebrate hockey._ ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2012, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-january-2012/608131/133 "2012-01-27T01:53:31Z")
I’m hoping Thomas is the last pick. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2012, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-january-2012/608131/134 "2012-01-27T02:55:36Z")
The idea that I’d have to cheer for “Team Chara” in order to support Price and Diaz is making me nauseous. I don’t know if it was deliberate, but Price walked right past Chara and didn’t even shake his hand, which made me laugh. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2012, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-january-2012/608131/135 "2012-01-27T03:06:25Z")
Chara is one ugly mofo. Sorry, but it’s true. At least Malkin’s there – he’s #1 in the League right now. Guy’s on fire. But I’m on Team Alfredsson, if only because there are two of my boys there (Neal and Letang). Sorry, had to make a pick. Heh, my mother was watching _24/7_ with me last month and Lundquist was on and she was like, “Whoa, look at those blue eyes!” (The booing was absolutely disgusting. I don’t think I’ve seen that much booing when Bettman’s around) ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2012, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-january-2012/608131/136 "2012-01-27T04:01:19Z")
Four Leafs and a bunch of Bruins in Sens-land (aka Habs-land)? Yeah, don’t expect politeness! I think Bettman is a little afraid to go to these sorts of events in Canada - he’s _really_ despised up here. I have nothing against booing in these sorts of situations - it’s weird to think that it’s only OK to cheer, but not to express displeasure. The booing and jawing in hockey crowds between fans is part of the fun of hockey, IMHO - as long as it remains civil, of course (I don’t condone violence, personal insults or making little children cry hehe). ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2012, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-january-2012/608131/137 "2012-01-27T04:18:54Z")
> [@mnemosyne](#): > > Four Leafs and a bunch of Bruins in Sens-land (aka Habs-land)? Yeah, don’t expect politeness! > > I think Bettman is a little afraid to go to these sorts of events in Canada - he’s _really_ despised up here. > > I have nothing against booing in these sorts of situations - it’s weird to think that it’s only OK to cheer, but not to express displeasure. The booing and jawing in hockey crowds between fans is part of the fun of hockey, IMHO - as long as it remains civil, of course (I don’t condone violence, personal insults or making little children cry hehe). I think in this kind of situation, though, it was kind of out of place. That and it was annoying. Then again, I suppose if it were a bunch of Flyers and Caps in Pittsburgh? Hooo yeah. I do get sick of people booing Bettman at the _Stanley Cup_. I don’t like the guy, but it’s the fucking CUP. Dude, have some respect for Lord Stanley, at least. (That or have someone else hand it out. Maybe a Hall of Famer? Someone who’s not currently working in the organization, of course – naturally Mario Lemieux would be out!) ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2012, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-january-2012/608131/138 "2012-01-27T17:26:19Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > I think in this kind of situation, though, it was kind of out of place. That and it was annoying. Then again, I suppose if it were a bunch of Flyers and Caps in Pittsburgh? Hooo yeah. Well there you go. Because you understand and accept that your team’s fans would boo it’s biggest rivals, you must understand that other team’s fans would boo _their_ biggest rivals. Toronto-Montreal is the oldest rivalry in hockey. Toronto-Ottawa is pretty intense too, largely due to the fact they are both from the same province and Ottawa is seen as being second fiddle. Ottawa-Montreal…well, two hours away and sharing a broadcast region helps, but Ottawa is traditionally Montreal’s bitch anyways…😉 > [@](#): > > I do get sick of people booing Bettman at the _Stanley Cup_. I don’t like the guy, but it’s the fucking CUP. Dude, have some respect for Lord Stanley, at least. (That or have someone else hand it out. Maybe a Hall of Famer? Someone who’s not currently working in the organization, of course – naturally Mario Lemieux would be out!) People are able to separate the Cup from the man standing next to it. The view is that Bettman has so tarnished the game of hockey that _he_ disrespects the Cup by being there. I think the league commissioner needs to be handing the Cup to the winning team. I don’t think Bettman should be cleaning the commissioner’s shoes, let alone _be_ the commissioner. I’m on the Dryden bandwagon at the moment, but there’s no way Jeremy Jacobs lets his little puppet go any time soon. We are stuck with the little rat. ---
**Author:** ![This\_Just\_In\_2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@This\_Just\_In\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/This_Just_In_2)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2012, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-january-2012/608131/139 "2012-01-27T18:58:54Z")
I personally dislike going a week without any hockey at this time of the year - but at least most of the Canucks get to take a break. Seems like they need it lately. I’m disappointed that Chara picked Cody Hodgson to be on his team of rookies. Hodgson doesn’t deserve to be associated with Team Guin. [Hodgson for the Calder!](http://sports.nationalpost.com/2012/01/23/canucks-cody-hodgson-making-case-for-calder-trophy/) ---
**Author:** ![Jman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jman/32/4416_2.png) [@Jman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jman)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2012, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-january-2012/608131/140 "2012-01-30T04:11:24Z")
Well, I missed the all-star game today, but I did get to see the Skills Competition. Damn…Chara with a 108.8 MPH shot! Stamkos’ one shootout goal was also just extremely sick. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-january-2012/608131.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nhl-january-2012/608131.md?page=8)