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Yesterday, in the Cupcakes Cheryl mentioned a hit that left a gentleman paralyzed. This is a bit more information on the incident. Thoughts are with all involved.
The hit occurred in overtime when visiting Langenthal winger Stefan Schnyder drilled Keller head-first into the boards while chasing the puck in Olten's end.
Keller remained motionless and told officials he could not feel his legs.
"He is in all of our thoughts, as are his family and friends," Swiss Ice Hockey said in a statement.
A disciplinary case against Schnyder has been opened by the Swiss league and Langenthal said he will not play for the rest of the season. He said he will not be talking to the media and is receiving counselling.
A criminal investigation against Schnyder has also been launched in Switzerland, reports Swiss website bluewin.ch.
An article that mentions some interesting hockey fight statistics.
Statistics compiled by hockeyfights.com suggest fisticuffs are way up this year relative to the past two seasons, nearly 41 per cent of games this season has featured at least one fight.
I’ve asked several players over the past couple of weeks why that is, and they mostly answer the same thing: shorter schedule means more intensity, more intensity means more scraps.
Except two hulking guys going after each other basically from the opening faceoff has nothing to do with intensity, it has to do with intimidation, specifically wanting to create some.
Stu Grimson discusses his stance on fighting in the NHL.
Grimson began by noting “on the front end that there are reasonable arguments on both sides of this issue. First, those that favor eliminating fighting from the game would cite player safety as the reason. No argument here. Ban fighting and you abolish one area where concussions occur on a fairly frequent basis. After all, reducing blows to the head is the primary justification for implementing a rule change in this area. The studies show, however, that concussions occur more frequently during the normal course of play rather than during a fight.”
But he also believes that: “There are valid reasons to leave this aspect of the game as is. First, the presence of an enforcer keeps the other team honest. The opposition doesn’t take liberties with your team when you have an enforcer in the lineup. And if the ultimate goal is to reduce trauma to the head, this is one tool in a basket of tools that the NHL has at its disposal. The enforcer acts as a deterrent.
Some people believe Stompin' Tom Connors should be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame for his "The Hockey Song", what do you think?
There are three induction categories: player, referee/linesman and builder. The builder category covers coaches, managers, executives or others who have made a significant off-ice contribution to the game.
“The Hockey Song” is a standard at arenas around the country. The toe-tapping tune is known for its familiar refrain: “Oh, the good old hockey game, is the best game you can name. And the best game you can name, is the good old hockey game.”
The Hockey Hall of Fame has not inducted anyone in the builder category over the last two years.
Chris Pronger isn't ready to walk away from hockey.
Chris Pronger isn’t ready to retire, even though a concussion specialist has advised him not to return to hockey.
The 2000 NHL MVP has not played for the Flyers since Nov. 19, 2011 and still suffers from lingering effects of multiple concussions. But he wouldn’t rule out attempting a return if physically possible.
“I’m just trying to get healthy and live a normal life and get better for myself and my family,” Pronger said Thursday. “The rest will take care of itself.”
Pronger hadn’t spoken publicly since Dec. 1, 2011. He said he still can’t run, or even skate hard. He’s bothered by bright lights and he’s lost some of his peripheral vision.