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Got a question on rule clarification, comments on rule enforcements or some memorable NHL stories? Kerry wants to answer your emails at cmonref@tsn. Sam Acho Kids Jersey .ca! Hi Kerry, In the Leafs/Penguins game on Monday night Rob Bortuzzo hits Jerry DAmigo, which leads to a 2-on-1 for the Leafs. No Pens ever touched the puck and the Leafs had a clear scoring opportunity. Why would the refs blow this play dead before a shot is even taken? Thanks,Chris --- Kerry, during Monday nights game between Pittsburgh and Toronto, Robert Bortuzzo hit Jerry DAmigo with a body check that appeared legal - at least to me. He was assessed a two-minute minor penalty for an "illegal hit to the head." Kerry, if you look at this on the replay, DAmigos body was bent over, clearly in the line of Bortuzzos shoulder. Bortuzzo did not target the head and thus should not have been assessed the penalty. To me, that hit was a clean body check. I am fast becoming an anti-NHL fan if this is the direction the league is going. Thanks,Karl Sundbo Chris and Karl: When a player delivers a devastating check, especially one that makes significant contact to the head of his opponent, the referees first and primary concern is for the safety of a player that might be in distress and require immediate medical response. Puck possession and a potential scoring opportunity become secondary when contact to the head and concussion related injuries are currently such sensitive and hot topic issues within the entire hockey community. The sight of Jerry DAmigo turned face down after being struck in the head by the tremendous upward velocity (video) generated through the check by Robert Bortuzzo might have even given the Officials cause to reflect on the number of times that players have been evacuated from the ice on stretchers this season. I commend the Official that blew his whistle to stop play in this situation. He was the "first responder" in providing swift medical attention to Jerry DAmico who appeared to be in obvious distress. Whenever a player is struck in the head with significant force I believe you will see the Officials will err on the side of caution to stop the play. It was certainly good to see Jerry DAmico return to the Leafs bench after being fully evaluated. Karl, as much I would hate to see you become an anti-NHL fan I dislike these "legal" checks to the head even more! Far too often excuses are being made for a player that delivers a devastating hit to the head when his opponent is vulnerable. Granted, Jerry DAmigos posture was low as he extended to play the puck; one that Robert Bortuzzo also made a stab at with his stick. DAmigo was certainly exposed and vulnerable to be legally checked and, as we know, must take responsibility for placing himself in this position. This is where hits of this nature go beyond acceptable for me with regard to "player safety" issues. Why, instead of just making reasonable contact to eliminate a player or finish a check, does the current "gladiator culture" of hitting deem it necessary to knock an opponent into the outer limits of space! I dont particularly blame Robert Bortuzzo for taking the shot when it was available to him. I say this even though I deplore the fact that Bortuzzo felt the need to elevate and fully leave his skates at impact against a smaller, bent over and vulnerable opponent. Like so many players today, Robert Bortuzzo likely believes thats whats expected of him; even when his opponents head is vulnerable. This mindset has become second nature and instinctive for todays players. It must be altered. I place much of the blame on the keepers of the game for letting this excessive culture of hitting perpetuate over time and consistently erode an ever declining respect players demonstrate toward their opponent! Many around the keepers table will deem this just another "good hockey play" as they hand out suspensions in an attempt to hold players accountable and make "better decisions" in dangerous situations. It will take a greater effort to derail this runaway train wreck because the train left the station years ago. Stephane Richer shared with me a valuable lesson that he learned from Hall of Fame defenceman Larry Robinson in a pre-season game in Richers rookie year with the Montreal Canadiens. The Habs were playing the Oilers in Northlands Coliseum when Richer cross-checked Oilers captain Lee Fogolin in front of the net. As Fogolin then pursued a loose puck behind the net, Richer hit Fogolin right in the numbers driving the veteran player face first into the boards. Fogolin turned and the two players fought. Stephane Richer was feeling pretty good about the outcome of the fight and his contribution as a rookie player. He did what he thought was expected of him. Richer was even expecting high-fives from his teammates upon his return to the Habs bench after serving the major penalty for fighting. Instead of a pat on the back, Larry Robinson had a heart to heart talk with young Mr. Richer on the Canadiens bench. Robinson explained to the rookie that to earn respect around the NHL he must show respect toward his opponents. The great Larry Robinson continued the lesson by adding, whenever a players numbers were exposed which placed the opponent in a dangerous or vulnerable position you dont hit him with any force. At times like that just do what is necessary to contain your opponent. Robinson suggested Richer would earn more respect for playing that way! I hope it isnt too late for this lesson to be instilled in the present generation of NHL players. All aboard! Michael Floyd Jersey . "It is my feeling the club is at a stage that is critical to our on-field expectations and this move was necessary," Hervey told a news gathering hours after he informed Reed he was gone after three years as head coach. Paul Fanaika Jersey . Mata had already been dropped from Spains squad once this season and with the country blessed with so many playmakers, he was in real danger of being overlooked for the trip to Brazil to defend their title.INDIANAPOLIS -- Sent packing by his only NFL team, one he transformed from afterthought to Super Bowl champion, Peyton Manning said goodbye to the Indianapolis Colts with a shaky voice and tear-filled eyes, then got ready to find a new place to play quarterback. At a podium alongside owner Jim Irsay, who cut the injured star Wednesday rather than pay a whopping US$28 million bonus due this week, Manning was by turns wistful, nostalgic -- he got choked up while praising the Colts equipment managers -- and forward-looking. The only four-time MVP in NFL history now figures to become as coveted a free agent as the league has ever seen, assuming he can assuage any lingering concerns about the series of neck operations that forced him to miss all of 2011. Arizona, Miami, Seattle, Tennessee, Washington and the New York Jets all have been rumoured as possible destinations; Mannings former offensive co-ordinator in Indianapolis, Tom Moore, worked for the Jets as a consultant last season. "Nobody loves their job more than I do. Nobody loves playing quarterback more than I do. I still want to play. But there is no other team I wanted to play for," said Manning, who turns 36 this month. Still, he acknowledged: "We all know that nothing lasts forever. Times change, circumstances change, and thats the reality of playing in the NFL." Another reality: Manning should command plenty of offers on the open market. Its not very often that teams get a crack at a QB whos thrown for more than 50,000 yards and nearly 400 touchdowns, been picked for 11 Pro Bowls, and been a Super Bowl MVP. Mannings importance to the Colts success was never more apparent than last season, when their record plummeted to 2-14 without him. "I have no idea who wants me, what team wants me, how this process works," Manning told a group of reporters in South Florida, where he has a home and flew after the news conference. "I dont know if its like college recruiting where you go take visits. I mean, this is all so new to me." Reports of other clubs interest began emerging a while back, and theyll only intensify now. Because he was released and went on the waiver wire Wednesday, Manning is allowed to negotiate and sign with any club immediately; he does not need to wait until the free-agent period that begins next Tuesday, and said his agent already was taking calls. "I literally have not had one conversation with anyone about these teams. Its been so hard for me trying to figure out some closure with my situation with the Colts," Manning said. "I havent thought about teams, and I dont know who is interested. I really dont." Reaction poured into Twitter feeds from all around the sports world -- not merely from NFL players publicly lobbying for their teams to sign Manning. Dwyane Wade of the NBAs Miami Heat urged Manning to head to that citys Dolphins, while tennis Andy Roddick, the 2003 U.S. Open champion, observed: "The colts cutting Peyton feels like the north pole kicking out Santa." Thats about right. The stark first sentence of the official team statement read: "The Indianapolis Colts today released quarterback Peyton Manning." Even if the news first leaked out Tuesday -- and had been anticipated for weeks, if not months -- it was odd to see those words written about a player so synonymous with the horseshoe helmet that Irsay said Mannings No. 18 will never again be worn by a Colts player. Fans of various teams can start imagining what Manning might look like in their colours. Picture Joe Montana heading from the 49ers to the Chiefs or Emmitt Smith switching from the Cowboys to the Cardinals. "For those of us who are so used to him being there day in and day out, it would be a little like (Yankees captain) Derek Jeter changing teams. He really is that iconic guy that represents the franchise. Its a hackneyed phrase, but he truly is the face of the franchise, and has been," said former Colts vice chairman Bill Polian, who drafted Manning out of Tennessee with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1998 draft and was fired this January. "It will be a little strange not having him there." That is why Wednesday provided such an awkward and unusual scene for Manning and Irsay. Their NFL lives have been so closely intertwined, yet they stood inches apart in jackets and ties while discussing their separattion. Justin Bethel. . Rarely do star athletes who are not retiring show up at a news conference to let the world know theyve been dumped. And while Manning and Irsay -- indeed, all of the NFL -- was aware this profitable partnership was due to end now, the emotions showed by both seemed raw and real. "This has not been easy for Jim," Manning said, "and this has certainly not been easy for me." Each paused frequently to try to compose himself while speaking during their appearance in a room at the Colts complex normally reserved for celebratory news conferences, such as the hiring of a new coach or general manager -- two other significant steps Irsay took recently as he essentially starts from scratch. The room is lined with banners honouring some of the teams greatest stars, including, of course, Manning himself, flanked by Pro Football Hall of Famers Eric Dickerson and John Mackey. Indianapolis needed to cut Manning this week to avoid paying him a bonus from the $90-million, five-year contract he signed in July, although both owner and player insisted the decision was not really about money. The Colts are widely expected to begin moving on by taking Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck with the No. 1 overall pick in Aprils draft. Irsay repeatedly used the word "rebuilding" and acknowledged: "Were definitely a few years away." Manning, Irsay said, "is on the mend to try to resume his career." Manning hopes to be playing in the NFL at the start of next season. Still, he said Wednesday: "Ill always be a Colt. I always will be. Thatll never change." When the news conference ended, Manning reached over to shake hands with Irsay, who instead tried to offer a hug, and they wound up settling for pats on the shoulder before walking off together and leaving the room. Clearly, this was not an easy adieu for Manning. Mentioning Colts employees hell no longer be around, Manning paused to collect himself while noting: "Weve got the greatest equipment guys in the world." "I think about those type of relationships -- not necessarily always on the field, and the touchdown throw to win the game. Its the behind the scenes. The laughs. The stories. The times spent together. Those are the memories. Those arent going away," he said. "Those will be with me for the rest of my life." Manning will forever be thought of around these parts as the QB who led the Colts to an NFL championship, barking out signals while waving his arms at the line of scrimmage to change a play after reading the defence -- something he did as well as anyone. Hell be remembered, too, for turning a basketball-loving city into a football hotbed that hosted the Super Bowl a month ago. During that Super Bowl week, the hottest topic of conversation was Peyton Manning, not his younger brother Eli, who wound up leading the New York Giants to the title. "There will be no other Peyton Manning," Irsay said, adding that he hoped Wednesdays joint appearance would serve to "honour incredible memories and incredible things that hes done for the franchise, for the city, for the state." Manning started every meaningful game for 13 seasons -- 227 in a row, including the playoffs -- and took Indianapolis from perennial also-ran to one of the NFLs model franchises and the 2007 Super Bowl title. In the two decades before he arrived in town, the Colts won 116 games, one division title and made the playoffs three times. With Manning taking snaps, the Colts won 150 games, eight division titles, two AFC championships and the franchises first league championship since moving from Baltimore in 1984. Indianapolis broke the NFL record for most regular-season wins in a decade (115), and tied Dallas mark for most consecutive playoff appearances (nine). Manning broke all of the franchises major career passing records, previously held by Hall of Famer John Unitas. Unitas, of course, played 17 years for the Colts when they were in Baltimore, then finished his career with one season in San Diego at age 40. Now its Mannings turn to move on. "I want to get back out there and play. I dont feel like everybody will say, He has to do this or He has to prove that. I dont feel that way," he said. "I know how much I love being a quarterback and love football and I want to go play again." ' ' ' |
