Roy-Koci Cap Off Light Night

Just two fights from nine games last night in the NHL.

Matt Bradley took on new Florida Panther Garth Murray in Washington.  Fight or not, the fans who attended will remember the eleven round shootout.

Over in Chicago heavyweights Andre Roy and David Koci dropped the gloves.

Hartnell Receives Non-"Mega" Suspension

Scott Hartnell was suspended two games for his hit on Andrew Alberts.

Anaheim Ducks General Manger brought up the megasuspensions during a GM conference call with the league Monday according to Bob McKenzie:

On the mega-suspensions of 20 and 25 games to Steve Downie and Jesse Boulerice, respectively: Burke had questioned whether the GMs ever signed off on or were advised of a dramatic change in standards for supplementary discipline, but was told each discipline situation is handled on a case by case basis and that the two big suspensions are not necessarily indicative of a sweeping across the board change to the approach on supplementary discipline.

Hartnell-Related:
Hartnell is latest Flyer to get hit with a suspension
Bruins’ Alberts mum on Hartnell suspension
Flyers’ Hartnell gets two-game suspension
Bad rep catching up with Flyers

Videos added

Andre Roy vs David Koci Nov 28, 2007
Garth Murray vs Matt Bradley Nov 28, 2007
Derek Dorsett vs Darryl Boyce Nov 24, 2007
Jeff Szwez vs Nathan Perrott Nov 24, 2007
Olivier Labelle vs Richard Clune Nov 16, 2007

Some reads

Rangers’ Sean Avery to have wrist surgery Thursday
Will Ovechkin follow Hanlon out of Washington?
Smiling through the work
B’s Alberts fortunate
Obscurity suits Waddell just fine
Is Tavares the Next Great One?
NHL may skip Olympics after 2010

A Strong Silence

I get a lot of email from this site.  When something big happens, my inbox booms.  When Scott Hartnell hit Andrew Alberts yesterday, the emails started to flow.  The tougher the player, the harsher the emails.  When Jesse Boulerice crosschecked Ryan Kesler, the average message was something along the lines of Boulerice not needing to do something like that because he can fight, so he should receive a lengthy suspension.

Curiously, I didn’t receive one email about Scott Parker crosschecking Dion Phaneuf, before fighting Eric Godard last Saturday.

When Phaneuf laid out Jiri Hudler with an open-ice hit last night, it was a good reminder why.  No penalty was called on Phaneuf, nor should one be, although he does leave the ice perfectly before making contact.  Let’s call it somewhere in between skates on ice and a Cam Janssen hit.  Legal or not, outside of your hometown, you don’t make a lot of fans taking out the opposition like that.  Calgary‘s one of the most vocal towns on this site, and not one complaint, go figure.

Videos added

Todd Fedoruk vs Francis Lessard Feb 5, 2004
Dale Purinton vs Wade Belak Dec 13, 2003
Brian Sutherby vs Brad Isbister Nov 27, 2007
Dion Phaneuf vs Andreas Lilja Nov 27, 2007

Also: the scrum towards the end of the Ducks at Canucks game is on the game page.

Some reads

Ducks winger Bertuzzi recalls fond memories from time in Vancouver
Grimson and NHLPA part ways
Carcillo aims to stay on ice
B’s feel game needs respect
NHL has visions of glory in lucrative China
Van Ryn’s wrist injury a concern

Bruins-Flyers Leads to Another Crushing Hit

Scott Hartnell crunched Andrew Alberts into the boards late in the second period.  Just what do you think the Flyers think that B stands for?

Hartnell received a boarding major and game misconduct.

Alberts did not return to the game.

In a game that had potential to get nasty due to Randy Jones’ hit on Patrice Bergeron a month ago, and saw Jeremy Reich and Ben Eager fight just a few minutes into the game, things remained relatively tame after Hartnell’s hit.

Zdeno Chara said the team chose to only focus on the score:

“It’s something we talked about,” Chara said. “We probably ended up with some bruises, but we have two points and that’s the most important thing right now. It’s up to the league to address things like that.”

Hartnell said he was just finishing his check:

“I did not try to hurt him,” Hartnell explained. “There was no intent at all. I am not that type of player. If you look at all the games this year and past years, I finish my checks every time I have an opportunity.”

The Bruins won the game, 6-3.

Error!

Unfortunately, we were experiencing some errors around these parts yesterday.  I’m working on a permanent fix.  If you run into any errors that last more than a couple of minutes, please let me know.

Videos added

Andrew Peters vs John Erskine Nov 26, 2007
Jeremy Reich vs Ben Eager Nov 26, 2007

Some reads

Lightning put end to sale agreement with group
Ferguson rejects report on firing coach
Top cap-strapping deals in the NHL

An Active End

Sunday’s four games led to five fights, with Eric Godard and DJ King likely making the highlight reels from their toe-to-toe bout.

No bullseyes

A month ago Randy Jones crushed Patrice Bergeron into the boards.  Jones was suspended for two games, and there’s no date set for Bergeron’s return.

Boston and Philadelphia play tonight, and the Bruins say they’re not out for revenge.

Whether or not the B’s want to seek a little justice of their own is unknown, but it’s likely they don’t want to draw attention to the game the way Derek Boogaard did before last week’s Wild-Canucks game.

Reviews fixed

For a couple of days there was a weird error where you could vote on a fight, but not if you left a review.  This has been fixed, sorry about the inconvenience.  Thanks to everyone who wrote in about it.

Videos added

Adam Burish vs Byron Ritchie Nov 25, 2007
Jim Vandermeer vs Jeff Cowan Nov 25, 2007
Mark Smith vs Dan Hinote Nov 25, 2007
Eric Godard vs D.J. King Nov 25, 2007
Steve Ott vs Brendan Shanahan Nov 25, 2007
Mark Bell vs Daniel Carcillo Nov 24, 2007
Mark Bell vs Craig Weller Nov 24, 2007
Darcy Tucker vs Daniel Carcillo Nov 24, 2007

Some reads

Same teams, boring result
Blocking Shots in N.H.L. Involves Skill and Abandon
Injections help Roenick feel less pain
Cullimore succeeds with simplicity
Eat $alary? Burke to lead talks with GMs Monday

Parker and Phaneuf Pregame Leads to Parker and Godard In-Game

Dion Phaneuf and Scott Parker caused a little commotion during the pregame warmup skate before Saturday night’s Flames at Avalanche game.  With the Avs down 4-0, Parker went after Phaneuf, crosschecking him in the corner.  Eric Godard quickly grabbed Parker after that.

Phaneuf was said the pregame incident was mutual, but the in-game strike was over the line:

“No, I didn’t appreciate it,” said Phaneuf, 23. “But in saying that, I don’t know if he lost his temper or what happened. But, no, I’m all for playing physical, it’s my style of game, but, uh, that was a little bit dirty.”

Phaneuf added: “He’s got a job to do. That is his job, to play that agitating style, and he does it well. My job is to play that physical style, too, so we clash sometimes.”

The Calgary Herald added this from Keenan:

“We could’ve lost Dion Phaneuf for the season,” said Keenan. “There should be a major suspension to this guy.”

Voros lays out Novotny

During Friday night’s Blue Jackets at Wild game Aaron Voros peeked out of the penalty box and stepped out right into Jiri Novotny.  After laying on the ice for a minute Novotny was able to skate off on his own accord.

The fizzle

Jason Botchford of The Province writes about the explosion that did not happen in Wednesday’s Wild-Canucks game in a piece aptly titled, No elbows, no cheap shots, no revenge.

Tom Powers of The Pioneer Press shares the sentiment.

It’s not uncommon for any hyped-up game to not explode, but actually be especially tame.  Once the eyes and ears of the fans, media and league are all focused on one game, no one is looking to pick up a suspension or fine and everything mellows out quickly.  Liability, if something were to happen, is something Bob McKenzie touched upon before the game.

A couple of days before The Province printed some quotes from and about Derek Boogaard.

No doggie bags for Domi

Tie Domi will be remembered for a lot of things from his playing career, but Victor Chi brings up a lesser reminisced story:

It’s somewhat fitting the Coyotes are the forefront of this culinary sales tactic. When the franchise was still based in Winnipeg, Tie Domi earned some recognition for his voracious appetite. He is a member of the 48 oz Club at Don Shula’s Steak House in Florida. The requirement for induction? Finishing the 48 oz Shula Cut steak in a single seating. One of Domi’s old teammates claims he cheated by slipping some hunks of beef into his pockets, but what would you expect from a guy who racked up over 3,500 PIMs?

Maybe the next step of the promotion is to see if a fan can out-eat Domi.

Videos added

David Koci vs Zack Stortini Nov 24, 2007
Eric Godard vs Scott Parker Nov 24, 2007
Aaron Downey vs Jared Boll Nov 24, 2007
Aaron Downey vs Jody Shelley Nov 24, 2007
Bryan McCabe vs Steve Ott Nov 23, 2007
Jody Shelley vs Derek Boogaard Nov 23, 2007
Chris Clark vs Scott Hartnell Nov 23, 2007
Donald Brashear vs Riley Cote Nov 23, 2007
Tim Jackman vs Jeremy Reich Nov 23, 2007
Georges Laraque vs Brian McGrattan Nov 22, 2007

Some reads

Bert to play at GM Place
DeBrusk knew his way around a hockey fight
Bowling outing a quick strike for team unity
Walker could return soon

Players: Remove Instigator, Up Respect

Eric Lindros, newly appointed NHLPA ombudsman, said the NHLPA has visited four teams so far in their fall tour.  Addressing a question about concussions and what can be done about them from Ron McLean on Hockey Night in Canada: Hockey Tonight, Lindros mentioned equipment and respect.  Lindros said all four teams mentioned getting rid of the instigator rule as a way to increase respect for other players on the ice.

If you’d like to see the segment, go to cbc.ca, click “Videos”, then CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada on the left, then Interviews (still on the left), then “Nov 17: Eric Lindros” in the middle.  The part I’m referring to is at about 5:53.  Thanks for making that easy CBC.

Ducks add a little more grit

After Phoenix claimed Ilya Bryzgalov off waivers from Anaheim the Ducks went and traded for Brian Sutherby.  Sutherby should fit well on Brian Burke’s Randy Carlyle-coached team.

Videos added

Peter Stevens vs Trevor Koverko Nov 11, 2007
Tim Spencer vs Richard Clune Nov 10, 2007
Bo Cheesman vs Lance Galbraith Nov 10, 2007
Brandon Dubinsky vs Jarkko Ruutu Nov 17, 2007
Mark Stuart vs Tom Kostopoulos Nov 17, 2007
Zdeno Chara vs Guillaume Latendresse Nov 17, 2007
Mark Stuart vs Andrei Kostitsyn Nov 17, 2007
Andrew Alberts vs Tom Kostopoulos Nov 17, 2007
Jody Shelley vs D.J. King Nov 16, 2007
Tim Jackman vs David Clarkson Nov 16, 2007
Donald Brashear vs Andre Roy Nov 16, 2007

Some reads

On-ice chatter is worth a chuckle
Favorite, inside Avs memories over the years
Villains are part of the play
Harkening back to rough past
Glass Applying for Enforcer Job
Habs pay tribute to Big Bird
There’s no ignoring Avery’s impact
Bertuzzi is nearly recovered from concussion

Instigating

Nick Boynton was supsended for last night’s Coyotes game against the Sharks due to the instigator penalty he picked up Monday night, when he went after Steve Bernier (he wasn’t the first ‘Yote to do so that night).

Boynton is not thrilled about the late-game instigator rule:

“I think it’s a little stupid. If I had gotten to him (earlier), I wouldn’t be suspended, so it seems kind of a little stupid to me, especially when a guy like that deserves what he gets. But what are you gonna do?”

The very next night, Chris Pronger received an instigator when he threw punches at Michal Handzus at the end of overtime.  The league determined the fight wasn’t premediated and did not suspend Pronger.

GWG

That’s Game-Winning Georges.  Georges Laraque provided the winning goal for the Penguins last night in their victory over the Islanders.  BGL’s last goal was 40 games ago when he was playing for the Coyotes.

All-Star Dreams

The NHL has modified the All-Star voting process.  Open write-ins are no longer allowed, and it’s doubtful the “Vote for Rory” campaign will be duplicated by anyone this season due to the new system, and simply due to too many copycats.

That hasn’t stopped the suggestions from flowing over at my Votes on You post, and there’s still an open vote over at the forums.  While most likely not possible, a fun discussion nonetheless.

Avery, ivory, living in perfect harmony

The Sean Avery headlines continue.  After picking up a fine for his pre-game festivities with Darcy Tucker, there’s been a lot of commentary.  Here’s a sample:

Time to reel in Avery
Talkin’ trash is easy; backing it up is not
Avery: I didn’t cross the line
Crossing the verbal line
Cherry takes on Avery
Loose Change: Freedom of expressions

Videos added

Colton Orr vs Riley Cote Nov 15, 2007
Mark Bell vs Milan Lucic Nov 15, 2007
Craig Adams vs Doug Janik Nov 14, 2007
Justin Williams vs Brad Richards Nov 14, 2007
Matt Bradley vs Tanner Glass Nov 15, 2007

Some reads

Playing for Pacen
Hull as co-GM is just what the NHL needs
Fighting is fun!
Top 10: Domi lines
How can Gregory justify inducting himself?

Bad Blood

The feud between Sean Avery and Darcy Tucker continued last night, both before and during the Rangers’ shootout win over the Leafs.

Avery and Tucker nearly came to blows during the pre-game warmups:

The one-time plaything of Canadian actress Elisha Cuthbert couldn’t wait to get under the skin of the host Toronto Maple Leafs and quickly took matters into his own ornery hands.

First came a shot at diminutive Jason Blake, followed by a threatening waggle of the stick at the Leafs’ Darcy Tucker. Tucker waved his lumber back at Avery, the two men started jawing at each other, and it was game on.

“He has no sense of class,” an irritated Tucker said after the Leafs’ 3-2 shootout loss to Avery’s New York Rangers last night during the annual Hall of Fame game at the Air Canada Centre. “What goes around, comes around in this game. Through the entire warmup, he would not stop yapping. He comes in there and gets in my face.”

Avery and Tucker were each issued unsportsmanlike conducts during a shoving match in the first period and they followed up with a fight as soon as they stepped out of the penalty box minutes later.

Ray Tells All

Rob Ray has a book coming out this week titled “Rayzor’s Edge: Rob Ray’s Tough Life on the Ice”

The book is slated to start shipping on November 15th. You can pre-order it here. The Buffalo News is also scheduled to have excerpts from Ray’s novel in their paper this week as well.

Singer on the Hot Seat

hockeyfights.com owner David Singer was interviewed by Eric McErlain of The Sporting News earlier this week. Be sure to check it out.

Vote For ?

It’s that time of the season again. Voting for this year’s NHL All-Star Game starts this week but requests to do a “Vote for Rory” type thing for a fighter have been coming in for months. David is considering doing one but is unsure of what player to back.

So who should it be? Derek Boogaard and George Parros seem to be the front runners so far. Wade Belak is getting a lot of love in the forums. Let us know…

Recent Videos Added

Sean Avery vs Darcy Tucker Nov 10, 2007
Ryan Malone vs Jason Smith Nov 10, 2007
Darryl Sydor vs Stefan Ruzicka Nov 10, 2007
Allan Rourke vs Eric Nystrom Nov 10, 2007
Dallas Drake vs James Wisniewski Oct 6, 2007
David Koci vs Derek Boogaard Oct 4, 2007
Scott Hartnell vs Michael Komisarek Nov 1, 2007
Ben Eager vs Tom Kostopoulos Nov 1, 2007

Some Reads

Brodeur has more career points than Wade Belak? Believe it
‘C’ is for champion
Struggling Bergeron discusses health
Sound Tigers getting physical

Votes on You

Even before there was hockeyfights.com, and I was just writing back and forth with other hockey fans, I’ve received emails about starting an All-Star campaign.  Everyone wanted to rock the write-in vote and get a tough guy, or any popular non-scoring, blue collar player into the All-Star game.  Ever since Bob Probert appeared in the 1987-88 All-Star game many fans have been waiting for the next appearance of a tough guy in the famed exhibition game.  Of course, in 1987-88, Probert also had 62 points.

While few have put up points like Probert did that season, it hasn’t been unheard of.  Chris Simon had 29 goals in 1999-00, Chris Neil has averaged 30 points the past two seasons, and Ian Laperriere put up 45 points just two seasons ago.  In what many still call the dead puck era, those aren’t bad numbers from players whose roles often included dropping the gloves.

While I’ve received a lot of email over the years about a write-in campaign, never before did one take off like last season’s Vote for Rory campaign.  It was proof fans could make some waves, thanks to the internet, even if Rory Fitzpatrick didn’t make the All-Star team.

I started getting emails early on this year, many looking to duplicate the Vote for Rory result.  After the oh-so-close numbers, I figure there will be many copycats out there, and I’ve been hesitant to do anything like it myself.  I highly doubt anyone will generate the same buzz Vote for Rory did, especially with the competition that will be out there.

However - the emails are starting to pour in.  The choice hasn’t been unanimous, but Derek Boogaard has had the most mentions so far.  George Parros was another top choices, while one person “blamed” me for his popularity.  Sorry, I haven’t asked anyone to grow a moustache, long hair and fight.  Other repeated names that came up were Wade Belak, Donald Brashear, Eric Godard and Georges Laraque.

So what to do?  Ignore it all?  Start one?  Back one?  Who’s your write-in All-Star?

Cote Puts on a Show

If there’s one thing we’ve come to learn this season, it’s that Riley Cote puts on an entertaining fight.

Cote went toe-to-toe with Arron Asham in what turned out to be last night’s undisputed “fight of the night”. The two fought in the preseason as well.

For those who might be wondering, the Flyers play the Phoenix Coyotes on December 12. A potential battle between former teammates at the minor league level might be an entertaining clash of styles.

Bouillon Delivers Questionable Elbow to Ward

Bruins forward Aaron Ward was knocked out of last night’s game against the Montreal Canadiens after Francis Bouillon hit Ward with an elbow after leaving the penalty box.

Ward stayed down on the ice for a few minutes but eventually left the ice on his own power. No word on Ward’s condition has come out yet.

Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli believes the elbow is suspension-worthy:

After the game, Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli was asked if Bouillon"s hit would warrant a suspension.

“Oh, yes, I think so,” said Chiarelli.

Clowe Plays the Waiting Game

All Ryane Clowe can do is wait while the swelling in his surgically repaired right knee continually goes down. For now, he’s just working on rehab:

“The first couple of days, it was tough mentally to deal with,” said Clowe, who stayed behind Thursday when the team traveled to Anaheim for tonight’s game. “Now I’m just focused on rehab and, when I do come back, that I’m ready to go.”

Sharks star Joe Thornton says that his teammates all miss what Clowe brings to the table:

“He does it all - he’s physical, he fights, he scores,” center Joe Thornton said. “He gets in the dirty areas.”

Mellanby Isn’t Pleased

Scott Mellanby let the Atlanta Journal-Constitution know that he isn’t very happy with the Atlanta Thrashers right now.

Mellanby apparently met with officials within the organization to discuss a possible position with the team. When Mellanby was turned down, he made his feelings known:

“I gave myself to this organization,” said Mellanby. “I was willing to work for peanuts, next to nothing, to stay in the game. I was placated by several people saying ‘We’d love to have you.’ I was never even called after I left here. All I hear about is how this organization has no money, yet Don (Waddell) and (former coach) Bob (Hartley have contract extensions. If you don’t want me, I’m fine. I’m a big boy. But don’t wine and dine me and turn your back on me. My fear is Brad McCrimmon is going to get the same treatment and he doesn’t deserve that. He deserves to be the coach of this hockey team.”

The piece also discusses how Mellanby almost joined the front office of the Florida Panthers at one point. A definite article to check out.

Recent Videos Added

Riley Cote vs Arron Asham Nov 8, 2007
Ben Eager vs Sheldon Brookbank Nov 8, 2007
Mattias Ohlund vs Dion Phaneuf Nov 8, 2007

Some Reads

Naked Cell Phone Pics, Hockey, and Jiri
With so few games versus the West, NHL schedule doesn’t test Senators
Concussion sidelines Allen
After hit, Gagne still doesn’t feel “right’”
Nick might need to learn to fight to land tag of ‘best European captain’
Panthers coach Martin questions players’ intensity

Only Two

Last night’s slate of games produced two fights: R.J. Umberger exchanged words with Brooks Orpik before dropping the gloves with the hard-hitting defenseman; Curtis Glencross slugged it out with Adam Burish in Glencross’ first regular season NHL fight.

Both videos are up on the fight pages.

Avery Tries to Dance With a Devil

Sean Avery avoided one New Jersey Devil and attempted to get another to drop the gloves during last Saturday’s game between the Rangers and Devils.

According to Zach Parise, Avery wanted him to “make a statement”.

Before one first-period faceoff, Avery barked incessantly at Zach Parise for at least 20 seconds.

“He wanted me to fight him,” said Parise, who has never had a fight in his three-year NHL career. “He told me to ‘make a statement.’ I just ignored him.”

After the game, Avery admitted that David Clarkson wanted a piece of him:

It started with Avery yapping at Brodeur while he was stretching. Clarkson appeared to come over to stop it. Avery and Clarkson exchanged words as they skated slowly on opposite sides of the red line and at one point Avery pointed his stick blade in Clarkson’s face.

“I don’t even know who this guy is,” Avery said of Clarkson, who he later referred to as “a boneheaded minor-leaguer.” “Why am I talking to him? I’m just talking, getting into the game.”

When Avery and Clarkson came together in front of the Rangers’ bench on their first shifts of the game, Clarkson invited Avery to fight, but he declined.

Lucic Back in B’s Lineup

Bruins rookie sensation Milan Lucic was back in the lineup last night for the team’s loss to the Buffalo Sabres. Lucic was scratched over the weekend in order for him to see the game from a different perspective:

Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli said Lucic’s night in the pressbox was partially to give him a night, but more for him to watch.

“(Coach) Claude (Julien) wanted him to take a step back and look at the game and the speed of the game from a different perspective,” Chiarelli said. “We’ve been working on his defensive-zone play, and he’s been improving on it.”

Lucic took advantage of the experience.

“You see things from a different perspective,” he said. “From up there, it seems like there’s more room than when you’re on the ice. The coach just thought it would be good to sit up and watch a game and see how the wingers play in the defensive end.”

Recent Videos Added

Curtis Glencross vs Adam Burish Nov 7, 2007
R.J. Umberger vs Brooks Orpik Nov 7, 2007
Josh Gratton vs Brad Winchester Nov 2, 2007
Gregory Campbell vs Paul Gaustad Nov 2, 2007
Steve Montador vs Adam Mair Nov 2, 2007
Ben Eager vs Brian Sutherby Nov 2, 2007
Mike Richards vs Brooks Laich Nov 2, 2007
Jason Chimera vs Shane Hnidy Nov 1, 2007
Jared Boll vs Travis Moen Nov 1, 2007
Ole-Kristian Tollefsen vs Brad May Nov 1, 2007
D.J. King vs Derek Boogaard Nov 1, 2007
Chris Thorburn vs Luke Richardson Nov 1, 2007
Eric Boulton vs Chris Neil Nov 1, 2007
Chris Gratton vs David Clarkson Oct 31, 2007
Shane O’Brien vs David Clarkson Oct 31, 2007
Nick Tarnasky vs Sheldon Brookbank Oct 31, 2007

David is still in the process of catching up on videos. Downloads have been fully updated.

Some Reads

One Is Enough
Sean Avery Calls Out Devils’ Brodeur, Parise
Testy Bell pleases coach
Tucker has a solution
These aren’t the ‘Bullies’
Coyotes eager for new schedule
The taxman cometh

One Is Enough

So Colton Orr is sitting in his apartment, talking to his mother and girlfriend when the phone rings. He picks it up and gets asked to be on “The Bachelor”.

Wait, what? No, I’m serious.

Colton Orr, the popular New York Rangers forward, got an interesting offer late last week. The 25-year-old Orr, one of the toughest players in hockey, got a call from the producers of the ABC reality series The Bachelor. They offered the Winnipeg native a nice deal to be the 12th bachelor, the next single guy searching for true love.

However, when the call came, it was an awkward moment. Orr’s mother and girlfriend, were in his apartment.

According to Doug Orr, the player’s father, “Colt’s not really looking for love. It was a great deal, but it’s a pretty tough decision. He has a girlfriend and she’s great. She’s an actress and she’s a lot of fun. If Colt’s going to do this, she’d better have a sense of humour.”

One girlfriend is probably enough for Orr. Still, pretty funny.

Back in the Saddle

David is back from vacation and so are the videos. 10 have been added to the videos section thus far. More videos will go up tonight. The downloads will be updated as well.

You can see the latest list of videos that have been added towards the bottom of this post.

They Meet Again

Panthers forward Bryan Allen is listed as day-to-day after being dropped by Nick Tarnasky on Monday night. Tarnasky landed a punch that sent Allen down for the count while the linesmen attempted to end things before they got started. You can see what transpired here.

The Panthers and Lightning meet again this evening.

Kurtis Foster: Boogaard’s Newest Student?

Kurtis Foster doesn’t seem to be able to find the net these days, so he’s tried to step up his physical play to make up for it. After taking on Eric Nystrom earlier in the week, Minnesota Wild head coach Jacques Lemaire has some tips for Foster:

Ironically, it was only offense that wasn’t clicking for the offensive-minded Foster, who has been strong defensively and has a newfound love of physical play.

“When you’re more aggressive, when you feel like playing and playing hard, it’s a good sign,” Lemaire said.

But fighting? That’s another thing. In Saturday’s 4-1 victory over Calgary, Foster, who had six hits, had his first NHL fight. It came shortly after Foster nailed the Flames’ Eric Nystrom on successive shifts. The two grabbed each other and twirled before Foster lost his balance and fell on his back.

“He better get some courses, couple crash courses. Maybe he can go to Boogey’s school,” Lemaire joked, a reference to Derek Boogaard’s summer fighting camp for children. “We’ll send him to Ultimate Fighting camp. Or we might buy him a jersey that says ‘Ultimate Fighting’ on it.”

Recent Videos Added

Corey Perry vs Daniel Carcillo Nov 3, 2007
Travis Moen vs Daniel Carcillo Nov 3, 2007
Sean O’Donnell vs Craig Weller Nov 3, 2007
Eric Godard vs Derek Boogaard Nov 3, 2007
Eric Nystrom vs Kurtis Foster Nov 3, 2007
Michael Rupp vs Colton Orr Nov 3, 2007
Eric Nystrom vs Ian Laperriere Nov 5, 2007
Nick Tarnasky vs Bryan Allen Nov 5, 2007
Matt Bradley vs Tim Gleason Nov 5, 2007
Krys Barch vs Brad May Nov 5, 2007

Remember that additional videos will be added tonight and the downloads will be updated as well.

Some Reads

Players point to Ducks as fighting rises
Prust gives Flames a spark
Dwyer won’t stop believing
Griffins winger Keefe gets tough
Cote earns more playing time
Jared Boll: Born agitator

Potential for Fireworks in NYC

There are a ton of exciting possible matchups this evening but no game holds more potential than tonight’s affair between the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers.

Tonight will mark the first time that the teams have met since March 21 of last season when Colton Orr knocked Todd Fedoruk out cold with a right hand in the first period.

Fedoruk has moved on to Dallas but it doesn’t seem like the Flyers have forgotten about what happened. Riley Cote has hinted that he expects to introduce himself to Orr at some point:

The Flyers’ last visit to the Garden in March resulted in their former enforcer Todd Fedoruk getting his face broken by Rangers’ fighter Colton Orr. Said current Flyers enforcer Riley Cote of Orr: “I’m sure he’ll be there.”

The two meetings between the teams during the preseason in September produced a total of six fights.

Another Vacation Notice

Just another notice for those that aren’t aware. David is currently on vacation, meaning that the majority of videos won’t be up on the site until some point this week.

Remember if you need help in the forums, feel free to contact myself, Jamie or Bill.

If you have other questions or concerns you can email David. However please be aware there will be a delay in receiving a response.

Recent Videos Added

Shawn Thornton vs Brian McGrattan Nov 3, 2007
Jay Birnie vs Justin Schmit Nov 2, 2007
Rick Kozak vs Kevin Labatte Nov 2, 2007
Brandon Warner vs Mike Bickley Nov 4, 2007
Mitch Woods vs Nick Bootland Nov 4, 2007
Thomas Harrison vs Britt Dougherty Nov 3, 2007
Dwayne Zinger vs T.J. Reynolds Nov 2, 2007
David Segal vs Kevin Bertram Nov 3, 2007

Heavyweights in Action

The heavyweights were in action last night as Shawn Thornton, Brian McGrattan, Derek Boogaard, Eric Godard, and Colton Orr all decided to throw down…

Thornton and McGrattan fought in the first period of last night’s Bruins-Sens game. The two teams play again tonight.

Boogaard and Godard got it on in the most anticipated matchup of the evening. Boogaard left the game early with the re-opening of a laceration on his hand. However early reports state that Boogaard isn’t expected to miss any time.

Orr took on Michael Rupp in an unusual matchup last night in which Rupp seemed to hold his own for the most part.

Vacation Notice

Just another notice for those that might have missed it. While David is on vacation, I’ll be filling in for him. I’ll be taking care of most of the logs, blogging, and throwing up some videos to the best of my ability. The majority of videos won’t be available until next week however.

Remember if you need help in the forums, feel free to contact myself, Jamie or Bill.

If you have other questions or concerns you can email David. However please be aware there will be a delay in receiving a response.

Avery Returns

Sean Avery returned to the New York Rangers‘ lineup last night after missing the last 10 games with a shoulder injury. Avery logged just over 13 minutes of ice time and picked a slashing minor.

However even bigger than Avery’s return is the prospect that he may become friends with Lance Armstrong pretty soon. Check out this tidbit The National Ledger slipped in to a Armstrong-Ashley Olson article:

Sister Mary-Kate’s new squeeze is 27-year-old hockey hottie Sean Avery but that really doesn’t come close to Ashley’s new “old man” (uh - yes he is 36 years old) as he is a true world class athlete.

I guess he’s over Elisha…

Laraque Claims He’s 100%

George Laraque has told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that he feels 100% and has fully recovered from a groin injury that had caused him to miss 7 of the Pittsburgh Penguins‘ last 8 games. Laraque played last night against the Islanders and looked just fine.

Back to Normal?

In a recent interview with the Winnipeg Sun, Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Ken Hitchcock stated that players are back to “policing the game the right way.”

The end of time will come before there is consensus on the issue of NHL fighting, and wouldn’t you know it, fighting marginally is up in 2007-08.

There has been an average of 1.09 fights a game, compared to 0.87 at this time last year. With the instigator rule in full force, many fights appear to have roots in retaliation to a suspect hit, high-stick or slash.

“I think there is less of entertainment fighting,” Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock said. “I hate when two guys fight just because they happen to be the tough guys. If a star gets whacked, there’s an immediate response now. It’s back to policing the sport in the right way.”

Vandenbussche Trial Resumes

The assault trial of Ryan VandenBussche resumed earlier this week after a five-month recess.

VandenBussche is currently being charged with assault causing bodily harm, assaulting a police officer, resisting arrest and terroristic threats.

A psychologist who testified on Friday is claiming that VandenBussche may not have known what he was doing due to a concussion suffered during a brawl involving his cousin that police were called to:

“Often they have violent outbursts and use foul language, of which the person has no recollection,” Dr. Paul Comper of Toronto, an expert on concussions, told the court. “Emergency personnel (attending accident scenes) frequently talk about combative behaviour. I talk to (the injured) about it and they are embarrassed. It’s out of character.”

Score one for “Nasty”

Former popular LNAH scrapper Jon Mirasty scored a goal last night in only his second game of the season. Mirasty is currently on a 25-game tryout with the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL. Hopefully the goal will earn Mirasty a longer stay.

Recent Fights Added

Jonathan Bernier vs Robin Richards Oct 23, 2007
Brennan Sonne vs Garet Hunt Oct 20, 2007
Jeff Szwez vs Matt Kassian Oct 30, 2007
Theo Peckham vs Darren Reid Oct 27, 2007
Denis Sicard vs Fraser Filipic Oct 24, 2007
Kris Wiebe vs Gordon Bell Oct 27, 2007
Mat Goody vs Sheldon Wenzel Oct 30, 2007

Neil Says Make Some Noise

Chris Neil may have pulled a first in his fight last night against Eric Boulton. Neil waved his hands in the air in an effort to “pump up the crowd” while taking punches from Boulton midway through their scrap.

I can’t say that I’ve seen that before…

Vacation Notice

Just another notice for those that aren’t aware. While David is on vacation, I’ll be filling in for him. I’ll be taking care of most of the logs, blogging, and throwing up some videos to the best of my ability. The majority of videos won’t be available until next week however.

Remember if you need help in the forums, feel free to contact myself, Jamie or Bill.

If you have other questions or concerns you can email David. However please be aware there will be a delay in receiving a response.

Moen Forces Boll to Answer the Bell

Travis Moen and Jared Boll dropped the gloves last night in a spirited scrap with a little history behind it. You may remember that Boll was ejected from the Blue Jackets’ last game against the Ducks on October 5th after leaving Moen laying on the ice because of a high elbow.

Other scraps in last night’s Ducks-Blue Jackets game included Brad May going with Ole-Kristian Tollefsen and Jason Chimera exchanging blows with Shane Hnidy.

The Ducks have also jumped back into the team fighting major lead.

Junior A Brawl Causes Stir

A brawl between the Halifax Wolverines and the Summerside Western Capitals of the MJAHL is causing quite a stir in the hockey world and for more than one reason. The bad blood between the two teams actually goes back to a previous meeting between the two this season where Josh McKinnon gave Wolverines’ star Derek Fulton a concussion with a questionable hit.

Kirk Forrest attempted to get McKinnon to drop the gloves in the first period of their game Tuesday night. When McKinnon declined, Forrest dropped his gloves and chased him down the ice. Seconds later Ben Chaisson dove into the Summerside bench and the rest is history.

When everything was said and done, over 200 PIM were handed out. Video of the brawl can be seen here.

Now two students from Halifax’s Atlantic Media Institute are claiming that Wolverines general manager Jack Finlay told them to destroy the tape they had of the brawl:

The brawl was captured on tape by students Greg Sewart and Joey Johnson from Halifax’s Atlantic Media Institute. After the fight, the general manager of the Wolverines, Jack Finlay, approached the students and allegedly suggested they should tell others the tape had been lost.

“He suggested, ‘Tell them we destroyed the tapes,’” said Sewart, 31. We were asked to lose the footage. It just seems so strange and unethical that we should be told that.”

Finlay denies asking the students to get rid of the footage. MJAHL president Derryl Smith is expected to hand out suspensions today as well as a statement on the Finlay allegations.

Recent Videos Added

Jonathan Bernier vs Robin Richards Oct 23, 2007 (CHL)
Brennan Sonne vs Garet Hunt Oct 20, 2007 (WHL)
Jeff Szwez vs Matt Kassian Oct 30, 2007 (AHL)
Theo Peckham vs Darren Reid Oct 27, 2007 (AHL)
Denis Sicard vs Fraser Filipic Oct 24, 2007 (CHL)
Kris Wiebe vs Gordon Bell Oct 27, 2007 (CHL)
Mat Goody vs Sheldon Wenzel Oct 30, 2007 (CHL)

Some Reads

Clarkson Gets Busy
McKee shoulders the load for Blues
Despite suspensions, Flyers take hammer to Broad Street Bullies tag
Vandermeer’s hit results in tough talk