A Special Category of Player

Raffi Torres, meet Trevor Gillies. Two player who don't get the message no matter if its delivered in CAPITAL LETTERS with the speakers turned up to 11.

I mean, really. We established that Gillies wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer during the season with his shenanigans.

But how about Torres, who is at least a real hockey player?

No sooner did the Vancouver forward return on Sunday night from a four-game suspension for his head shot on Jordan Eberle of the Oilers than he took a run at Brent Seabrook of the Chicago Blackhawks and committed about as obvious a violation of the new Rule 48 as one can imagine.

Somehow, Torres got only two minutes for his blindside head shot. But it's unlikely Colin Campbell will be that lenient.

If we follow the Gillies model, Torres should get five games. Then again, the previous one was for two regular season games and two playoff games, so what the next level up from there is would be anyone's guess.

You wonder how Torres could possibly imagine he could get away with the hit on Seabrook. Then again, the officials didn't call Rule 48, so you imagine guys like Torres believe they can get away with this stuff because they often do. Plus, it probably helped his team, delivering a significant blow to a key Chicago player like Seabrook even though the Hawks scored on the resulting power play. With the game on the line Seabrook wasn't his usual effective self, and you've got to believe that's why teams employ heat-seeking missiles like Torres.

The playoffs aren't even a week old and we've already had two suspensions (Jarret Stoll, Bobby Ryan) and Torres, you have to believe, will make three. At least Stoll and Ryan were first-time offenders. Torres? Anything but.

 

 

 

Comments

[Chris]

I don't see any reason why he shouldn't get a Matt Cooke-level suspension. Coming off a suspension for a hit to the head, said he wouldn't change, goes out and hits a guy in the head. 4 games wasn't a deterrent, maybe the rest of this series and another series or two will be.

[j]

Brent Seabrook is always skating around with his head down. It's such a bad call on the ice by the refs. No different than the hit Getzlaf had on Hamhuis. Didn;t suspend him cause the defensemen is behind the net, makes a play and keeps his head down. No contact to the head.

You can't compare Torres to Gillies. How about we talk about Chicago not following new protocol on cuncussions.

[ger]

NHL. No Hit League.

[Gary Hallate]

You hypocritical fool.. where were your comments when Abdelkader elbowed Seabrook in the face (head shot)? Seems you pick and choose who to crucify

[Nils]

Mr Cox, how come its okay when Canucks players are hit in the head? Like Hamhuis getting hit in the head twice, producing concussions, and yet not even minor penalties were called.

I get it, when it happens to Canuck players everyone cheers and says the Canuck players are too soft.

[Locode]

Torres is not even close to being the same kind of player as Gillies is Damien.

Seabrook wasn't being very bright by putting himself in a bad place with his head down, but yes, Torres should've been a lot more careful.

[Jeff]

How can you say that Torres is at fault for this? The hit was behind the net, and Seabrook had his head down. Clean, good hit.

[Stan]

Why doesn't the league ever show these hits on the NHL VideoCenter replays?

[Lewis McClain]

Is this hockey, or ice dancing....? How about no more slap shots? Play nice boys.....Go ride your bicycle.

[Matt Taylor]

How can anyone call this a clean hit? At the very minimal it's interference, at the next level its elbowing... and in my opinion it's pretty clearly a blindside hit to the head. I think the NHL should automatically double the punishment each time a player does something like this. 4 games last time? Let's make it 8 this time and see how much more Torress wants to keep pulling stuff like this.

[Peter]

i guess as long as you are skating with your head down, you can't be at fault for what happens to you. after all you can't see it coming. and if you can do this while skating backwards, you should have a free pass, nobody can touch you.
so yes, Torres should be suspended for braking the no-touch rule.

[Hugo Chikamori]

There was no head shot. It was a shoulder to shoulder contact and Seabrook made it "look good" spinning to the ice. Hamhuis got creamed; that was blatant "face almost into the boards" type hit - could have just about called it a "check from behind" and NO CALL. If Campbell suspends Torres on this one...I call bull (you know the rest)!

[Ron]

Hey Damien, same old, same old, the league really doesn't care because they believe they are the smartest guys in the room and know how to police the players. I guess this stuff sells in the good old USA. Gee I wonder what will happen when all the really good hockey players are concussed and all the fools are left to play, I am sure that will draw huge crowds on a regular basis.

[Redsignal]

I do not often agree with you Damien, but you are as right as rain on this one. When will the meatheads that injure stars wake up and smell the roses. Hello Torres, that man was part of your meal ticket. The fans certainly don't pay to see guys like you play.

[Vince]

People who see nothing wrong with the hit should have their heads checked. The idiotic arguments you use to justify this behavior are laughable...in that they are so consistently dumb...you are always blaming the victim (i.e. Seabrook had his head down) In this case he did have his head down and didn't touch the puck. Does that mean Torres has the right to take his head off? And when responding don't give me the "hockey is a man's game" response typical of the knuckle draggers that condone this behaviour. I've played hockey and rugby and football so I know how tough sports can be...but tough and going out to maim people are two different things...guys like Torres need to have the book thrown at them otherwise these guys will never learn...

[Glen]

This was not a clean hit. If it was there wouldn't have been a penalty. Torres hit Seabrook before the puck reached Seabrook. The pass was sent along the base of the boards from behind Seabrook, so he was watching the puck as it approached him from behind - Hence why he didn't have his "head up". This was a blindside hit, to the head of a player who hadn't touched the puck. It should definately be a suspension.

[BEKSK8]

I have watched the hit over and over and Torres did nothing wrong! if you actually watch the video Torres coasts from the goal line and Seabrook actually has his head up as Torres is coming and then looks down! What is Torres to do? Hockey is a physical game and is meant to be played that way, Torres kept his arm down, his shoulder was not targetted to Seabrooks head its just how it unfolded!! Get your head out of the rule book for a change Cox and think about the speed that these guys are playing at, you would be lucky to be able to think of a criticising word in the time it takes for a hit like that to unfold!!

[Geoff Read]

Well said Mr. Cox. And bang on. I'm pulling for the Canucks in the West but I hope the league throws the book at Torres.

[Todd]

Judging by the TSN poll on Facebook most people don't agree with you. Torres did what he has been taught and cheered on to do since he played AAA peewee...finish your check. And correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Seabrook get up and was on the ensuing powerplay.
Also there should not be a suspension because under rule 48 the area behind the net is a "hitting" area...where did this hit happen?? Behind the net. Just sayin'

[Conn Smythe]

It was a cheap hit, regardless of what team you cheer for. If Seabrook had the puck (which he didn't) and Torres didn't take a run at him and didn't put his elbow into Seabrook's head, it would have been a great hit. But it wasn't.

[Ron]

Damien, I am reading some of these comments with bemusement. Who in their right mind would condone a hit to the head whether it was behind the net or behind the blue line or behind the bench. For the love of God wake up people. The best player in hockey has been out since early January because of an apparent legal hit to the head. It does not make any sense at all.

[Dominic]

Players need to be accountable for their actions. End of story. This was a cheap shot. Torres could have hit hit shoulder to shoulder but he didn't.

[Consistency]

When going to NHL's official site to read the NHL rules, noting is mentioned about a hitting area or hitting zone in rule 48 - I have no idea where the Vancouver fans are getting this (mis)information.

Torres should have been given at least an eight game suspension.