[Suspension] Raffi Torres Gets 25 Games

[hockeyville88]

Shocking.

Very excessive IMO but I think if it's one thing the NHL has zero tolerance for it's repeat offenders. This isn't the first time they've shown that.

[-Vintage Canuck-]

Worst. Suspension. Ever. (Comic Book guy voice)

[dajusta]

Wow......

Supplementary discipline required as he is a repeat offender but bumping Raffi's hit on Hossa into the same category as Bert's transgression is bloody ridiculous, IMO.

That said, the precedent has now been set and Shanahan better stick to it from now on for every subsequent similar on-ice incident if only to highlight the sheer ludicrousness of this latest sanction from on high.

That whole Keith on Daniel thing of deliberate head hunting and lack of adequate sanctions has me infuriated all over again. Not to mention the Weber smashing Zetterberg's face into the boards incident and the mere fine as a sanction.

U.N.B.E.L.I.E.V.A.B.L.E.

[mau5trap]

The NHL has become a joke. I really like Hossa and have loved his play for many years, since he was with OTT. I wish him a full recovery, but this is an embarrassment. Shanahan has lost all respect. Ridiculous.

[Mad Cow Disease]

The sad thing is.. this is a message to Torres, not the rest of the players in the league. Repeat offender hitting a star player = kiss your playoffs goodbye!

If some player did the exact same thing next week, no way is he going to get 25 games.

[Ghostsof1915]

Doesn't that also mean the injury to Hossa is worth twice as much as he is likely gone for the playoffs? I really don't buy into playoff games being worth more as you're also injuring a player for the playoffs. Where there is no injury I can see a little lighter penalty for the playoffs. But not in the case of a serious injury. As far I'm concerned Torres got what he deserved. Particularly when considering his history.

Shanny has said in hindsight he should have suspended Weber. He didn't because Weber had no history and the player wasn't injured. He admittedly dropped the ball on that one.

[hsedin33]

Does anyone know exactly what kind of injury Hossa sustained? (no speculating please)

[Ghostsof1915]

This is from Thursday:

CHICAGO -- Marian Hossa's physical condition has not changed since being released from a hospital emergency room Tuesday night.

The Chicago Blackhawks' star forward was knocked to the ice on a check in the neutral zone by Phoenix Coyotes forward Raffi Torres in Game 3 of a Western Conference Quarterfinal series at the United Center and taken off on a stretcher.

He left the hospital under his own power, but is said to have an upper body injury and will not play in Game 4 Thursday night. His prognosis for any further games is also unknown, as Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville is keeping information on it closely guarded.

"There's no change," Quenneville said after Thursday's morning skate. "Spoke to him yesterday and he's feeling the same as the last two days. I'm not going to go any further with it than where we are today."

[Baggins]

Dropping the ball is like saying it was a slight engineering oversight on the Titanic that the watertight bulkheads only when up to a certain height. So on a hockey play, and a late hit gets 25 games because of a players "reputation". But a play that has no business in hockey with what Weber did (I admit he was provoked) gets $2500.

As Pacino said In Justice For All. There's something really wrong here....

[NZCanuck]

First offense (Weber) with no injury versus seventh offense (Torres) with several injuries. See a difference???

[Bodee]

that was a load of BS.

1. Torres did not leave his feet he had one foot on the ice and did not jump at all

2. He did not target the head at all. it was a shoulder to the chest

Shanahan is just using torres as an example only because he is a repeat offender

[Bodee]

I think I'm going to puke. A borderline hit warrants a 25 game suspension?? Shame on the NHL, I think Shanny was forced in to this sentence. Two refs saw this at real speed and chose not to give even 2 minutes, how could it possibly be so heinous an act that Raffi gets half a season????? Brutal.

[Bodee]

Third head shot suspension this year alone. Seventh of his career!

I cannot believe so many here think it's excessive. Torres seems incapable of learning from his past.

[Cindilette]

Again....FIRST offense versus SEVENTH offense.

I don't know why this is so tough for you guys to understand. That's the real joke here.

[Real deal - Stan Smyl]

"A borderline hit"................. did you even watch the whole video?

[Boudrias]

The video shows that Torres broke 3 major rulse and is a repeated offender by 5 accounts.

[Standing_Tall#37]

He broke 3 major rules? Do you believe that because that is what they told you?

- 0.3 second late hit is BS. Say 1 second to yourself and then take 2/3s of that time away to clarify the process.

- Hossa was facing Torres so he was not blindsided

- Both men play at roughly equal weight. Who was going to hurt who? If it had been Kane then was Torres to cut his speed by 3/4, 1/2, 1/4 to ensure that Kane wasn't hurt? Again BS. What next will the NHL send reps into dressing rooms after games to determine possible injuries for supplimental discipline?

- the only call to determine was whether Torres left his feet on purpose or through the force of the hit. That was the only call to be made. If the ref standing 10 feet away couldn't determine that then I guess the slo-mo guys in the TV room can. What a joke!

* To top all this BS off I saw at least five hits yesteerday that would warrant suspensions based on what Torres did. Guess what, no suspensions. What does all this tell you?

[EmployeeoftheMonth]

It wasn't Keith's FIRST time hitting someone in the head. He has done it at least 3 times. But his hit on Danny was the FIRST time he got a suspension.

Just because it's your "first time offense" doesn't mean you get special treatment. As far as I see it, Keith's hit on Danny was far worst because he had EVERY intention of hitting Danny in the head.

Just like someone used the example of first time murderers. They killed one person for the very first time so does that mean they just get a slap in the wrist?

Face it: 5 games was a slap in the wrist. He got special treatment because he is an all-star defenceman.

[blue.tactics]

The League really needs to step it up a notch.

Yes, Raffi is a repeat offender, but the consistency with what's being dealt with is just appalling.

[unbridled_id]

You`re right it doesn`t mean Keith gets special treatment it meant he got normal treatment. The people who get special treatment are the guys who just can`t seem to get it through their skulls that they need to stop with the garbage hits like Torres. Torres gets special treatment because this is the third time he`s been talked to this season; which doesn`t even start to get into prior to this season.

Face it: 5 games was more than fair for a guy who has no record. He got no special treatment he just got in trouble.

It`s funny how arse backwards some people thinking is. They go on and on about special treatment for certain players and then say something silly like repeat offenders shouldn`t get a harsher punishment.

I seriously think most people here just want to disagree with an authority figure simply because they are an authority figure. The hit was garbage and he`s been in trouble several times this season alone. It really is that black and white. I mean one can argue the number of games to an extent but some of the comparisons being made in this thread are out right ridiculous.