Thrashers prospect could face jail time

[roundhouse]

David Branch has done a great job ?? are you kidding ..this guy is doing everything in his power to make major junior hockey into NCAA hockey . Look up the phrase "knee-jerk reaction" and its got Branchs picture. This guy is turning junior hockey into soccer on ice.

[gagnerfan89]

this would be a good time to trade/sell all your cormier stuff

[Flyers16]

Two things to say here.

One, David Branch had nothing to do with Cormier's suspension. He has nothing to do with the QMJHL. He's the boss of the OHL, not Major Junior. I do agree though with the point. He's done a great job cleaning up the OHL, and laying the hammer down on players when appropriate.

But how could you suggest that players should not expect something like this from happening? I wouldn't call Cormier's actions 'hockey' either, but they're consistent with the goon tactics that have been employed by hockey players for years.

While I can't really back this up, I have serious doubts that any current NHLer has gone through their NHL / Minors / Junior career without being run from behind into the boards. This stuff happens in virtually every game, to any player.

Just to clarify, yes David Branch is the Commissioner of the OHL, and he is also the President of the Canadian Hockey League. The 3 major Canadian junior leagues fall under the CHL. A suspension of the length of Cormier's would be handed down by the Commissioner of the QMJHL, but Branch would also have a say in the suspension.

I agree that professional hockey players should have an expectation of being hit from behind when they play the puck along the boards. What they should not be expecting is an elbow to the head while skating at centre ice. And that is what Cormier did. He did not hit from behind in order to gain possession of the puck. He attempted and succeeded in injuring another player. If we accept that within hockey, then we might as well bring back the stick swinging of Ted Green and Wayne Maki.

Should Cormier be charged by the Quebec authorities, I don't know. I guess one thing to consider is at what point does what happens within sport cross over into normal society, and that the rules that apply to the rest of us applies to those within the sports context.

[pghin08]

Boy, that's a fine line. I can't say I agree with authorities getting involved. I've seen that hit more times than I ever cared to, but it's up to the league to discipline Cormier. That kind of stuff has no place in the game.

[MasonRaymond0320]

I think that it is a pretty harsh punishment. Well...I dont know. Hes been out for the whole season, and his career is in jeporady. If they do give him time in jail, I think he dont think he will get more than 6 months.

[30ranfordfan]

I did know that - that he was President of the CHL. My understanding has been that it's more of a ceremonial role than anything else. While the leagues all do talk, and try and work together on certain issues.... I didn't think that role gave him any real power above and beyond facilitation of discussions. Maybe I'm under the wrong impression? I don't know.

Hitting from behind was just one example of something "against the rules" that I see happen far too often. Even this instance of the elbow by Cormier. Can anyone honestly say it was the dirtiest elbow they've ever seen used?

My point isn't that they should let him off light, it's just that anyone playing Major Junior Hockey (or the AHL, NHL, whatever) knows that many players have pulled these kinds of stunts before, and it's going to happen again. It's an inherent risk of playing hockey at that level. Is it right? No. But it is the reality.

I just don't think that Cormier did something we've never seen before. Certainly not something out of character for many hockey players. Obviously dirty, and the league got the season long ban correct, IMO.

There are very few things that a hockey player could do, on the Ice, that I would argue in favour of police action. The simple truth is that much of what they do, within the rules, could be considered "assault". Certainly what they do to earn a 5 minute major *IS* considered assault by normal society.

Attack the fans? Yeah. Charge them. Bring a weapon onto the ice (other than your stick)? Charge them. I'm sure we could come up with other "outside the norm" examples that we'd all agree, would be police worthy.

I just refuse to consider hockey at this level, or higher, to be normal society. I don't believe there is anything 'normal' about it.



If the leagues want to get rid of this stuff (from the NHL on down) there is one REALLY simple way to do it, and it doesn't involve the police. Suspend them, regardless of the injury. That's the problem. If the guy on the other end of this elbow had walked away from it.... Cormier gets a game, and we never talk about it again.



I've said this in a few other threads before, but my solution is simple: List all conceivable actions that should be met with suspension. Assign a value to them (number of games). With each subsequent suspension, you get that number added on. So a dirty flying elbow is worth 10 games (as an example). If it's your 2nd suspension, it's worth 20. 3rd is worth 30. Etc. You number of suspensions carries over from one year to the next.

But you have to call it, and suspend people every single time. Before long.... repeat goons won't be able to do anything stupid without getting 20+ game suspension. You'd have them out of these leagues in no time.

Again - I think what he did was horrible, and hockey needs to get rid of it. I just don't think the police getting involved in an incident once every 3 years acts as a deterrent, and I don't think it's fair to the players either. We let these kids knock each other out with their bare fists, and applaud them for it. Couldn't do that in real life either.

Just to clarify, yes David Branch is the Commissioner of the OHL, and he is also the President of the Canadian Hockey League. The 3 major Canadian junior leagues fall under the CHL. A suspension of the length of Cormier's would be handed down by the Commissioner of the QMJHL, but Branch would also have a say in the suspension.

I agree that professional hockey players should have an expectation of being hit from behind when they play the puck along the boards. What they should not be expecting is an elbow to the head while skating at centre ice. And that is what Cormier did. He did not hit from behind in order to gain possession of the puck. He attempted and succeeded in injuring another player. If we accept that within hockey, then we might as well bring back the stick swinging of Ted Green and Wayne Maki.

Should Cormier be charged by the Quebec authorities, I don't know. I guess one thing to consider is at what point does what happens within sport cross over into normal society, and that the rules that apply to the rest of us applies to those within the sports context.

[FlyerGuy22]

This would be a bad move in my mind. It was a dirty play, but it was during a hockey game. Had the other guy not gone into convulsions we wouldnt even be talking about it.
Are we going to start filing assault charges along with double minors for drawing blood with a high stick?
It's unfortunate what happened but jail time would be a bit dramatic.