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People thoughts on Flyers after Third game of 2007-2008 season

"I guess you're right. But the issue in these situations is about making the punishment fit the crime as opposed to making the punishment fit the criminal. If Daniel Briere had done this (OK, so he'd have had to get up on a box to take off Kesler's head as Boulerice did, but let's imagine it for a moment), would you still be advocating a lifetime ban? Don't think so. Let's assume Boulerice gets 20 or 30 games and the Flyers get along fine without him (this is a good segue into the changes in the lineup from last season), then they could release Boulerice and his career would effectively be over. At least until [Ducks GM] Brian Burke signs him."
--Scott Burnside of Espn.com




"Let's use the Philadelphia Flyers as an example. Currently, the Flyers have two players under suspension, Downie (for the pre-season hit on the Ottawa Senators' Dean McAmmond) and now Boulerice. The Flyers tried to circumvent the terms of Downie's 20-game suspension by assigning him to their American Hockey League affiliate, only to have the AHL close the loophole by suspending him themselves for a month. In all probability, they would have tried something similar with Boulerice, who has played more games in the minors (243) than in the NHL (165) since turning pro a decade ago (after a controversy-filled junior career in the Ontario Hockey League).

But what if the Flyers actually had to play two men short during the terms of Downie's and Boulerice's suspensions, dressing only 16 skaters as opposed to 18? That would greatly limit coach John Stevens' flexibility; it would have a tangible impact on the organization and its day-to-day operations; and it would do more than just punish the guilty players.

Suddenly, a team thinking of employing a Boulerice or a Downie type would need to weigh the risks against the rewards of doing so and just might conclude that it isn't worth it anymore — not if they could find themselves one, or in Philadelphia's case, two line-up spots short per game for an extended period of time.

Flyers' general manager Paul Holmgren was saying this week how the pair of suspensions "makes things tricky for the roster." Imagine how tricky things would become if his coach could only dress five defencemen and 11 forwards — or six defencemen and just 10 forwards — while his suspended players cool their heels on the sidelines."

--ERIC DUHATSCHEK


"I am from Canada...
The center of the hockey world..

he should have got 50 games
and Flyers fined 3 million dollars

THEN IT WOULD STOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
--Buttertartfart in espn chat room

I thought it for a couple of days and i thought this is the kind of message the Flyers & Boulerice needed to send. after jones was run, what the F does it accomplish if boulerice fight a guy his size? Every Player needs to be held accountable for their actions and it begins letting the players policing themselves


BTW THE BROAD ST BULLIES ARE BACK WITH A VENGENCE

0 game suspension: http://youtube.com/watch?v=FFp2dlMrv0c

20 game suspension: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LItMqF6_G0I

3 game suspension: http://youtube.com/watch?v=07lzWueATqw

25 game suspension: http://youtube.com/watch?v=8-Y3x0mr_Ik


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Filed Under:   flyers   nhl   Boulerice  
October 13, 2007 4:37 AM ET | Delete
The 3 Game Suspension for the EXACT same thing Boulerice did... just shows how pathetic the league has become. I don't want to defend Boulerice for his hit, it was BAD. And perhaps deserves 25 - but only when you would consider Downies 20 were fair value.... and Downies 20 were waaaay over the top.
MJL
October 13, 2007 8:30 AM ET | Delete
That's rediculous. Why should a team be punished for the idiotic actions of a player? Why should the fans be punished? And this is America. We give hardened criminals second chances. Todd Bertuzzi is still playing after he ended a players career.
October 13, 2007 11:02 AM ET | Delete
The zero game suspension was appropriate....he never left his feet, and the guy he hit HAD THE PUCK.Orr on Ovie should have been 25 games but it was before the precedent was was set by the Simon Hit.
October 13, 2007 4:39 PM ET | Delete
JerZeyDevil--Precedent is a penalty given in a prior incident. If Orr happened before Simon and you believe the two are similar, then the precedent for sticks to the face is 3 games, in which case the NHL DID NOT follow precedent. I happen to believe that the NHL did not believe that the Orr and Simon incidents were akin. Otherwise they would have given Simon 3 games. After watching the Orr hit, I can't imagine that the NHL would think that the Boulerice hit was worse than the Orr hit.
October 14, 2007 3:52 PM ET | Delete
Eaves had the puck, completely different circumstances (playoffs vs pre-season) and it was prior to the NHL telling players it was trying to get this stuff out of the game. The NHL has created a new standard of justice and it is impossible to compare suspensions prior to the Chris Simon incident to now. I'm not really sure why you included that comment about the guy saying he was Canadian. If you're suggesting it's because the Flyers play in the states that they get punished more severely, how can you include the hit on Eaves? It's totally contradictory to use that example if that is indeed what you are suggesting. There are a ton of examples of players not getting their deserved suspension before this year. Remember Paul Kariya nearly getting his head taken off a few years back? Nearly ended his career. Cam Janssen last year only got 3 games for his hit on Kaberle, Adam Graves barely got anything when he broke Lemieux's wrist etc etc. THe thing that I do find interesting though is both Downie and Boulerice have done idiotic things in the past and then carried it to the NHL level. Boulerice was lucky that he wasn't prosecuted more severely in his Plymouth days, the guy he hit was on the score yesterday talking about how he hadn't wanted him to be prosecuted to the full extent, he just wanted hockey to clean itself up. Anyways, if the point is that if the precedent changes and everyone knows that a new precedent has been established, they shouldn't be surprised at the consequences of their actions.
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