Fire Peter Chiarelli
by Derek Zona on Jan 9, 2012 8:00 PM MST
in Miscellaneous
Email
PrintIn homage to the brilliant Fire Joe Morgan:
In response to Brad Marchand's clip of Sami Salo, Brendan Shanahan issued a five-game suspension to Marchand and posted the following video on NHL.com
In response to Shanahan's response, the Boston Bruins released this statement today:
Statement from Bruins General Manager Peter Chiarelli Regarding Suspension to Brad Marchand
The Bruins have attained a level of self-importance so great that they now feel it's necessary that their opinions become widely-distributed official press releases. Most teams whine behind closed doors or hijack a question during a press conference to complain about a league ruling or an official's decision, not the Bruins.
While we respect the process that the Department of Player Safety took to reach their decision regarding Brad’s hit on Sami Salo, we are very disappointed by their ruling.
Ah, the classic, "I'm not saying, I'm just saying..." opening.
While we understand that the Department of Safety is an evolving entity, it is frustrating that there are clear comparable situations that have not been penalized or sanctioned in the past.
In fact, many of those comparable situations involved Bruins committing questionable acts over a number of years. At no point in those past years have any of their players been suspended for those questionable acts. Other than a one-game suspension for Milan Lucic for his hit on Zach Rinadlo this season, at no time were they informed that the league placed their team and players on a level playing field with the other twenty-nine NHL franchises, so they were stunned to learn that Bruins were eligible for multi-game suspensions.
It is equally disappointing that Brad sought the counsel of the Department this past Fall for an explanation and clarification regarding this type of scenario so as to adjust his game if necessary.
The rest of the NHL and the men behind QMJHL education policy find it disappointing as well. Was Marchand not capable of comprehending the explanations in the multitude of videos distributed by the league prior to the season?
He was advised that such an incident was not sanctionable if he was protecting his own safety.
The Bruins were very happy at that time. It was their understanding that they were given special information. Brad spoke with the league about dirty hits and they gave him an excuse for his dirty play in advance...
Given our feeling that Brad was indeed protecting himself...
...and Brad chose to use that excuse in defense of this dirty play. The Bruins are beside themselves that their plan was ruined by Brendan Shanahan's inability to play ball.
...and certainly did not clip the player as he contacted the player nowhere near the knee or quadricep...
Certainly not. Not that Marchand didn't try to take out Salo's knees on the hit, but he got far too low to hit him anywhere near the knees or quadriceps once Salo turned away, as all players do in self-defense.
...today’s ruling is not consistent with what the Department of Player Safety communicated to Brad.
The Bruins are outraged that they no longer hold special status with the NHL's Operations Group. They were given an excuse to use in just this situation and it didn't work. The Bruins aren't being treated the same way they were under Colin Campbell and that makes them angry.
69 comments
|
11 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
All good points. My cynicism compels me to think Chiarelli isn’t going to “get it” until there’s at least another incident – and there will be one.
Devils in my heart! Devils in my mind! Devils in my eyes! Devils until I die!
In Lou We Trust - The New Jersey Devils SBN Blog
by John Fischer on Jan 9, 2012 8:08 PM MST via Android app reply actions
Given the way the team plays, I can’t disagree.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Chairelli isnt paid to “get it”. Part of the unwritten contract of all GMs and Coaches (especially Coaches) is to pretend that their players are always maligned and treated unfairly by the League. Chiarelli and the Bruins just took the normal annoying approach – complain to the media – one step further and put in on official Bruins letterhead.
Glen Sather is a Hockey Genius.
http://twitter.com/ThGeneralissimo
http://twitter.com/PopsTwitTar
It’s worse though. It’s looking a gift horse in the mouth. The reaction should have been “oh well, it was a great run under Colin”
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
I don’t see how you can even attempt to argue this hit as not worthy of a suspension.
And the hit was nowhere near the knee/quadricep? That’s exactly where he hit him. Come on Chiarelli, smarten up.
In theory, there is little difference between practice and theory, but in practice there is!
Tactical contributor to the Copper & Blue and just as boring on the twitters... @dawgbone98
I’d love to know where Chiarelli thinks he hit him.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
I bet Chiarelli consulted with Dr. Recchi to make sure he got the anatomy correct.
by Roke on Jan 9, 2012 8:57 PM MST up reply actions 4 recs
Maybe he was just protecting himself the same way Lucic protected himself when Ryan Miller was trying to take him out.
by gvblackhawk on Jan 9, 2012 8:14 PM MST reply actions 9 recs
I didn’t realize until this video that the exact same play happened what, 5 seconds, with the same players before this incident and Marchand did exactly what every player is taught to do the first time.
What an appalling player.
worse yet
the little bugger punches Salo to the head TWICE as Salo honourably completely ignores his punk ass and does not react
by Beantown Canuck on Jan 9, 2012 8:26 PM MST up reply actions
I kind of can’t believe that Chiarelli would have the balls to challenge the league office on suspensions. Ol’ Colin would definitely squelch that kind of dissent by doubling the next one against that particular team.
Driving Play - The Blog with Three First Lines
I kind of can’t believe that Chiarelli would have the balls to challenge the league office on suspensions. Ol’ Colin would definitely squelch that kind of dissent by doubling the next one against that particular team.
And send a note or two to some referees about paying attention to this team.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
It’s especially stupid given his team’s position in the standings. It’s not like they are on the fringes of a playoff spot and losing Marchand for 5 games is a big blow.
Driving Play - The Blog with Three First Lines
Soooo it wasn't a hockey play? ;)
Well put, Derek.
Gotta think the league responds to that, in some manner.
Kevin van Steendelaar
http://www.twitter.com/kvansteendelaar
but don't forget...
http://www.twitter.com/HabsEOTP
by Kevin van Steendelaar on Jan 9, 2012 8:40 PM MST via mobile reply actions
Shanahan should put out a .gif of Marchand’s contact point on Salo’s leg.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
I can see why the Bruins are upset if Marchand went to the league and asked about this hit on Daniel Sedin (for which he was not suspended), and they told him it was just fine going forward.
The biggest fanana of the Havana Bananas.
You can tell that’s what the crux of the argument is – the league must’ve said that kind of play is fine as long as the opposing player is making a concerted effort to check Marchand. But it didn’t believe that Salo was going to do that, Marchand and the Bruins disagreed, and for the first time in years the Bruins didn’t get the benefit of the doubt on a suspension.
Driving Play - The Blog with Three First Lines
One of the differences is that hit on Sedin was on the hip, which is legal.
In theory, there is little difference between practice and theory, but in practice there is!
Tactical contributor to the Copper & Blue and just as boring on the twitters... @dawgbone98
You can throw the hit when you are in possession of the puck.
In theory, there is little difference between practice and theory, but in practice there is!
Tactical contributor to the Copper & Blue and just as boring on the twitters... @dawgbone98
You can throw a hit when you have possession of the puck? I thought the point of a hit was to seperate a player from the puck. How is it legal to lay a hit on a player when you have the puck?
Of course you can. You can protect the puck with your body. Whatever you can do to a player who has the puck, you can do it as the player with the puck.
It’s like when Torres would have the puck along the boards, and throw his shoulder into a guy who went in after it.
In theory, there is little difference between practice and theory, but in practice there is!
Tactical contributor to the Copper & Blue and just as boring on the twitters... @dawgbone98
The actual point of contact looks to be the hip in the Salo hit as well. When Shanahan pauses the video, contact hasn’t yet been made. Marchand then moves up to make the hit and hits on the blue of his hockey pants. At least, that’s how it looks to me.
The biggest fanana of the Havana Bananas.
by Scott Reynolds on Jan 9, 2012 11:00 PM MST up reply actions
What’s the difference between the two hits?
The biggest fanana of the Havana Bananas.
by Scott Reynolds on Jan 9, 2012 11:01 PM MST up reply actions
One is hip on hip. The other is hip on back of the knee, and only back of the knee because Salo is able to turn away from him. If didn’t have time to do so, Marchand would’ve shredded his knees.
Freeze frame the two videos. Look at Marchand’s positioning against Salo. He’s so much lower to the ice.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Yeah, we just disagree on this. I think Shanahan picked the lowest point to freeze, and it’s before the point of contact.
The biggest fanana of the Havana Bananas.
by Scott Reynolds on Jan 9, 2012 11:38 PM MST up reply actions
That said, this is clearly a dangerous hit. The league would probably be better to just say it’s illegal.
The biggest fanana of the Havana Bananas.
by Scott Reynolds on Jan 9, 2012 11:39 PM MST up reply actions
Well, if it's illegal, then he should be punished for it, right?
We may be in the box, but you get the penalty.
Lighthouse Hockey - a beacon of greatness on the rocky coast of sports blog mediocrity
Non-hockey scribblings at nightflyblog
Right. But it’s not illegal (yet). It’s just dangerous. And because the league wants to punish dangerous hits, they found an illegal hit that it’s similar to and punished it like that even though that’s not what Marchand actually did.
The biggest fanana of the Havana Bananas.
by Scott Reynolds on Jan 10, 2012 11:04 AM MST up reply actions
Scott is arguing (properly) semantics.
His view is that he didn’t hit at or below the knee, which is what defines clipping.
In theory, there is little difference between practice and theory, but in practice there is!
Tactical contributor to the Copper & Blue and just as boring on the twitters... @dawgbone98
He freezes it at contact. The only reason the hit wasn’t catastrophic is because Salo recognized what was happened and began to spin out of it.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Eyes are weird. Seems pretty clear to me that the pause at the 40-second mark is before contact is actually made.
The biggest fanana of the Havana Bananas.
by Scott Reynolds on Jan 10, 2012 8:13 AM MST up reply actions
At the point of contact, Salo is basically sitting on Marchand’s back, so he’s well below the hip.
In theory, there is little difference between practice and theory, but in practice there is!
Tactical contributor to the Copper & Blue and just as boring on the twitters... @dawgbone98
And yet (though I acknowledge this is not the opinion of everyone) still above the knees. Anf if it’s above the knees, I can understand Marchand’s distaste at being called for clipping.
The biggest fanana of the Havana Bananas.
by Scott Reynolds on Jan 10, 2012 9:46 AM MST up reply actions
Why isn’t Clipping defined as below the hip instead of at or below the knee? Seems to me that there is just as much potential for harm taking someone out with your body at the thigh as there is at the knee.
I agree with you. They should definitely change the rule.
The biggest fanana of the Havana Bananas.
by Scott Reynolds on Jan 10, 2012 12:48 PM MST up reply actions
This was extremely well explained by Shanahan. After a couple of seasons and a whole repository of cases to draw from, I anticipate that the league will start using precedents in their communications to justify suspension lenghts.
It’s as if their getting legal council or something. How novel.
That and the inmates are no longer running this wing of the asylum.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
I will admit I liked Julien’s comments about the incident. Vignault spouting off on this issue is almost as bad as Chiarelli.
In theory, there is little difference between practice and theory, but in practice there is!
Tactical contributor to the Copper & Blue and just as boring on the twitters... @dawgbone98
Marchand's Blog
Did anyone see Marchand’s blog where he states that the NHL & Shanahan don’t know hockey and that he doesn’t care what his reputation is.
http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/bruins/post/_/id/8545/marchand-diary-on-canucks-vigneault-critics
I’m still waiting for the Shanaban video where he just rolls the tape of the incident, looks at the camera and goes “Seriously? The Department of Player Safety has decided to suspend Todd Bertuzzi for 5 games.” and then walks off camera.
If we don't get our sauce, we ain't watching the game!
by Mike @ MHH on Jan 10, 2012 8:41 AM MST reply actions 2 recs
Derek
sometimes we give you some guff, but thanks for this. I see Scott is still a slave to his Canuck hate.
But the major point that I just wanted to point at, because it seems to get missed in the article and the comments.
Marchand clearly FAKES going to the puck. So that Salo will think the same thing that happened 16 seconds earlier ( a play on the puck or a shoulder hit ). He is even turning to make the play on the guy that got his stick there first ( Marchand) to make a play on it…like every defenseman that ever pinched does.
Then he gets low bridged in a dirty matter.
The rest is just noise…and the self immolation of their reputation ( Chiarelli, Julien’s mad rambling …which was hilarious! And of course the blog just above where he tells the VP of Player Safety he "does not know the rules of hockey…) is almost as satisfying as the win.
It does not make up for losing Game 7…but man, they are just sticking more feet in their collective mouths every day!
So thanks Derek
Scott…don’t get too lawyerish on hip or knee or whatever. The body is not built to make that determination with freeze frames. Just watch the video, put aside your distaste for the Canucks and their fans, and let it play.
It is a classic low bridge, and he even went the extra step of the fake on the puck to show how premeditated it was. It deserved the penalty, and there is no rationalization that “I can understand why Marchand is upset”.
None. A dirty play got called on a dirty player. The thing that should scare everyone is the level of denial from the Bruins, and the sociopathic assertion from the man himself ( read that blog, some hilarious and scary stuff there ) that “I did nothing wrong and I am not going to change”.
Maybe he changes his ways after someone is paralyzed the next time!
Nuck’s Misconduct Bishop, 1st United Church of Luongod. "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." Gandhi. I think he was a Canucks fan...
@Vancitydan Writer at Nucks Misconduct
This is hilarious coming from a fan of an organization that defended Bertuzzi and Cooke… and continues to defend players like Lapierre and Burrows.
In theory, there is little difference between practice and theory, but in practice there is!
Tactical contributor to the Copper & Blue and just as boring on the twitters... @dawgbone98
If Messier did that, you would have fans who defended him too. So disappointing what happened. Thankfully, the the organization that defended them is long gone and I’m glad. I’m even glad they let Raffi Torres go, whose game both Vancouverites and Edmontonians are familiar with.
For the new organization, lets be fair, Burrows has a big yap but his game isn’t dangerous. He’s never been suspended before. Lapierre plays a grinders game, not a Cookes. I like to think we’ve all but reformed him from his shit disturbing this season (though maybe I’m speaking to soon).
Burrows has a big yap but his game isn’t dangerous. He’s never been suspended before.
Torres had never been suspended before last season. That didn’t mean he hadn’t made a dirty or dangerous play in his career, only that he hadn’t been suspended for one. In much the same way having not been suspended before doesn’t mean Burrows is a saint on the ice.
Everyone knows rock attained perfection in 1974. It's a scientific fact.
Writer for The Copper & Blue and a frequenter of the time waster that is Twitter.
that's true about raffi...but
burrows has never made a dangerous hit or targetted hit. Burrows gets vilified by so many who just plain don’t seem to have a clue what the guy’s game is about. He’s not penalized all that much, he’s not the diver everyone says he is. He has popped the old can opener a few times, but probably no more than he’s been on the recieving end. He has indeed had a couple of incidents where he defended himself in a scrum in a questionable way, but there’s often two sides to that. After watching thornton accuse him of spearing him in the throat when the stick never even touched him (and was only in the vicinity because thorton himself knocked it up there), I even wonder if he actually did chow down on the finger. Everything the bruins say is suspect to me after this BS…
And lapierre? What has he ever done beside yap and smirk? That’s like saying oilers fans are ridiculous for defending smid.
Regarding bertuzzi, not all fans defended bert…in fact very few actually did. I was a fan, but that move was indefensible. Having said that, I don’t for a minute think his motivation was to end a career, but regardless, he needed to take responsibility for an irresponsible act.
"Planet Earth is blue, and there's nothing I can do."
Dropping F-bombs since the early 70's.
'Nucks Misconduct Sr. VP of Inappropriateness and Questionable Conduct, second director of immaturity. @Twitchy67
No one mentioned the fans.
In theory, there is little difference between practice and theory, but in practice there is!
Tactical contributor to the Copper & Blue and just as boring on the twitters... @dawgbone98
ho...heh
good point…misread your post. To be fair to the canucks, virtually everyone involved in that is gone now, at least any that came out and defended him.
"Planet Earth is blue, and there's nothing I can do."
Dropping F-bombs since the early 70's.
'Nucks Misconduct Sr. VP of Inappropriateness and Questionable Conduct, second director of immaturity. @Twitchy67
Max Lapierre’s board and smirk is pretty awful. That play and his reaction just irk me. He’s definitely one of the guys in the league that I just can’t stand.
The biggest fanana of the Havana Bananas.
by Scott Reynolds on Jan 10, 2012 3:24 PM MST up reply actions
Heh I remember watching that game
that’s when I became a fan of Ray Ferarro…he was so unpoliced in his reaction, it was great. Now as far as Lapierre, I don’t recall him doing anything even close to that in a canucks uniform, do you? The original comment was that the organization defends dirty play, but I don’t recall them defending that. Matter of fact if I recall, it was mentioned more than once when we acquired him that the team expects him to play with a bit of restraint and stay away from BS moves. So far since he’s been here he’s shown that he can do this.
"Planet Earth is blue, and there's nothing I can do."
Dropping F-bombs since the early 70's.
'Nucks Misconduct Sr. VP of Inappropriateness and Questionable Conduct, second director of immaturity. @Twitchy67
When you say Burrows isn’t dirty, you mean aside from the biting, hair pulling and impromtu vasectomies?
And Lapierre has always been a piece of shit, even before he went to Vancouver.
In theory, there is little difference between practice and theory, but in practice there is!
Tactical contributor to the Copper & Blue and just as boring on the twitters... @dawgbone98
I didn’t say Burrows isn’t dirty. I said he isn’t dangerous.
And yeah, biting and hair pulling. Both those incidents happened in post whistle scrums, which is why the dude needs to stay the hell out of them.
I totally get why you guys can’t stand him – he’s a shit disturber and a yapper – but his actual play is much cleaner than its given credit for, and his recent penalty history lends credence to that.
also, apologies
I didn’t want to come here and start an argument about a team and players you guys don’t like. So I’m sorry! Hope I didn’t ruffle too many feathers.
I was generally appreciative of what was written and am thankful Derek Zona wrote it.
The body is not built to make that determination with freeze frames. Just watch the video, put aside your distaste for the Canucks and their fans, and let it play.
Maybe not, but the rules of the game are.
Everyone knows rock attained perfection in 1974. It's a scientific fact.
Writer for The Copper & Blue and a frequenter of the time waster that is Twitter.
I’m not sure why you think my perspective here is because of the uniforms, especially since a lot of what you’re asking me to concede is what I’ve already stated. I agree (and have agreed above) that it was a dirty hit, and think that they should modify the definition of clipping so as to include this play (and many others). That said, it seems likely that Marchand asked about this exact kind of play and was told that it was okay, so it only makes sense that he (and the Bruins) would be upset by the decision. It’s an awful decision. That’s why I’m (apparently) being “lawyerish”; it has everything to do with applying the rule that’s actually there.
The biggest fanana of the Havana Bananas.
by Scott Reynolds on Jan 10, 2012 2:23 PM MST up reply actions
Anyone who makes the argument you’re making Scott seems to get viciously attacked – regardless of how reasonably and unemotionally they make it. Bring up the Raymond hit and then listen to the hypocricy flow. By the letter of the law this is an awful decision, and Shanahan missed a chance to address the legitimate issue of the legality of sneak attack low hits that are below the centre of gravity but well above the knees. Instead he chose to “bail out” intellectually and just characterize it as a clip. Pragmatic – yes. Accurate – no. The right thing to do – quite possibly.
the difference is the Raymond clip actually WAS a defensive clip.
The difference was Salo was coming in for a puck battle, not a big hit. He didn’t even have the puck.
The circumstances of the hits are not identical. However what is similar is that Raymond dropped low – low enough to clearly make direct contact to Marchand’s knee in a highly dangerous way. Marchand was not approaching him in a any way that would indicate that he was gioing to do anything other than make a bodycheck. I’ll suggest that the question is whether it is legal to commit what seems to be a clear act of clipping if you are doing so “defensively” in order to avoid an oncoming apparently legal hit? If it is legal because avoiding legal hits by dropping low “defensively” is acceptable, then how is that any different from Marchand’s lowbridge hit on Sedin in the playoffs last year (for which he was penalized).
Or is it simply a case of if Marchand is involved it’s his fault?
Marchand clearly FAKES going to the puck.
Watch Carcillo in the Gilbert hit. He is chasing the puck, then stops pursuing the puck to lay the hit on Gilbert and does so before Gilbert touches the puck.
Marchand does the same thing to Salo. He is chasing the puck, stops pursuing it to lay a hit on Salo and does so before Salo touches the puck.
If I’m officiating, I tack on an extra five for interference in both situations just to drive the point home and give the opposing team a ten minute power play.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
I would agree to a point
But how do you add an additional major on top of a major for the same play? It is the same play, just like you can’t give a minor and major for the same hit or fight (less instigating or roughing to prompt the fight BEFORE it occurs). I play 1 infraction. The 10 MC or GMC is a higher level Penalty that’s purpose is suppose to do what you are saying.
by Toews-makes-funny-faces on Jan 10, 2012 3:15 PM MST up reply actions
so would it have still been interference in your opinion if he had ignored the puck and hit him shoulder to shoulder like the hit 10 seconds earlier?
By the rules, yes. But the NHL has allowed those 50/50s since at least 1978.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
If I’m officiating, I tack on an extra five for interference in both situations just to drive the point home and give the opposing team a ten minute power play.
Can refs even do that? Can you actually assess a double-major?
<3 Boobies!
notafullcolon CS: Well obviously I meant we were snorting blow off hookers at the time of the goal
Yessir. Served consecutively, like a double minor.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Pure Awesomeness
For using truth to dissect the Facts!
by Toews-makes-funny-faces on Jan 10, 2012 1:46 PM MST reply actions
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on The Copper & Blue
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recent FanPosts
Oilers Schedule
Last 5 Games
@
Vancouver
|
Sat 04/07 | L 0 - 3 |
|
Anaheim
|
Thu 04/05 | OT - L 2 - 3 |
|
@
Los Angeles
|
Mon 04/02 | L 0 - 2 |
|
@
Anaheim
|
Sun 04/01 | W 2 - 1 |
|
Los Angeles
|
Fri 03/30 | L 1 - 4 |
In Association With
Latest Puck Daddy - NHL from Yahoo! Sports
- Friday’s Three Stars: Devils head to Final; Brodeur, Kovalchuk the difference in Game 6
- Devils eliminate Rangers in Game 6, ending fear of the past, setting course for the future
- Adam Henrique sends New Jersey Devils to Stanley Cup Final with OT goal vs. Rangers (VIDEO)
- Watch Ilya Kovalchuk’s Game 6 goal for Devils, a.k.a. power-play porn (VIDEO)
- Devils look to eliminate Rangers in Game 6; Hal Gill’s broken tibia (Playoff Puck Previews)
Latest stories and headlines from NHL.com
- Blues CEO Mike McCarthy stepping down
- Blues CEO Mike McCarthy stepping down, not long after ownership change
- Rangers eliminated by Devils with crushing OT loss after another rally in Game 6 falls short
- Rangers season ends as another rally falls short
- Hard-skating Cataractes upset set defending champ Saint John 7-4 at Memorial Cup
