Pronger suspended 8 games

[justinsayne]

Ducks’ D Pronger suspended 8 games for stomping on leg of Canucks C Ryan Kesler


TORONTO (AP)—Upon further review, Chris Pronger’s stomp on the leg of Vancouver center Ryan Kesler could not go unpunished.

The NHL kicked back at Anaheim’s All-Star defenseman on Saturday, suspending him for eight games—a ban that won’t expire until the final day of the regular season.

Pronger was to begin serving his eighth career suspension on Saturday night when the defending Stanley Cup champion Ducks hosted the St. Louis Blues.

“First, I apologize to Ryan Kesler. Second, to the Vancouver Canucks organization, third, to the Anaheim Ducks organization, the league and the fans,” Pronger said after receiving his longest suspension. “They obviously deserve an apology as well.

“There is not a place for these types of instances in our game.”

It is a critical blow to Anaheim, which began the day in third place in the Pacific Division, one point behind Dallas and four short of San Jose. Pronger is eligible to return April 6 for the regular-season finale against Phoenix.

During Anaheim’s 4-1 victory over the Canucks on Wednesday, Pronger and Kesler became tangled behind the Vancouver net. As Pronger turned to head back up ice, he stepped on Kesler’s leg as the Canucks forward lay on the ice.

No penalty was called on the play, and the NHL said a proper video angle wasn’t available until Thursday night.

The punishment was handed down hours after Pronger had a phone hearing with NHL disciplinarian Colin Campbell.

“In attempting to free himself, Pronger carelessly and recklessly brought his foot down,” Campbell said in a statement.

Kesler, who wasn’t injured, said he was fine with the judgment.

“I think the league does a good job of suspensions,” Kesler said Saturday night after Vancouver’s 4-3 victory in Dallas. “I think it’s fair. It’s time to move on.”

Pronger said he wasn’t surprised by the decision.

“Looking at other precedents and other situations that have happened, certainly as a league we don’t condone these types of incidents and obviously want to put these behind us and talk about the important parts of the game,” Pronger said. “I didn’t really plead my case all that much.

“There probably wasn’t too much to say, merely just to replay the incident to them and understand the league doesn’t condone instances like this. I expressed my sincere apologies and they did what they needed to do and I’d have to live with it.”

Earlier this season, the NHL suspended Chris Simon—then of the New York Islanders—30 games for stomping on the leg of Pittsburgh’s Jarkko Ruutu. That marked the longest ban in terms of games in league history.

Pronger got off with a much lighter sentence, but still one that could impact the Western Conference playoff race.

“That’s what the league has decided,” Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. “We have to live with the consequences and deal with that. Now it’s an opportunity. That’s why you acquire players at the trade deadline and have depth in your lineup.

“We have the choice between (Marc-Andre) Bergeron and (Joe) DiPenta to go in. That’s just the way it is, and we move forward.”

Bergeron was with the Islanders earlier this season when Simon stepped on Ruutu. He was acquired in the hours just before last month’s trade deadline.

Pronger, who previous longest ban was four games, will forfeit $609,756 in salary to the players’ emergency assistance fund. His most recent suspension came in last year’s Stanley Cup finals when he sat out one game for elbowing Ottawa’s Dean McAmmond in the head during Game 3 of the series.

Skates have proven to be very dangerous recently. Florida forward Richard Zednik was hospitalized and had surgery that forced him to miss the remainder of the season after the skate blade of teammate Olli Jokinen cut the carotid artery in his neck in a freak accident during a game last month.

Also, veteran linesman Pat Dapuzzo needed dozens of stitches on his face after he was hit by a skate blade a day before Zednik’s injury while working a game in Philadelphia.

On Friday, Simon questioned the initial decision to not suspend Pronger.

“I think what’s happened here is there’s a lot of sensitivity to anything related to skates right now,” said Ducks general manager Brian Burke, a former NHL disciplinarian. “I would have to hope and believe that the NHL disregards any kind of outcry when they evaluate these kinds of things.

“I have a lot more confidence in Colin Campbell that he’s never going to respond to media pressure. I know I never did when I did that job.”

Pronger got his first suspension in the NHL from Burke, on Oct. 29, 1995—a four-game ban for slashing Washington’s Pat Peake.

His suspensions, all with the Ducks and St. Louis Blues, have amounted to 20 regular-season and two postseason games.

What the hell is it with this guy?, it just seems to me like he's always getting suspended for doing some stupid shit, there is no need for this type of crap in the game, what purpose is there to intentionally stomp on someones leg with your skate?, personally I think the guy shoulda got alot more than just 8 games, me I would have suspended him for the rest of the season, what he did could have ended Ryan Kessler season, there is no need for dirty players like this in the NHL, being a hard hitter and an enforcer is one thing but attempting to injure a player with your skate or stick is just unnecessary, personally I'm glad the guy isn't playing for my Wings, I'd hate to have a piece of shit like him on my team

What are everyone else's thoughts on this, I know we have a few Duck fans on here, I'd love to know their thoughts on this

 

[Slim Pickns]

I'm a die hard Minnesota Wild fan, so you can imagine my distaste for the Ducks. I do have an extreme distaste for Pronger due to his stay here in MN when the Ducks faced the Wild in the Playoffs. He is the exact opposite of a stand up player. The guy is constantly pulling crap like this.

I think the league needs to crack down more on people overdoing violence. Remember when Todd Bertuzzi ended a rookies career? He was suppose to be suspended for a year, but the lockout year some how counted. He hardly missed more time than anyone else who didn't paralyze someone. Athletes get heated all the time, its the leagues job to crack down to prevent serious injuries. If this were the NFL, he'd be done for the season and playoffs.

 

[justinsayne]

I'm a die hard Minnesota Wild fan, so you can imagine my distaste for the Ducks. I do have an extreme distaste for Pronger due to his stay here in MN when the Ducks faced the Wild in the Playoffs. He is the exact opposite of a stand up player. The guy is constantly pulling crap like this.

I'm live in SD so I too follow the Wild, not a die hard fan but I would say they are my number 3 team right now, wings being number 1 and Pens at number 2, mostly cause I just like watching Crosby play so damn much, but anyway I know what you mean, those bastard Ducks knocked my fucking Wings out last year too, can't stand the guy, and hate the Ducks, I'm just glad they arn't referred to as the "Mighty Ducks" anymore, I thought it was kinda a slap in the face when Disney decided to buy a franchise and add them to the league and then name them after some stupid movie about a pee-wee hockey team, and one located in MN at that, if anything they should have based their team out of MN not fucking Anaheim!!!!

I think the league needs to crack down more on people overdoing violence. Remember when Todd Bertuzzi ended a rookies career? He was suppose to be suspended for a year, but the lockout year some how counted. He hardly missed more time than anyone else who didn't paralyze someone. Athletes get heated all the time, its the leagues job to crack down to prevent serious injuries. If this were the NFL, he'd be done for the season and playoffs.

I totally agree, what I find really stupid about this 8 game suspension is that it looks like it's gonna benefit Pronger and the Ducks more than hurt them cause he'll be out just for the rest of the regular season, and then back in time for the playoffs, all rested up and ready to go, that's just stupid, he should be out for the rest of the season, both post and regular, as for the Bertuzzi I remember that tard too, the Wings actually traded for the uy at the deadline to improve their chances at winning the cup and the guy did squat, then left in the off-season, I hate the worthless fucktard too, I remeber when he got suspended for a year, I remember think they should just kick him out of the damn league, and send a message

 

[RBH]

Well Justin you have to take into account that the other skater was bltantly holding onto Prong's skate...I would understand if Pronger gave the guy a concusssion but he was merely trying to skate away to where the puck was...the guy was holding onto him...this suspension is ridiculous.....There was no penalty and Pronger was basically defending himself because as I said earlier the guy was holding onto him and there was no calll....if someone was holding u what wud u do?

 

[justinsayne]

Well Justin you have to take into account that the other skater was bltantly holding onto Prong's skate...I would understand if Pronger gave the guy a concusssion but he was merely trying to skate away to where the puck was...the guy was holding onto him...this suspension is ridiculous.....There was no penalty and Pronger was basically defending himself because as I said earlier the guy was holding onto him and there was no calll....if someone was holding u what wud u do?

Hmm...must be a Duck fan, by the way your defending your guy for stomping on someone with a razor sharp blade and saying it was just Pronger defending himself, dude I don't care if the other guy was holding or not, you don't stomp on him with your fucking sharp ass skate and attempt to injure the guy, I'm sorry but that's a bit much, couldn't he have just taken a dive and attempted to draw a penalty, that's what I would have done, in fact back when I played that's what we were taught to do, just fall and try to draw the penalty, don't stomp on the guy, that's just fucked up, I agree with you that the suspension is ridiculous, but only cause I feel it should be for longer

 

[RBH]

well Pronger is like that man...he wasnt taught to take a dive...hes got jerkwad blood in him and thats why he stomps on someone's face when they hold him...and yes u know already that I am a Ducks fan...before pronger came to town...I dont necissarily condone what he did but I do understand it.....hell I was at a Ducks game last week and some guy kicked me in the head while ttrying to move in the aisle.,.if not for the fact that my dad were with me and some kid was with him....that guy is getting his ass kicked within 2 minutes tops....

but the league does like to draw Pronger in like a bull and thats why players try to pull crap like what that guy did with pronger....o and u want to talk about dirty players? You guys have the king: Chris Chelios.....king of jerk hockey players whether he is a red Wing or someone else...

 

[a7xoff]

I'm a Ducks fan and I can say that I am very displeased with this thing. Under no circumstance is it ok for a player to step on another intentionally. Even though it was not meant to hurt him, it still was incredibly dangerous. The guy easlily could have been severly hurt. Those blades are mad sharp and slice through skin like hot knives through butter. 8 games? I hate to say it, but I really don't think that it's enough given the severity of the danger he was toying with. I remember a few years back Domi got suspended for like 12 games for cross checking Neidemyer back when he was on the Devils. I felt that 12 or w/e amount of games was sufficiant. The suspension won't hurt the Ducks in the long run, but we'll see how the next couple games go

 

[justinsayne]

well Pronger is like that man...he wasnt taught to take a dive...hes got jerkwad blood in him and thats why he stomps on someone's face when they hold him...and yes u know already that I am a Ducks fan...before pronger came to town...I dont necissarily condone

Really, cause I coulda swore you called the suspension ridiculous, and tried claiming Pronger was just trying to defend himself...from a guy holding onto his skate...by stomping on him with a razor sharp blade, not sure how you can say you don't condone it, but you can somehow justify it

what he did but I do understand it.....hell I was at a Ducks game last week and some guy kicked me in the head while ttrying to move in the aisle.,.if not for the fact that my dad were with me and some kid was with him....that guy is getting his ass kicked within 2 minutes tops....

Now granted I wasn't there, but it sounds like you were ready to beat the shit out of some guy for accidentally kicking you in the head, you even said in your own words "while trying to move in the aisle".... damn and I thought Phillys fans were bad

but the league does like to draw Pronger in like a bull and thats why players try to pull crap like what that guy did with pronger....o and u want to talk about dirty players? You guys have the king: Chris Chelios.....king of jerk hockey players whether he is a red Wing or someone else...

There's a difference to being a tough hard hitting player and being a complete dick with no regards to anyones safety, Chelios the king of dirty players, I don't think so, lets just look at all his awards to begin with-

2006-07 NHL - Mark Messier Leader of the Year Award
2001-02 Stanley Cup (Detroit)
2001-02 NHL - Bud Light Plus/Minus Award
2001-02 NHL - First All-Star Team
2001-02 Played in NHL All-Star
2001-02 Olympic Silver Medal (2002-USA)
2001-02 Olympic Tournament - All-Star Team
1999-00 Played in NHL All-Star
1997-98 Played in NHL All-Star
1996-97 NHL - Second All-Star Team
1996-97 Played in NHL All-Star
1995-96 NHL - James Norris Memorial Trophy (Defenseman of the Year)
1995-96 NHL - First All-Star Team
1995-96 Played in NHL All-Star
1994-95 NHL - First All-Star Team
1993-94 Played in NHL All-Star
1992-93 NHL - James Norris Memorial Trophy (Defenseman of the Year)
1992-93 NHL - First All-Star Team
1992-93 Played in NHL All-Star
1991-92 Played in NHL All-Star
1990-91 NHL - Second All-Star Team
1990-91 Played in NHL All-Star
1989-90 Played in NHL All-Star
1988-89 NHL - James Norris Memorial Trophy (Defenseman of the Year)
1988-89 NHL - First All-Star Team
1985-86 Stanley Cup (Montreal)
1984-85 NHL - All-Rookie Team
1984-85 Played in NHL All-Star
1982-83 NCAA - All-Tournament Team
1982-83 WCHA - Second All-Star Team

Yup those are all the awards he's won through out his entire career, including his days in college

Oh and I also found this interesting

Transactions / Injuries / Suspensions
11-Mar-08 Missed 6 games (right leg injury).
23-Feb-08 Right leg injury, day-to-day.
12-Jun-07 Re-signed by the Detroit Red Wings to a one-year contract.
12-Apr-07 Missed the last game of the regular season (upper body injury).
07-Apr-07 Upper body injury, day-to-day.
04-Mar-07 Missed 2 games (groin).
27-Feb-07 Groin, day-to-day.
09-Jan-07 Missed 6 games (lower body injury).
28-Dec-06 Lower body injury, day-to-day.
01-Nov-06 Missed 1 game (lower body injury).
28-Oct-06 Lower body injury, day-to-day.
24-May-06 Re-signed by the Detroit Red Wings to a one-year contract.
04-Aug-05 Re-signed as an unrestricted free agent by the Detroit Red Wings to a one-year contract.

So from Aug 4th, 05-Mar 11, 08 he hasn't had a single suspension, now I'm not saying he's never been suspended cause I havn't found the stats his his career suspensions yet, but I do know, that accroding to that article about Pronger at the beginning on this thread that he's been suspended 20 games including 2 playoff games in hius career

something else I found interesting...

The Longest NHL Suspensions

Chris Simon, Todd Bertuzzi, and the rest of the longest NHL suspensions ever.
Chris Simon is the third player to be suspended for the remainder of the current season. But the 25-game minimum attached to his suspension makes it effectively the most severe in hockey history.

The Longest NHL Suspensions:

# 30 Games
Chris Simon of the New York Islanders, for stomping on the leg of Pittsburgh's Jarko Ruutu in December, 2007. It is the seventh suspension of Simon's NHL career.

# The Rest Of The Season (minimum 25 games)
Chris Simon of the New York Islanders, for a slash to the face of the Rangers' Ryan Hollweg in March, 2007. Simon misses 15 regular season games plus all of the Islanders' playoff games. The suspension carries over to 2007-08 if necessary to meet the 25-game minimum.

# The Rest Of The Season (23 games)
Marty McSorley of the Boston Bruins, for knocking out Vancouver's Donald Brashear by swinging a stick at his head in March, 2000. McSorley misses 23 regular season games.

# The Rest Of The Season (20 games)
Todd Bertuzzi of the Vancouver Canucks, for serious injuries sustained by Colorado's Steve Moore when Bertuzzi jumped him from behind in March, 2004. Bertuzzi misses 13 regular season games, plus seven playoff games. His suspension is listed as indefinite, but the following season is cancelled due to a labor dispute and he is allowed to return when the NHL resumes in the fall of 2005.

# 25 Games
Jesse Boulerice of the Philadelphia Flyers, for a crosscheck to the face of Vancouver's Ryan Kesler in October, 2007.

# 23 Games
Gordie Dwyer of the Tampa Bay Lightning, for abusing officials and leaving the penalty box to fight in a pre-season game against the Washington Capitals in September, 2000.

# 21 games
Dale Hunter of the Washington Capitals, for a hit on Pierre Turgeon of the New York Islanders while Turgeon celebrates a goal in the 1993 playoffs.

# 20 games
Steve Downie of the Philadelphia Flyers, for deliberately targeting the head with a body check on Ottawa's Dean McAmmond in September, 2007.

# 20 games
Tom Lysiak of the Chicago Blackhawks, for intentionally tripping a linesman in October, 1983.

# 20 games
Brad May of the Phoenix Coyotes, for a slash to the head of Columbus' Steve Heinze in November, 2000.

# 16 games
Eddie Shore of the Boston Bruins, for hitting Toronto's Ace Bailey over the head with his stick in 1933.

# 15 games (3 regular season, 12 playoff)
Maurice Richard of the Montreal Canadiens, for knocking down linesman Cliff Thompson during a scuffle with Boston's Hal Laycoe in March, 1955.

# 15 games
Wilf Paiement of the Colorado Rockies, for swinging his stick and hitting Detroit's Dennis Polonich in the face in October, 1978.

# 15 games
Dave Brown of the Philadelphia Flyers, for cross-checking Tomas Sandstrom of the New York Rangers across the face and breaking his jaw in November, 1987.

# 15 games
Tony Granato of the Los Angeles Kings, for slashing Pittsburgh's Neil Wilkinson in February, 1994.

# 13 games
Wayne Maki of the St. Louis Blues and Ted Green of the Boston Bruins, for swinging their sticks at each other in September, 1969.

# 13 games
Andre Roy of the Tampa Bay Lightning, for leaving the penalty box and physically abusing an official while trying to engage players in the New York Rangers' penalty box in April, 2002.

# 12 games
Brantt Myhres of the San Jose Sharks, for leaving the bench to attack Mattias Norstrom of the Los Angeles Kings in February, 1999.

# 12 games
Matt Johnson of the Los Angeles Kings, for deliberately injuring the New York Rangers' Jeff Beukeboom in November, 1998. Beukeboom suffered a concussion and never played again.

# 12 games
Ron Hextall of the Philadelphia Flyers, for attacking Montreal's Chris Chelios during a playoff game in May, 1989.

# 12 games
David Shaw of the New York Rangers, for high-sticking Pittsburgh's Mario Lemieux in October, 1988

# 11 games
Owen Nolan of the San Jose Sharks, for a hit to the head of the Dallas Stars' Grant Marshall in February, 2001.

# 11 games (3 playoff, 8 regular season)
Tie Domi of the Toronto Maple Leafs, for knocking out Scott Niedermayer with an elbow to the head during the 2001 playoffs. Domi was suspended for the balance of the playoffs and the first eight games of the following season.

# 10 games
Jimmy Mann of the Winnipeg Jets, for sucker-punching Pittsburgh's Paul Gardner in January, 1982.

# 10 games
Ruslan Salei of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, for hitting Dallas' Mike Modano from behind in October, 1999.

# 10 games
Scott Niedermayer of the New Jersey Devils, for hitting Florida's Peter Worrell in the head with his stick in March, 2000.

Source: Canadian Press

Funny how I don't see Chelios name on their at all, you'd think that if he were the king of dirty players he'd at least have had one on the longest suspensions in NHL history

So still think Chelios is the king of dirty players?

BTW here are my souces for all that info in case you check it out for yourself
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/teams/players/bio/?id=0613&hubname=nhl-red_wings#stats
http://proicehockey.about.com/cs/history/a/nhl_suspensions.htm

 

[a7xoff]

Something interesting I saw there. The top suspension is for stomping on someone. I believe it was Chris Simon's seventh. 30 games. See now this is what I don't understand. I mean look at Simon, yes it was his seventh suspension, but numbers shouldn't play a factor in determining a punishment. Unless it's something like WWE has where each time you warrent a suspension it's worse. With the NHL though that does not seem to be the case. Perhaps the NHL should set up a system where inapropriate behavior such as stomping on someone is an automatic 30 game suspension. It is really one of the most dangerous things you can do in hockey espically if your in that sort of anger that you'd intentionally do it to begin with. SO am I suggesting that 30 games would be sufficant for Pronger? Yes, I mean I'm a fan of the Ducks, but that sort of stuff is just uncalled for.