Eric Selleck Is A Piece Of Garbage
by PPP on Mar 12, 2011 12:18 AM EST
in Toronto Marlies
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Update: Kyle Cicerella, the Marlies reporter for AM640, reported that the team is not calling it a concussion yet but are saying that he had stitches on his eyebrow and 'had his bell rung'. Great.
In tonight's 6-5 win by the Toronto Marlies over the Rochester Americans, Florida Panthers "prospect" Eric Selleck laid a garbage hit on Leafs prospect Joe Colborne. You might recognize him as the player that came to Toronto in the Tomas Kaberle trade otherwise known as a player with a future. Eric Selleck, in addition to not being fit to carry the name of Magnum P.I., is a filler player with no future in the NHL. The referees rightly assessed a five minute major for interference - but that never happens right? - and sent him to an early shower.
The hit was atrocious but what is worse is that these kind of hits aren't going anywhere.
One of the most common, and frankly tired, refrains that arise whenever there is a questionable (or downright dirty although good luck getting a consensus) hit in the NHL is that rascally players today don't have quite the same level of respect as the titans of the past. I don't buy it. For one, thanks to free agency players today are far less invested in hating their opponent since they probably played with them before.
One of the main reasons it seems that there is a lack of respect is that information is much more prevalent. If there is a questionable hit you are guaranteed to see the video on TSN, Sportsnet, The Score, and possibly ESPN if it's less questionable and more certainly dirty. God help you if you are active online. Then you'll see every team-related blog chime in, every major blog, and if you're on Twitter then everyone with an opinion whether MSM or not will offer their thoughts. Sometimes it's great. Eventually, it's too much. But at the end of the day, the problem with players isn't that they aren't respectful of each other. It's that they are stupid and the NHL allows them to be because of their ludicrous disciplinary system.
Case in point, the hit above serves no purpose other than as an intent to injure. As Selleck's skating to lay the hit he's not thinking about the consequences because he knows that nothing of consequence will happen to him unless something serious happens to the target of his hit. For a minor-league scrub it's worth it to throw that hit because unless the other guy is seriously injured he knows that the net benefit of the attention it will get him outweighs the piddly suspension he'll pick up. If the NHL, via the AHL, wants to get hits like this out of the game and combat players' natural stupidity by rolling up a huge newspaper and swatting Selleck on his nose. Giving him 20-30 games would send a message to the rest of the league. Would it be out of line? I bet most would say yes because they're conditioned to based suspensions on the outcome of a hit rather than on the act.
Even worse is that we already know that Selleck is a dirty player. There's no need to worry that a 'good guy' and a 'great teammate' is getting suspended. In an earlier game against the Marlies he stuck his knee out on Nazem Kadri. Selleck has clearly understood hockey's message that the best way to make the leap from minor league plug to NHL plug is to lay these kinds of borderline hits. It's hard to blame him for following the clearly laid path.
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The other thing I’d add is that these penalties need to be consistent. Who cares about past transgressions except to increase penalties. A clean record shouldn’t be a free pass to do some of the filth that passes without punishment.
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by PPP on Mar 12, 2011 12:21 AM EST reply actions 1 recs
As much as these hits lack respect and are dangerous and should be eliminated, and as much as I dont want to blame the victim…Colborne has to be aware of who is on the ice with him and stop looking at his pass. He got caught watching his pass and got clocked looking away from the play. Selleck for the record is a dirty player as I have watched him play Junior A in Pembroke for a couple of seasons, but again as much as he is a goon and has no respect for the game, Colborne and others have to be aware and pay attention for their own good.
Yeah, I have to agree. I mean, Selleck is a dirty player. Yes. And the incentive for him to lay a big, dirty hit most certainly exists in the sport. But I’m not sure this is a big, dirty hit. It’s a big hit, but Colborne has contact with the puck 1 second before the hit. Colborne is in front of Selleck, so body position isn’t an issue. Colborne turns sideways, so it’s not a hit from behind, and I managed to pause the video at a point where it’s pretty clearly leading with the shoulder into the chest…
It’s something that needs to be addressed, but under this ruleset, if it was a Marlie laying the hit, I’d probably be pretty excited about it.
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by Bower Power on Mar 12, 2011 12:41 AM EST up reply actions
I’m going to have to disagree. Just watched the Jansen/Kaberle hit. Same timeframe (albeit different type of hit). This is a late hit. Dirty, in my opinion.
by potvin vs hextall on Mar 12, 2011 12:45 AM EST up reply actions
I think the biggest thing for me about the Janssen hit is how far away from the play Kaberle is. He couldn’t be less in the play after that pass without being in the damn dressing room. In this case, Colborne is still in the highest traffic area, still very much in the offensive rush, and still very hittable by existing league timeframe standards (which are incredibly and unacceptably flimsy).
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by Bower Power on Mar 12, 2011 12:46 AM EST up reply actions
Ya, you’re right about the standards being vague. Maybe I’m just a homer but it just seems there’s a huge gap between Colborne dropping the puck and getting hit. Enough time for a more respectful player to let up.
Any news on Colborne, by the way? Is he alright?
by potvin vs hextall on Mar 12, 2011 12:51 AM EST up reply actions
PPP and I were talking about this on twitter: Selleck absolutely has the opportunity to pull up. Selleck absolutely knows Colborne doesn’t have the puck when he goes in for the hit. But the hit was within the terribly grey area of what is or isn’t interference (about 2 seconds between Colborne’s drop and Selleck’s hit), and the incentive exists for him to lay Colborne out flat.
No word on Colborne’s status, but as mentioned before, he did not return to the game.
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by Bower Power on Mar 12, 2011 12:56 AM EST up reply actions
I guess that’s the problem. The incentive outweighs any possible punishment short of 20+ games. I’m sure that Selleck is a hero in the dressing room right now and will get the call in the future if the Panthers ever want some sandpaper in the lineup.
It’s getting a little tiring talking about hockey punks eh? And I’m sure there’s no change on the horizon.
by potvin vs hextall on Mar 12, 2011 1:02 AM EST up reply actions
Again, from the discussion on twitter – The NHL at one point released a video clarifying the headshot rule and has previously released memos clarifying the “kicking motion” rule (specifying that the kick had to ‘add momentum’ to the puck).
A similar video of clarifying "intent to injure " rule such that it was extended to include hits where the player was no longer in the play OR was forced into a vulnerable position by the hitter would give the NHL new precedent to start suspending players. It would cover stuff like Janssen (Kaberle out of the play) and Chara (Pacioretty driven into the stanchion) and would let the NHL say “precedent? What precedent?” with such a loophole that the assorted collection of lawyers and PR officials would probably try to stuff an actual child through it.
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I agree that players owe themselves to not put themselves in dangerous positions (to an extent) but they owe each other not to take advantage of each other if they aren’t 100% careful.
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Colborne’s not admiring a pass. He lost control of the puck and is checking to see where it went. I disagree that a player should have to constantly check every angle to make sure no-one’s about to jump him.
I've been looking at the sky
by Back In Black on Mar 12, 2011 2:28 AM EST up reply actions
We must be watching different videos.
BS
by MapleLeafMole on Mar 12, 2011 10:49 AM EST up reply actions
On second watch you’re right. He did lose the puck rather than drop it.
Players don’t have to constantly check every angle. Just keep their eyes in the direction they’re skating. If they do look away, make it a split second. Watch where you’re going. That’s it
BS
by MapleLeafMole on Mar 12, 2011 11:14 AM EST up reply actions
I don’t think anything less than 10 games gets the attention of players. That said, I don’t think I would have been able to give Chara 10 for his hit. Andy Strickland had a good point in his blog. If you suspend Chara, you’re saying it was a dirty play. That dirty play broke a player’s neck. What is an appropriate suspension for that? Even 5 games would have been a joke.
I agree that past history should not be a factor in determining whether a player should be suspended. I would have preferred that the NHL just come out and say that there wasn’t enough evidence to suggest Chara intentionally ran him into the turnbuckle, and left it at that.
The hit on Colborne was more reminiscent of the Janssen hit on Kaberle a few years ago. It was blatantly late, and served no purpose other than to injure. I would argue that Chara was trying to keep Pacioretty from getting behind him for a scoring opportunity. It was interference for sure, but a call that isn’t always made. (see Gunnarson against the Isles the same night) I think a combination of Chara’s size, the speed they were moving at and the position on the ice combined to result in a horrific injury. Whether there was some malice from Chara thrown in as well only Chara really knows, and the rest of us are left to speculate.
By the way, if anyone hasn’t read Dryden’s column today, please do so. It’s probbaly the best thing I’ve read on the subject.
Andy Strickland had a good point in his blog. If you suspend Chara, you’re saying it was a dirty play. That dirty play broke a player’s neck. What is an appropriate suspension for that? Even 5 games would have been a joke.
The NHL’s Wheel of Bullshit Justice is coming back to bite them in the ass here. They’ve had so little consistency from suspension to suspension that people have no idea where to peg their expectations and the league has no idea where to peg its precedent. After Chara’s hit, Twitter suspensions ranged from no games to an unprecedented 15 games. The NHL said “Didn’t target the head? Uh, no problem then I guess.” As if that’s the only thing they should be allowed to suspend people for.
My point is that eventually – if the league wants to be taken more seriously than the XFL – they’re going to have to deal with the web of bullshit they’ve spewed on supplementary discipline thus far. It’s going to involve denouncing this period of inconsistency, and like Dryden said, we’ll probably look back on it with a fair degree of shame. But the time frame will depend on the League’s ability to get its stuff together.
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by Bower Power on Mar 12, 2011 12:52 AM EST up reply actions
Why did you cross out bullshit? Someone mentioned it in another thread, but the Colin Campbell quote re: Ovechkin’s suspension really makes you shake your head at the NHL and think that they don’t really have a plan here.
And so I think he has to be responsible in how he takes a [Brian] Campbell in, and what kind of position the other player’s in. And he had moved the puck already, Campbell. Look, if there’s no injury on the play, we probably, we don’t do anything, but that’s part of the supplemental discipline process. If you cause a player to be injured, then you have to be responsible for the play that you’re involved in, if there’s any carelessness or recklessness in it.
by potvin vs hextall on Mar 12, 2011 1:05 AM EST up reply actions
Andy Strickland had a good point in his blog. If you suspend Chara, you’re saying it was a dirty play. That dirty play broke a player’s neck.
And open yourself up to a lawsuit if the player never recovers. Hence the no suspension.
These guys are lawyers, don’t forget.
Chara needs a “time out” to reflect on his game and what he did. The league can send a message like Chara we do not believe you injured MP intentionally but we expect you and all NHL players to play in safe and conscientious manner on the ice.
The message currently is MP and other NHL players you need to be careful not to put yourself in a dangerous position because we do not care about player safety.
Meh, looked like a shoulder to the chest to me. Are 72% of you guys really calling for a 20+ game suspension here?
by Spezzal Teams Playa on Mar 12, 2011 12:45 AM EST reply actions
The poll question wasn’t “how many games should selleck be suspended for?”.
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by Bower Power on Mar 12, 2011 12:46 AM EST up reply actions
It’s not that the physical nature of the hit was dirty. It was a perfectly thrown bodycheck…only it came about 30 minutes too late.
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And for that, I agree that an interference call was the right call.
I should read what comes after the jump next time, in stead of assuming that the poll comes near the top of the article.
by Spezzal Teams Playa on Mar 12, 2011 12:52 AM EST up reply actions
Yeah
Unfortunately, we can’t put polls at the bottom.
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the marlies were up 5 -0 in a 6-5 win ?!
what happened
And yes the hit was bad. but if you are 5-0 you might be a little frustrated. Not that its much of an excuse.
A collapse even Team Canada would be proud of. I was shocked they didn’t end up giving up one more and head to OT, then likely losing in OT or a SO.
It’s funny when you’re watching what seems like a blowout in a game with the score 6-0, then later on you realize you needed every single one of those goals to win.
Hockey is a weird game sometimes.
20 miles to Legoland!
by nhlcheapshot on Mar 12, 2011 1:26 AM EST up reply actions
So here’s a question:
Is a hit “dirty” because it’s the kind of hit we want out of the game, is it dirty because it’s currently outside of league rules, is it dirty just because it’s something sporting gentlemen don’t do, or is it something else?
Not sure I have an answer, not sure there’s a right answer, but I’d be interested in the discussion.
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it's dirt
because he knew damn well his opponent wasn’ t looking. Look at his reaction..waiting for retribution. He’ s apunk and his hit ha sbothing do with the play of the game. Any player at any level knows that. He was looking to mhit someone in that fashion.
and
hits are judged by not only time but distance from the play. I’d say he was well away from the play. You can hit an opponent after the release of the puck but not ten feet away.
For whatever reason the video crashes both IE and Chrome so I’ll have to take your word it’s a late hit.
I’m really disappointed with the NHL nowadays. It used to be cheap shots were less frequent because suspensions had teeth and players were making less money. If I keep seeing plays like what I’ve seen this year I may tune out next season unless changes are made.
Are the clowns at the corporate office waiting for another Bill Masterton tragedy to take place before they take action?
Web site: Section LL19
Is there any news about Colborne’s status?
by scrambles the death dealer on Mar 12, 2011 1:35 AM EST reply actions
He didn’t return to the game and didn’t play today. I’m going to guess he has a concussion.
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This is unquestionably a massively dirty hit. There’s no way Selleck doesn’t know what he’s doing.
The only way to get these hits out of the game is punitive punishments. Not only to the players involved, but to the clubs as well. Do the Islanders care that Gillies gets 10 games? Clearly not, since it’s only been a couple of years since Brendan Witt gave Niklas Hagman a concussion by elbowing him in the head.
Harsher on-ice penalties, longer suspensions and huge fines. Fine the head coach and the team too. Assess major penalties to the bench as well as the offending players. Teams would start paying attention after they took a couple of 5 minute 5-on-3s. Hell, prevent them from calling up anyone to replace the suspended player in the lineup. I imagine that it wouldn’t be long before players started behaving themselves if clubs had to ice a side that was short a player for a month because one of the team was suspended for 15 games.
The NHL doesn’t care, so teams don’t care, so players don’t care. NHL discipline is a joke, if it toughened up and introduced punishments that made teams care about their players behaviour, then players would get the message because teams wouldn’t employ them if they didn’t.
No. Not even in the face of Armageddon. Never compromise.
Crucify him!
I’ll get the lumber ready, meet on the hills of Jerusalem in 20 minutes, cash.
by GregMckeggarParty on Mar 12, 2011 2:36 AM EST reply actions
Question:
Saw on Twitter that Colborne was not expected to return to the game. Have there been any updates on his status?
Oh, you better believe that's a paddling.
That’s what I wanna know too…
GWWWHAAAA!
by Mislav Xterratu Jantoljak on Mar 12, 2011 6:13 AM EST up reply actions
@chansler pointed out that he didn’t return to the game, and had no injury update.
Said Marlies will likely inform everyone in the morning of this status.
20 miles to Legoland!
by nhlcheapshot on Mar 12, 2011 6:57 AM EST up reply actions
A really bad hit…. Irresponsible and dirty. Puck was miles away, blind side, everything…
GWWWHAAAA!
by Mislav Xterratu Jantoljak on Mar 12, 2011 6:11 AM EST reply actions
Piece of Trash
send Colton Orr down to the minors and beat the crap out of this moron….I am sick of these goons getting away with dirty hits
Tom Stewart
I bet greenop is in the line up next they play the amercs
Rule #20
by JaredFromLondon on Mar 12, 2011 11:14 AM EST up reply actions
I voted 20+ games. What is more important than the length of the suspension though, is getting rid of the double-standard that the league has for the star players of the league (and certain teams whose name starts with ‘B’).
If I can't be a good example, then I will just have to serve as a horrible warning...
by CancerousRocket on Mar 12, 2011 9:03 AM EST reply actions
Hehe
If I can't be a good example, then I will just have to serve as a horrible warning...
by CancerousRocket on Mar 12, 2011 9:16 AM EST up reply actions
Head Injuries
are not necessarily caused by blows to the head. It’s the sudden acceleration/deceleration of the head that damages the brain,
The hot on Colbourne was dangerous because he wasn’t able to brace himself for it.
Hits to unsuspecting opponents need to be banned too.
When are they going to wake up?
Football players are often blindsided and often get back up. Is it because they are bracing themselves for a hit unlike hockey player or that hockey hits are delivered with that much force and speed?
in foot ball a player who is doing the hitting is usually accelerating from 10-20 feet away at most from a dead stop, and is running, in hockey players are flying around and rarely fully stop so are always carrying a degree of momentum and you can accelerate quiet quick on skates. not to mention ice is far less forgiving than grass and astro turf
Rule #20
by JaredFromLondon on Mar 12, 2011 11:17 AM EST up reply actions
I think part of it is that hockey is played at a much higher speed.
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Yeah, if, as I suspect, Colborne has a concussion it’s because his head snapped at the moment of impact.
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
Like reading thoughts confined to 140 characters? I'm on Twitter too.
That play has nothing to do with hockey. Selleck isn’t hitting him to stop him from making a play, he’s not hitting him to get the puck away, etc., he’s doing it because he sees someone in a vulnerable position and decides he’s going to take advantage of that. It’s not just that he doesn’t let up, it’s that he deliberately targets a player he knows he can injure. 20+ games, no question.
Silver lining.
Colborne just learned not to look behind him, while cuting across the center of the ice.
Keep your head up, don’t admire your pass – these sayings are as old as hockey itself. Why? Because some idiot like Selleck is always waiting to kill you. It’s the really ugly part of hockey, but don’t act suprised that Colborne took a big hit on that play.
I voted 11-20 games…that should get goons like Selleck to think twice.
BS
Trevor Gillies 2.0? I think so (especially if he grows the douchetastic mustache and haircut)
In Lou We Trust/Twitter
I wish there was something I could do. But What?
by Kevin Sellathamby on Mar 12, 2011 12:39 PM EST reply actions
Worse yet I was thinking Haley….Selleck big dream and only hope is to be called up when the NHL level enforcer is next suspended.
But Haley was called up for his offense… /islesfan’d
In Lou We Trust/Twitter
I wish there was something I could do. But What?
by Kevin Sellathamby on Mar 12, 2011 1:27 PM EST up reply actions
It’s a late dirty hit in a 5-0 game. That looks bad. But what looks worse is the insanity at the end where he’s arguing and bitching while the ref guides him off. What is the sense in that? You can’t not know the hit was late, you can’t not know that it was unnecessary. Whatever was going on in his head (I’ll guess, not much) there is no reason to be jabbing and yelling at the other team for being a bad hockey player. That alone, I’d give him 5 for. He’s trying to be incidiary.
Marlies highlights from yesterday
I watched all the highlights from the game at this link. At 0:53 into the video, there’s another pretty questionable hit by Selleck on Lashoff (hit from behind into the end boards).
And the Marlies were actually up 6-0 and gave up 5 straight goals. Ouch, but we got the win.
President of the Emotional Hedging club.
24/02/2011: I was there when Brett Lebda scored.
4 games is a joke. I’m not even a Leaf fan but he’s targeted Kadri and Colborne now, obviously the star players for the Marlies, with two incredibly dirty plays. This guy is a piece of trash. And to beak the Marlies after he just injured a player, totally and utterly classless.
http://twitter.com/andrewberkshire
by Andrew Berkshire on Mar 14, 2011 4:35 PM EDT reply actions
The chirping kills me! DUDE YOU JUST FUCKING TRIED TO KILL A MARLIE! Be glad the refs are holding you safe.
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