My post had nothing to do with deciding on 'which way to go' with that argument. I was responding to people saying "That's not hockey", a statement which was clearly incorrect. I'd love to engage in a 'what the rules should be for hockey', but thats not the discussion we were having.

I dont think hits like that should be allowed, personally. Did you guys see the replay of leopold sprawling after the hit? Dude does like 4 distinct unconscious wiggles in the air before even hitting the ice. Then he flops and seems to be just fucking OUT. It would have been different had leopold had his head up. Does Sutton bear responsibility for Leopold not seeing him coming, and defending himself? If leopold had seen him, but had sort of braced himself it still would have been a huge hit, but leopold wouldnt have been knocked the fuck out like that, what then...would that have been legal? How do we even draw these lines in between these gray areas?

CV's freeze-frame shows Sutton's elbow is DOWN...D O W N. Sure, he makes contact partially with his elbow, but also with his upper arm (tricep). The arm is down next to his side when contact is made. Of course his elbow comes up after contact, because most people will fall down if they try to keep their arm pinned against them after a hit. It's common sense to use your arms for balance, and I've never seen any player in any sport try to keep their arm pinned against their side like some manaquin after contact.

If Sutton had the elbow up and pointed it at Leopold while trying to effectively drill into his temple it would be a whole different story. That's not what happened. If Sutton came from the blind side a la Matt Cock it would be an entirely different story, but that's not what happened either. Saying that Sutton's hit was dirty is effectively saying that all players should hit like goofy bumper cars with an imaginary rope tied around their upper body that keeps their arms pinned against them. There's a difference between making contact with a knee, and intentionally kneeing a player to injure him. Same thing with elbows.

I'm one of the people that have stomped and cried about the NHL to do something about blind side cheap shots to the head. I want to see assholes like Matt Cock get 40 games or more for that kind of BS, but straight on bulldozer hits without the point of an elbow in the head are clean.

Sutton hit him with the arm, not the elbow anyways.

Leopold had his head down also, bad combination in the playoffs.

Keep your head up, or there will be these questionable hits on you.

What about Campbell's hit on Umberger, basically his shoulder hit his head also, but it was a clean hard hit.

_________________

Sutton hit him with him arm down, Leo just happened to be the height of his elbow area but he didnt raise it or anything to specifically drive it into his skull.

If someone has their head down you don't have the right to head shot them. Come on. If someone has their head down go for a hip check or at least go full on them. Sutton went to the side and rammed the side of his arm into his face. It's stupid, sometimes you NEED to look at the puck, but when ever someone does they get head shot.

_________________
"Counting all the assholes in the room, I'm definitely not alone!" ~ Michael Poulsen, Volbeat, Still Standing.

Although the hit was legal by the rules, and will be legal under the new rules, is that the image that the NHL wants to portray? A 'good hockey play' that results in a player being knocked out on his feet and laying unconscious on the ice for 10-15 seconds before coming to?

It's a great way to make parents sign their kids up for hockey at a young age.

There are a camp of people that think the front on headshot should remain legal, and penalizing it will remove all physicality from the game. Others disagree, and think that all headshots should be penalized. I feel strongly in that case.

Skyline, PLEASE stop saying that Campbell hit Umberger in the head. HE DID NOT. The hit was square on the shoulder, proven by Umberger's head moving FORWARD before it snapped back. If he was hit in the head, the head would have moved directly forward like it did.

Are you asking me or telling me?

_________________
"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Hockey Night in Buffalo

Depends if you're an expert or not?

_________________
Proud LGBTQQ Individual

Well, I saw the replay...

_________________
"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Hockey Night in Buffalo

Are you telling me or asking me if you saw the replay?

_________________
Proud LGBTQQ Individual

YOUR NOT A FUCKING EXPERT.

_________________
"Counting all the assholes in the room, I'm definitely not alone!" ~ Michael Poulsen, Volbeat, Still Standing.

Anyone who has ever played hockey knows it is literally damn near impossible to hit someone that hard, with your elbows in and NOT have them come up afterward. It's simply a matter of physics and your body's equilibrium. After that type of collision your first reaction is to bring your arms up and out to stabilize yourself. Whats the first thing your hands do when you slip off a curb and try to regain your balance? The guy's elbows were in when he hit him. Does that make it clean? In my eyes, yes and no. By the rulebook, its legal, but by simple respect for your peers, he tried to take the guys head off and could easily removed him from the puck without taking 5 strides to ruin him. But hey, "that's hockey" honestly. This type of stuff doesn't happen if you do what you've been taught since age 5 AND KEEP YOUR GODDAMN HEAD UP COMING THROUGH THE FUCKIN NEUTRAL ZONE! The only thing he is guilty of is possibly charging and a bit of recklessness when it comes to someone else's safety. That being said, Leopold didn't help himself any by skating around with his eyes glued to his goddamned skates for ten full strides....

_________________
"I can't really hear what Jeremy says, because I got my two Stanley Cup Rings plugging my ears...." -Patrick Roy in reference to Jeremy Roenick's trash talking

Which brings this to the question, who IS an expert?

Chuck. Norris.

_________________
"Counting all the assholes in the room, I'm definitely not alone!" ~ Michael Poulsen, Volbeat, Still Standing.

Fuckin Chuck Norris..........

_________________
"I can't really hear what Jeremy says, because I got my two Stanley Cup Rings plugging my ears...." -Patrick Roy in reference to Jeremy Roenick's trash talking