After a vicious shoulder-to-head hit on Marion Hossa, sending the Blackhawk to the hospital, Phoenix Coyote forward Raffi Torres has been handed an extremely stiff 25 game suspension by Brendan Shanahan and the NHL.
Torres, a repeat offender (see: http://old.lastwordonsports.com/2012/04/19/the-offenders/ ), has been in hot water before, which didn’t help his cause.
Torres has become a poster-boy for dirty players in the NHL. Much has been made over violence in the NHL, including on this very site, but I caution you that players such as Torres are not are not the same as those involved in the whole “fighting in the NHL” debate. Players such as Torres resort to cheapshots, stickwork and suckerpunches on mostly unsuspecting opponents, whereas those involved in fighting at least are willing combatants…usually.
This ban is longer than the famous 21 game suspension Dale Hunter received in 1993 for his cheapshot on Pierre Turgeon and shows that the NHL believes Torres was deliberately intending to injure Hossa. This is now the longest suspension impossed for an incident that occurred during the NHL playoffs.
Meanwhile Hossa has been released from hospital, but the Blackhawks have been very quiet about the severity of the obvious concussion Hossa suffered.
Dear Mr. Shanahan,
I have little use for “goons” and even less for cheap shot artists. Get them out of the game, yesterday. Every time a player gets hurt needlessly he is replaced by a player of lesser quality.
Thanks,
Concerned Fan
…and that is the last word.
