OT: Hockey

by Chris Martin on Mar 20, 2007 7:40 AM CDT Comment 12 comments

Jordin Tootoo was suspended for his punch on Dallas' Stephane Robidas. I have seen the video several times and since I don't watch hockey or know much about it I have a few questions....

Was the check that Tootoo put on Modano legal? It looked like it was but I don't know.

If it was legal, then why was Robidas skating over there to take out Tootoo and is Tootoo just supposed to stand there and let the 3rd man in take him out?

What exactly did Tootoo do to warrant a suspension? Guys fight all the time.

And finally, why hasn't Modano been suspended for whacking Tootoo across the back with his stick?

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It's Hockey

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by DJCahill on Mar 20, 2007 7:43 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

just based on what i've seen on replays, the hit was clean...those hits happen all the time, but when you hit the superstar someone usually skates over to make sure everythings cool, or to inturn put a hit on the guy who hit the superstar.

Tootoo got suspended because he turned around and just suckerpunched robadais in the face as he was skating towards him, that warrants a suspension.

As far as modano goes, he deserves a game or two, because he hauled off and whacked him in the back with the stick.

Pimps be damned, it's harder out here for a Rangers fan!

by rentz on Mar 20, 2007 7:47 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Tootoo's hit wasn't a penalty, but

was more than was necessary. He went high intending to take Modano to the ice when Modano couldn't defend himself because he was in the midst of passing. Robidas went in to check him and let him know that taking the Stars best player to the ice isn't cool.

In hockey, a fight involves both parties intending to fight. Tootoo saw Robidas coming out of the corner of his eye and suckerpunched him. A fight would have been if Robidas came in, pushed him, they both throw down their gloves, and have a fight. What Tootoo did wasn't fighting.

In answer to what Tootoo should have done, well he had to know that after he took Modano to the ice there would be some consequences. He could have tried to push Robidas away, gotten up, and fought him.

Modano should have gotten a couple games, but his hit looks worse than it really was. I've been hit like that before, and the padding on your back is enough that it hurts, but he hit him close enough to the handle of the stick that it wouldn't be much worse than getting hit with a fist in the back. Now, if Modano had hit him 8 inches higher and got him in the neck/head, it'd be something altogether different.

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by jtts on Mar 20, 2007 8:12 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Ok

But if Tootoo hadn't turned around when he did then Robidas probably would have knocked him to the ice or into the boards. I see it more as Tootoo protecting himself than a suckerpunch.

I guess this is one of those reasons I don't like hockey. If Tootoo's hit wasn't a penalty then why is it necessary for Robidas to "protect" Modano? It's a physical game and you are going to get hit. You don't see left tackles going after defensive players after a clean hit on the quarterback in football.

I am glad to see other people agree that what Modano did was bad as well.

Milk, milk, lemonade, around the corner fudge is made.

by Chris Martin on Mar 20, 2007 8:25 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Baseball

You can relate this to baseball. If another pitcher drills Young or Teixeira, a Ranger pitcher is most likely going to hit someone on the other team. It is supposed to end there.

Kind of reminds me of the Angels game where both teams were hit, but the Angels insisted on hitting more and more people. If you hit someone on the other team you should not cry when it comes back to you.

by baylor on Mar 20, 2007 8:40 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Tootoo should have either

pushed Robidas and tried to deflect him from checking him or tried to move out of the way so he didn't take the full blow.

If Tootoo had just checked Modano there wouldn't have been any repercussions. What Tootoo did was akin to if a DE sacks the QB and then stands over him. A LT would absolutely go after the DE if he felt like the DE was taking liberties. Or if Tootoo had hit Jeff Halpern like that there probably wouldn't have been that response.

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by jtts on Mar 20, 2007 8:50 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah...

The main thing at issue wrong with what Tootoo did is he threw a punch without dropping the gloves. That's why it's viewed as a sucker punch and not a 1 hit fight.

As for the check on Modano, I might be remembering a bit fuzzy, but I think the refs were calling a roughing penalty on the check because it was a little late after Modano had got rid of the puck. I seem to remember the ref raising his hand after the check at least, and Tootoo got a double minor out of the ordeal.

Either way, I know it was a little late and not just in the normal course of action with Modano having the puck. As for Robidas, he wasn't coming over to just lay Tootoo out. If the sucker punch hadn't happened, most likely the two would have exchanged pleasantries with a decent chance of the 2 dropping the gloves and having a fight. However, Tootoo took out any possibility of that by punching him with his gloves still on.

by rangers85 on Mar 20, 2007 9:02 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

there

were 2 penaties called on this play. A charging penalty on the initial check, that I personally felt was pretty clean. Then there was a roughing double minor on the punch thrown. None of the officials saw what really happened, just saw he went down like a ton of bricks, or else it should have been a game misconduct.

Yeah, what Modano did was not called for, but if I had witnessed the same action, I could not say I would use the same restraints of just a whack on the back.

by pablo on Mar 20, 2007 10:47 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Actually...

the refs called the charging penalty against Stephane Robidas. All Tootoo got was a double minor roughing. The charging penalty on Robidas is what was laughable. What'd he charge with? His jaw?

As for Modano, def agree. It wasn't so much a slash what he did as a kind of "get off my guy" type thing.

by rangers85 on Mar 20, 2007 5:35 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs