Tootoo-Weller... An NHL Injustice System
Posted 1:51 PM ET | Comments 0
I've seen the replay of the Weller Tootoo dust up about 15 times at least. Here's my opinion for what it's worth and I've been throwing it around since the Sutton hit and no one's paid me a dime.
The Tootoo hit was at least as bad as the Downie hit. Both hits were against a guy coming around the net and not paying attention but Downie stopped skating at the blue line, left his feet and made contact flush with his shoulder pad. Tootoo also targeted a player in a similar circumstance but that player was already engaged with a defenseman, Tootoo took at least six strides directly at the player he targeted. Those strides and the resulting blow to the head fulfills four of the five criteria listed by Colin Campbell during the Downie suspension.
The Weller contact was a clothesline that resulted in Tootoo hitting his head on the ice. It looked to me like Weller was trying to engage Tootoo in a fight, knew he was going to knock him down but his head was turned and didn't see Tootoo's head hit the ice. Weller still needs to be responsible for the arm tackle but his blow was not to the head. Much like one of two players engaged in a fight falling and striking his head on the ice, the other fighter is not then rung up for the resulting blow to the head. He got a match penalty and it was recinded and I think that may have come off a little light. A fine may have been in order. It's pretty dangerous to clothesline a player.
Tootoo should be looking at a 10 to 15 game suspension if they're going to take injury into account. If the player was taken off on a stretcher like McAmmond he should have gotten 25 or more. He targeted, charged and directed a blow to the head of an unsuspecting player. Four of Five.
Let me point out that this happened in Nashville. If the same thing happened in TO, Tootoo would be getting calls for a lifetime ban and the Toronto player that clotheslined him would be posing for a statue.
I read reaction on many of the Flyer's threads and I firmly believe this is not an anti Flyer's sentiment from the NHL. What we're looking at here is the blunt force trauma of the Canadian Media. London, ON vs Ottawa = 20 Games; Two NY teams = undisclosed fine; Vancouver, BC = 25 Games; Nashville, TN vs Phoenix = absolutely nothing. It's time to see it for what it's worth, no one in the US media is making a stink and the Canadian Media doesn't care unless it happens in Canada or to a Canadian based team. That's it plain and simple.
The Tootoo hit was at least as bad as the Downie hit. Both hits were against a guy coming around the net and not paying attention but Downie stopped skating at the blue line, left his feet and made contact flush with his shoulder pad. Tootoo also targeted a player in a similar circumstance but that player was already engaged with a defenseman, Tootoo took at least six strides directly at the player he targeted. Those strides and the resulting blow to the head fulfills four of the five criteria listed by Colin Campbell during the Downie suspension.
The Weller contact was a clothesline that resulted in Tootoo hitting his head on the ice. It looked to me like Weller was trying to engage Tootoo in a fight, knew he was going to knock him down but his head was turned and didn't see Tootoo's head hit the ice. Weller still needs to be responsible for the arm tackle but his blow was not to the head. Much like one of two players engaged in a fight falling and striking his head on the ice, the other fighter is not then rung up for the resulting blow to the head. He got a match penalty and it was recinded and I think that may have come off a little light. A fine may have been in order. It's pretty dangerous to clothesline a player.
Tootoo should be looking at a 10 to 15 game suspension if they're going to take injury into account. If the player was taken off on a stretcher like McAmmond he should have gotten 25 or more. He targeted, charged and directed a blow to the head of an unsuspecting player. Four of Five.
Let me point out that this happened in Nashville. If the same thing happened in TO, Tootoo would be getting calls for a lifetime ban and the Toronto player that clotheslined him would be posing for a statue.
I read reaction on many of the Flyer's threads and I firmly believe this is not an anti Flyer's sentiment from the NHL. What we're looking at here is the blunt force trauma of the Canadian Media. London, ON vs Ottawa = 20 Games; Two NY teams = undisclosed fine; Vancouver, BC = 25 Games; Nashville, TN vs Phoenix = absolutely nothing. It's time to see it for what it's worth, no one in the US media is making a stink and the Canadian Media doesn't care unless it happens in Canada or to a Canadian based team. That's it plain and simple.