[Report] Dylan McIlrath suspended 2 preseason games, 2 regular season games

[-Vintage Canuck-]

[-AJ-]

Looks unfortunate more than intentional to me, albeit still illegal.

[VegasCanuck]

I'm just not sure why this is 2 preseason and 2 regular season games and a cross check to the face, is only worth 1 preseason game.

[Dazzle]

22 minutes ago, -AJ- said:

Looks unfortunate more than intentional to me, albeit still illegal.

True. It was a poorly timed hit. At the same time, there has to be responsibility for the players not to put themselves in vulnerable situations. What's with the sudden stoppage as he poked the puck? Seemed like he had given up possession of the puck to avoid physical contact, except that he was now in no-mans land. I think there needs to be more education/awareness for plays like this. Players should not put themselves in vulnerable situations.

[Dazzle]

3 minutes ago, VegasCanuck said:

I'm just not sure why this is 2 preseason and 2 regular season games and a cross check to the face, is only worth 1 preseason game.

Because it was against Boston.

2 preseason + 2 regular season seems a bit excessive. Don't know why there are two or more standards to how punishments are doled out...

[stawns]

I dunno about this league

[Bure_of_94]

Lol when you look at it in slow motion it looks like he hit his sternum. Oh well that just means he’ll be out for the season opener (Revenge Night2) vs the Rangers. 

[goalie13]

Same response as in the other suspension thread.

 

If the league wants to get rid of these predatory shots to the head, then the penalty should start at a minimum 5 games.

[-DLC-]

Damn, too bad.....his Aunt is a friend of mine (she lives on the Island).  I've always kind of followed his journey/progress in the NHL...he's had some injury issues and I'm sure he's not wanting to sit out but "it is what it is".  A big boy, I was always hoping he'd maybe land here.

[Ghostsof1915]

14 hours ago, VegasCanuck said:

I'm just not sure why this is 2 preseason and 2 regular season games and a cross check to the face, is only worth 1 preseason game.

Busta deal,

Spin the wheel.

[hammertime]

I dunno man the boston player changed his direction of travel at the last moment leaping back to try to escape the check. Had he just kept moving forward this would have been shoulder to shoulder. Hit didn't seem predatory at all. Just kind of an unfortunate incident. 

[Twilight Sparkle]

y'all would be singing a different tune if the roles were reversed

 

[SilentSam]

Had the Boston player not let up it would have been a perfect hit, that’s where the timing and and angles changed.

This was not an intentional hit to the head, it was a hit to the head because the Boston player changed his positing and put his head at the point of impact where his torso was originally going to be.

Easy to break down a play that’s probably recorded at 100 frames per second.. not so easy to change your trajectory in the 10th of a second the DOS is talking about.

 

Hard to ask the Washington player to soften his impact and angle when he has committed to it,  giving up on a commitment to hit usually results in injury to himself 

 

rarely will the league ever get it right.

[timberz21]

Agree that the player put himself in a vulnerable position.  I think McIlrath could've laid off, he knew the guy was poking at the puck and not really in full control.  The hit a bit late and for that he deserved punishment, but I believe the hit to the head part there has to be responsibility on the player putting himself in that position also.

 

I don't mind the suspension, but I hope they will be consistent all year.  IMO after seeing this, if every hit to the head isn't an automatic 2 games suspension from now on, then there is something I don't understand.

[Alflives]

This guy is a big clumsy goof of a player.  The league could resolve a lot of these ‘fly by’ types of hits if they implement a rule where the checking player needs to make a play on the puck.  

[IBatch]

29 minutes ago, Alflives said:

This guy is a big clumsy goof of a player.  The league could resolve a lot of these ‘fly by’ types of hits if they implement a rule where the checking player needs to make a play on the puck.  

I think they've gone as far as they need too.   Actually a little too far.   Accidental contact occurs all the time, hitting has already been cut down to the point where they are counting finishing a check as hits now.   It's supposed to be part of the sport, two players going after the puck, either should be allowed to hit the other without been worried about getting a suspension or during the bubble in Myers case, a penalty. 

[IBatch]

41 minutes ago, timberz21 said:

Agree that the player put himself in a vulnerable position.  I think McIlrath could've laid off, he knew the guy was poking at the puck and not really in full control.  The hit a bit late and for that he deserved punishment, but I believe the hit to the head part there has to be responsibility on the player putting himself in that position also.

 

I don't mind the suspension, but I hope they will be consistent all year.  IMO after seeing this, if every hit to the head isn't an automatic 2 games suspension from now on, then there is something I don't understand.

 

Agreed.   Some of the suspensions with these hits are just vague.   And all over the place.   Feel that they need to a better job providing a standard the players can understand.    McIrath could have flattened him outright but didn't.   Part of these things occur because players are holding back.   It's bad for the NHL product and men's hockey in general.    Hitting used to be an art form.   When's the last time we've seen a hip check or any for that matter, that sends a player head over heels or 20 feet into the boards?    Player safety matters but the type of money they get and the insurance etc - well let's just say i miss how hockey used to be.    Take any era and remove one pass essentially and the red line - and the game would have speeded right up.   Bobby Hull is still considered one of the top ten fastest guys all time .... now it's faster mostly from taking that part of the game away, which is great, but they've also taken away hitting as an art form as well.   When Peca is barely six feet, and 185lbs soaking wet, and destroying guys when the league was at its peak and every second guy was a behemoth .... i miss that part.   Lindros would be absolutely unstoppable in today's game, as would Bure, Kariya, Selanne - even Roenick. 

[GB5]

In full speed it looked like Fogerty ducked the hit but I think the problem was that the play had moved on and McIlrath didn't let up or even bother to change direction or change his gaze. He was locked in on one thing and was head hunting.