alfstonker Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 Vancouver Canucks: Brandon Prust Explains His Stance on Fighting August 12, 2015, 1:37 PM ET [50 Comments] Carol Schram Vancouver Canucks Blogger • RSS • Archive • CONTACT If you're interested in getting to know more about new Canucks acquisition Brandon Prust, there's plenty of material available for your offseason consumption. Prust has an active Twitter account which features plenty of summer charity appearances, as well as a cameo in the Goon movie sequel which was shot last week: Prust also has an entire chapter dedicated to him in Bob McKenzie's recent book "Hockey Confidential." And, of course, he's a key figure in Season 1 of the reality show "Hockey Wives" alongside his now-fiancee Maripier Morin. The show is in summer reruns on the W Network and online. I came across this piece over at The Players' Tribune site yesterday, written by Prust in late February. The title: "Why We Fight." In addition to giving some background on how he used fighting and a stubborn work ethic to make his way into the NHL, he also goes into some detail about the idea that "fighting keeps the game safe." During a close game against Anaheim midway through last season, Prust had to decide whether or not to pick a fight after Max Pacioretty got pasted into the glass and was knocked out of the game. I couldn’t let it go. I went after the player who hit him and tried to get my fight. Now, I’m not a guy to chirp a lot. I mean, I’ll tell guys to shut the eff up and all that, but I’m not one to go after guys’ feelings and whatnot. My thing is, if you want to go, you want to go. There’s no point in making fun of each other’s moms out here. We can settle it a certain way. Luckily, I got my fight that night. I had to let the league know you can’t take runs at our best players. There's a lot more in the story about Prust's fighting philosophy, "the code" and how enforcers treat each other on the ice. It's well worth a read. But it's leaving me conflicted. On the weekend, I finished reading the Derek Boogaard biography "Boy on Ice," which paints a devastating picture of the consequences of fighting. The overall structure of the book leaves a bit to be desired, but the author paints a vivid picture of the rough-and-tumble Western Hockey League in the first 100 pages and opens up a lot of questions about the effectiveness of the NHL's substance abuse program during the last quarter of the book. It's worth a read if you're interested in learning more about the inner workings of how teams deal with players' injuries and off-ice issues. Also, for Canuck content: Boogaard's last coach in the WHL before he started his pro career was Willie Desjardins—he played a total of 73 games over two seasons with the Medicine Hat Tigers. And Boogaard's last coach in the NHL was John Tortorella. He managed just 22 games with the New York Rangers during the last season of his life; suffice to say, his time with Torts did not go well. The more we learn about the consequences of brain trauma, the more I wonder whether there shouldn't be another way to police the game. Do players really pass up hits that could cause injury to their opponents because they fear potential repercussions? If you look at the stats on HockeyFights.com, you'll see a clear downward trend on fighting in the NHL, especially in recent years. The site has kept track of fights since the beginning of the millennium and shows that fighting peaked in 2001-02 when 348 players (roughly half the players in the league) fought 803 times. Last season, fighting hit its lowest frequency yet, with just 276 players fighting 391 times—more than 50 percent of that peak number above. (And yes, it still makes me chuckle that Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Dan Hamhuis have their names included on last year's fighting list.) Last season, there were eight fights in the entire playoffs. Five of them happened in Vancouver's powderkeg series with Calgary, and Prust was involved in one of the three others—squaring off against Braydon Coburn of the Tampa Bay Lightning at the end of Game 2 of the Canadiens' second-round playoff series after being challenged for running Lightning goalie Ben Bishop. That's the incident where Prust accused referee Brad Watson of insulting him inappropriately and being overly heavy-handed in giving him 27 minutes in penalties.Click here for a reminder of what went down that night, from Jen Neale at Yahoo's Puck Daddy. Prust was ultimately fined $5,000 for that incident. I wonder whether it'll follow him among the officiating fraternity this season in the same way that Alex Burrows' reputation seemed to be affected after he called out referee Stephane Auger back in 2010. Burrows was fined $2,500 for that incident. I'm interested to see if the tag team of Prust and Derek Dorsett will truly create the "safe working environment" for the Sedins and Vancouver's young players that Jim Benning is anticipating. I expect fighting to continue to drop around the league, yet somehow I think we'll still see plenty of guys square off at Canucks games next season.Part of me wants to stay involved in the game, and part of me wants to get revenge. I’m sitting on the bench thinking, “Okay, I could let this go, but what happens when the rest of the league sees that hit and we don’t do anything about it?” http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Carol-Schram/Vancouver-Canucks-Brandon-Prust-Explains-His-Stance-on-Fighting/194/70415 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bissurnette Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 Love Prust's (and Dorsett's) attitude towards this. They're definitely not goons trying to bully everyone on the ice. They work hard and generally play an honest game and only fight when they need to. You have to respect that. Keeps the players we're playing against honest and helps our team play with more emotion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bissurnette Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 I also would like to add that players like Prust police the game more than the refs in some cases Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outsiders Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 Prust is a beauty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fanuck Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 Be clear, fighting isn't down because players don't want to fight anymore, it's down because American TV executives are running the NHL as much as the owners are practically. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexandre Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 Prust was quite noticeable last playoffs. Looking forward to his first season with the Nucks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billabong Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 prust-vey-dorsett i like prust and dorsett as 4th line wingers because what you see is what you get but vey is a horrible fit on that line so it might effect that lines potential as a whole Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lockhart Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 Still want someone that can be in the top 6 or top 4 that is a true heavyweight. I like how Lucic fights, he doesn't "ask" players to fight, he just grabs them and starts pounding (something we've really lacked the last few years) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desiboynux4lifee******* Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 Honestly, the trade with Kassian still stings, and if Kassian becomes the powerforward next year and nabs 35 point than no matter what Prust does it will never come close to Kassian because the fans will be watching Kassian's production closely. We know what Prust is going to give us, a couple of heroic blocks, some hits, some penalties, some penalty kills, some goals, but if Kassian turns into the power-forward oh boy oh boy,then Prust will have a tough time in Vancity. In short, if Kassain stumbles next year than Prust can be the hero otherwise tough luck and good-luck filling those shoes. Personally, I don't see Kassian stumbling next year, I see him nabbing 30+ points for Montreal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baumerman77 Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 Who cares about scoring goals and preventing them when we can watch fights... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonMexico Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 Honestly, the trade with Kassian still stings, and if Kassian becomes the powerforward next year and nabs 35 point than no matter what Prust does it will never come close to Kassian because the fans will be watching Kassian's production closely. We know what Prust is going to give us, a couple of heroic blocks, some hits, some penalties, some penalty kills, some goals, but if Kassian turns into the power-forward oh boy oh boy,then Prust will have a tough time in Vancity. In short, if Kassain stumbles next year than Prust can be the hero otherwise tough luck and good-luck filling those shoes. Personally, I don't see Kassian stumbling next year, I see him nabbing 30+ points for Montreal. If all Prust does is show up and play, he will have already surpassed Kassian's previous contributions to the Canucks lineup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cyoung Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 Honestly, the trade with Kassian still stings, and if Kassian becomes the powerforward next year and nabs 35 point than no matter what Prust does it will never come close to Kassian because the fans will be watching Kassian's production closely. We know what Prust is going to give us, a couple of heroic blocks, some hits, some penalties, some penalty kills, some goals, but if Kassian turns into the power-forward oh boy oh boy,then Prust will have a tough time in Vancity. In short, if Kassain stumbles next year than Prust can be the hero otherwise tough luck and good-luck filling those shoes. Personally, I don't see Kassian stumbling next year, I see him nabbing 30+ points for Montreal. You are giving kassian more credit then he earned, sure he had flashes but he also from what I heard had some really bad problems off ice. With that being said he needed a change in scenery and regardless of how good he does, kassian couldn't stay here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crabcakes Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 Kassian was moved for his lack of character imo. Benning is building a team with character. How many times have you heard him say that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Me_ Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 Still want someone that can be in the top 6 or top 4 that is a true heavyweight. I like how Lucic fights, he doesn't "ask" players to fight, he just grabs them and starts pounding (something we've really lacked the last few years) Next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
combover Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 Prust on his role ...the Reality Limited Minimal Short term. And A waste of a young asset. I look forward to see his one goal this season and 3 minutes of ice time per game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alflives Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 Vancouver Canucks: Brandon Prust Explains His Stance on Fighting August 12, 2015, 1:37 PM ET [50 Comments] Carol Schram Vancouver Canucks Blogger • RSS • Archive • CONTACT If you're interested in getting to know more about new Canucks acquisition Brandon Prust, there's plenty of material available for your offseason consumption. Prust has an active Twitter account which features plenty of summer charity appearances, as well as a cameo in the Goon movie sequel which was shot last week: Prust also has an entire chapter dedicated to him in Bob McKenzie's recent book "Hockey Confidential." And, of course, he's a key figure in Season 1 of the reality show "Hockey Wives" alongside his now-fiancee Maripier Morin. The show is in summer reruns on the W Network and online. I came across this piece over at The Players' Tribune site yesterday, written by Prust in late February. The title: "Why We Fight." In addition to giving some background on how he used fighting and a stubborn work ethic to make his way into the NHL, he also goes into some detail about the idea that "fighting keeps the game safe." During a close game against Anaheim midway through last season, Prust had to decide whether or not to pick a fight after Max Pacioretty got pasted into the glass and was knocked out of the game. I couldn’t let it go. I went after the player who hit him and tried to get my fight. Now, I’m not a guy to chirp a lot. I mean, I’ll tell guys to shut the eff up and all that, but I’m not one to go after guys’ feelings and whatnot. My thing is, if you want to go, you want to go. There’s no point in making fun of each other’s moms out here. We can settle it a certain way. Luckily, I got my fight that night. I had to let the league know you can’t take runs at our best players. There's a lot more in the story about Prust's fighting philosophy, "the code" and how enforcers treat each other on the ice. It's well worth a read. But it's leaving me conflicted. On the weekend, I finished reading the Derek Boogaard biography "Boy on Ice," which paints a devastating picture of the consequences of fighting. The overall structure of the book leaves a bit to be desired, but the author paints a vivid picture of the rough-and-tumble Western Hockey League in the first 100 pages and opens up a lot of questions about the effectiveness of the NHL's substance abuse program during the last quarter of the book. It's worth a read if you're interested in learning more about the inner workings of how teams deal with players' injuries and off-ice issues. Also, for Canuck content: Boogaard's last coach in the WHL before he started his pro career was Willie Desjardins—he played a total of 73 games over two seasons with the Medicine Hat Tigers. And Boogaard's last coach in the NHL was John Tortorella. He managed just 22 games with the New York Rangers during the last season of his life; suffice to say, his time with Torts did not go well. The more we learn about the consequences of brain trauma, the more I wonder whether there shouldn't be another way to police the game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alflives Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 Vancouver Canucks: Brandon Prust Explains His Stance on Fighting August 12, 2015, 1:37 PM ET [50 Comments] Carol Schram Vancouver Canucks Blogger • RSS • Archive • CONTACT If you're interested in getting to know more about new Canucks acquisition Brandon Prust, there's plenty of material available for your offseason consumption. Prust has an active Twitter account which features plenty of summer charity appearances, as well as a cameo in the Goon movie sequel which was shot last week: Prust also has an entire chapter dedicated to him in Bob McKenzie's recent book "Hockey Confidential." And, of course, he's a key figure in Season 1 of the reality show "Hockey Wives" alongside his now-fiancee Maripier Morin. The show is in summer reruns on the W Network and online. I came across this piece over at The Players' Tribune site yesterday, written by Prust in late February. The title: "Why We Fight." In addition to giving some background on how he used fighting and a stubborn work ethic to make his way into the NHL, he also goes into some detail about the idea that "fighting keeps the game safe." During a close game against Anaheim midway through last season, Prust had to decide whether or not to pick a fight after Max Pacioretty got pasted into the glass and was knocked out of the game. I couldn’t let it go. I went after the player who hit him and tried to get my fight. Now, I’m not a guy to chirp a lot. I mean, I’ll tell guys to shut the eff up and all that, but I’m not one to go after guys’ feelings and whatnot. My thing is, if you want to go, you want to go. There’s no point in making fun of each other’s moms out here. We can settle it a certain way. Luckily, I got my fight that night. I had to let the league know you can’t take runs at our best players. There's a lot more in the story about Prust's fighting philosophy, "the code" and how enforcers treat each other on the ice. It's well worth a read. But it's leaving me conflicted. On the weekend, I finished reading the Derek Boogaard biography "Boy on Ice," which paints a devastating picture of the consequences of fighting. The overall structure of the book leaves a bit to be desired, but the author paints a vivid picture of the rough-and-tumble Western Hockey League in the first 100 pages and opens up a lot of questions about the effectiveness of the NHL's substance abuse program during the last quarter of the book. It's worth a read if you're interested in learning more about the inner workings of how teams deal with players' injuries and off-ice issues. Also, for Canuck content: Boogaard's last coach in the WHL before he started his pro career was Willie Desjardins—he played a total of 73 games over two seasons with the Medicine Hat Tigers. And Boogaard's last coach in the NHL was John Tortorella. He managed just 22 games with the New York Rangers during the last season of his life; suffice to say, his time with Torts did not go well. The more we learn about the consequences of brain trauma, the more I wonder whether there shouldn't be another way to police the game. Do players really pass up hits that could cause injury to their opponents because they fear potential repercussions? If you look at the stats on HockeyFights.com, you'll see a clear downward trend on fighting in the NHL, especially in recent years. The site has kept track of fights since the beginning of the millennium and shows that fighting peaked in 2001-02 when 348 players (roughly half the players in the league) fought 803 times. Last season, fighting hit its lowest frequency yet, with just 276 players fighting 391 times—more than 50 percent of that peak number above. (And yes, it still makes me chuckle that Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Dan Hamhuis have their names included on last year's fighting list.) Last season, there were eight fights in the entire playoffs. Five of them happened in Vancouver's powderkeg series with Calgary, and Prust was involved in one of the three others—squaring off against Braydon Coburn of the Tampa Bay Lightning at the end of Game 2 of the Canadiens' second-round playoff series after being challenged for running Lightning goalie Ben Bishop. That's the incident where Prust accused referee Brad Watson of insulting him inappropriately and being overly heavy-handed in giving him 27 minutes in penalties.Click here for a reminder of what went down that night, from Jen Neale at Yahoo's Puck Daddy. Prust was ultimately fined $5,000 for that incident. I wonder whether it'll follow him among the officiating fraternity this season in the same way that Alex Burrows' reputation seemed to be affected after he called out referee Stephane Auger back in 2010. Burrows was fined $2,500 for that incident. I'm interested to see if the tag team of Prust and Derek Dorsett will truly create the "safe working environment" for the Sedins and Vancouver's young players that Jim Benning is anticipating. I expect fighting to continue to drop around the league, yet somehow I think we'll still see plenty of guys square off at Canucks games next season.Part of me wants to stay involved in the game, and part of me wants to get revenge. I’m sitting on the bench thinking, “Okay, I could let this go, but what happens when the rest of the league sees that hit and we don’t do anything about it?” http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Carol-Schram/Vancouver-Canucks-Brandon-Prust-Explains-His-Stance-on-Fighting/194/70415 I read this, and noticed its source: Hockey Buzz. Why bring that here? Prust stands up for his teammates. We knew this. Kassian did not. We knew this too. That's why Prust is in and Kassian is out. IMO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mpt Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 This was posted weeks ago Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patchoball Cannons Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 I also would like to add that players like Prust police the game more than the refs in some cases Refs in the NHL don't police games, they manage them. they manage them all the way to the cup presentation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Positive Canuck Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 Prust will be way better than Kassian was for us, i wanted to believe in the kid as much as anyone but he wasted 3 years of the canucks time with his off ice problems. good riddance. Maybe this will trade will wake him up but Montreal is 100x the party city as Vancouver is, good luck Zack. Welcome to the Canucks Brandon Prust, play hard and you'll be a fan favorite by xmas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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