Clarke MacArthur Suspended 3 Games

I thought the Boyes hit was a case where he tried to lay a big hit and got too high. I think the MacArthur hit was a cheapshot.

Make this happen! At least for the length of Mac’s suspension.

Or possibly see Frattin line up with Grabovski/Kulemin and lock down Lombardi(if healthy?)-Bozak-Army on the 3rd.

One too many. Boyce got suspended two preseason games. Just as playoffs should/will probably count as more than a regular season game, preseason games should/do count less.

I was at the game and the immediate reaction of my entire section to the hit was “DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE!” After watching the replay over and over I still don’t see why that’s a suspendable hit. MacArthur didn’t have his elbow out, he didn’t aim high, he didn’t jump for the head. It seemed completely accidental that the head was the principle point of contact. Maybe give him 2 minutes because it was a late hit, but I didn’t think it should fall under the headshot rule.

oft mentioned League bias against the Red Wings here? Oh wait, Shanahan was a long time Wing… guess that pops that crap balloon.

Man, I think it’s a terrible suspension. Abeldaker is crounched down so his head is almost lower than Gionta’s, MacArthur barely grazes him, theres no injury and Abeldaker makes a fool out of himself with his flopping around. Hell, the ref in the Liverpool/Everton game wouldn’t have fallen for it.

Laughable. Cause that’s what this suspension is. I understand the new wording of the rule, but if Abdelkader doesn’t dive there, this hit is never looked at again.

I understand the need to crack down on head shots – I’m not paying lip service; I completely support Shanny in his crusade here. But there needs to be a de minimis limit somewhere (cribbing the legal maxim that "the law does not concern itself with triffles – neither should the league).

The hit to the head was clearly unintentional and not obviously reckless, the contact was minimal compared to the power of the contact in other suspension cases from this preseason and there was no injury or serious threat of injury.

In fact, if MacArthur had contacted the shoulder primarily and sent Abderkader into the boards with actual power, i think the risk of injury would have been much higher.

Two games is too much. Considering the mitigating factors here, I wouldn’t have gone further than a warning in Shanny’s shoes.

A hit resulting in contact with an opponent’s head where the head is targeted AND the principal point of contact is not permitted. However, in determining whether such a hit should have been permitted, the circumstances of the hit, including whether the opponent put himself in a vulnerable position IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO OR SIMULTANEOUSLY with the hit or the head contact on an otherwise legal body check was avoidable, can be considered.

Abdelkader turns and puts his head down IMMEDIATELY PRIOR to the hit. Otherwise it would have been a shoulder on shoulder check. Shanny dropped the ball on this one.

I don’t think we’re alleging a conspiracy here – just that he got this one wrong.

another random issue relating to this… I think the games things works because players of every level will lose an equal percentage of their income, but since I don’t think the rules are applied equally to everyone I’m still unclear if this will have any noticeable impact.

Will the media (mms + blogs) ever stop talking about this and start talking hockey again?

The sport has become so politicized, every event turns into a referendum.

Strictly looking at the Boyes hit as a precedent I think MacArthur got too much. Boyes actually had to reach with his elbow to make contact whereas MacArthur used his shoulder and the hit was lined up directly. To me elbowing the head is worse but maybe because they were skating faster it was more of a split second decision?

Either way with it being both their 1st offence I would have given him 2 games 1 preseason/1 regular season

Do teams submit hits they want shanny to review or does shanny and his group pick whatever hit they want to review?

going to be a record set for amount of suspensions this year..Hopefully the players get the point and stop doing stuff like this though.

it seems to me like Shanny set a precedent early, and now he’s following through. i don’t think he fully thought through what the consequences would be.

Actually all this headshot talk and questioning calls is a lot like the hooking/obstruction calls we were all treated to the first year back (months really) after the lock out year. Both players and officials will need time to adjust to the new rule. IMO this is a very important thing that they are trying to do and as a fan I just hope they get it right.

Like I said above, I think the hit/suspension is valid in the sense to educate players that if a opposing player is in a vulnerable position that the hitting player should avoid that contact not necessarily about the severity of the hit or intent. To me, it just looks like Mac had a choice and chose to finish his check hit Abdelkader instead of letting off.

Its a fine line but it needs to be drawn somewhere.

IMO he wasn’t going for the head, but either way I understand the league needing to crackdown. If he had hit Abdelkader on the button he could have been seriously injured.

I’m just upset because now I won’t see the MGK line when I go to the Leafs game next Saturday… But as for the suspension, while it seems to be a bit much, I’m not all that much against it. I definitely would have been much happier with 1 regular season game, or remainder of the preseason though.