Cole Suspended for 3 Games

[brynec]

http://blues.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=609343
Blues defenseman was suspended for hit on Detroit's Justin Abdelkader

Blues defenseman Ian Cole has been suspended for three games for delivering an illegal check to the head of Detroit Red Wings forward Justin Abdelkader during NHL Game #563 in Detroit on Saturday, Dec. 31, the National Hockey League’s Department of Player Safety announced Sunday.

The incident occurred at 9:11 of the first period. A minor penalty for illegal check to the head was assessed on the play.

Cole will miss games: Jan. 3 vs. Phoenix, Jan. 5 vs. Edmonton and Jan.7 vs. Colorado.

He will be eligible to return Jan. 10 at Montreal.

[STLADOGG]

If your gonna get suspended, might as well do it on Datsyuk or that prick Franzen...or Zetterberg...or Holmstrom...ahh (Frank) em all.

[cardsfan04]

The only thing that surprises me is the length. I expected 1-2 games. If the teams were reversed, I'd have liked 3 games though, so I guess I can't be too upset.

[Nyghtewynd]

Colossal pile of crap.

The lesson has been taught: when you play Detroit, you might as well get your money worth. We'll remember that.

Best take from Twitter: RT @KDragonfinger: I bet Ian Cole feels the same way Craig Janney did: Shanahan took away something he loved. #StLBlues

[northwest dave]

With all due respect, I think Shanahan should be removed from this position. The fact that he has played with some of these players and teams, I think puts on the perception that his judgement is clouded. This ruling is crap IMO. Maybe one game. How is it that the Datsuck hit on Jackman wasn't even in question...was it because Pierre said it was OK?

Ian Cole will now never step up on the blue line for the rest of his career.

[JPonder94]

I'm still begging for consistency. While I feel 3 would be a good suspension for Cole's hit, how can you justify what he did is worse than what Doughty did to Oshie? This also deserved equal punishment for what Stewart did to Kronwall?

Here is how it should have been scored:

Stewart - 5 games
Doughty - 3 games
Cole - 2 games

Yes, I am factoring in that none of these guys were repeat offenders.

The system is still all over the place. Players need to know what will be suspended on a regular basis and for how long. It is still just drawing in a hat.

[Kreegz2]

[youtube][/youtube]

Just reminding everyone that Stevens literally made it into the hall of fame by making these same hits that are suspendable for 3+ games nowadays, but were perfectly legal and even respected only 8 years ago. The game is heading in a terrible direction. I don't know where, but somewhere along the line everyone has been forgetting how to harden the (Frank) up. I blame bettman and crosby. If you want to reduce the number of concussions, you have to slow the game down. Bring back clutch and grab hockey, open the neutral zone back up, bring back two line passes and drop the gay ass trapezoid.

[drwoland]

The only silver lining to this is that all the slow motion looks they show of the hits are kind of awesome.. You can see exactly the point at which Abdelkader's brain turns into mush.

[kodos]

[youtube][/youtube]

Bull and shit. I guess this is an example of "respect" or some crap. What a joke.

If the Cole hit is worth 3 games then the Datsyuk hit is worth twice that.

We should start having all of the Blues players skate through center ice with their heads at shoulder height to start racking up suspensions for other teams. Well, every team but the Red Wings. Those guys get "respect".

[Winning Unlimited]

We should start having all of the Blues players skate through center ice with their heads at shoulder length to start racking up suspensions for other teams. Well, every team but the Red Wings. Those guys get "respect".

Exact opposite. Run elbows into every head that jumps across the boards.

[cprice12]

[youtube][/youtube]

Bull and shit. I guess this is an example of "respect" or some crap. What a joke.

If the Cole hit is worth 3 games then the Datsyuk hit is worth twice that.

We should start having all of the Blues players skate through center ice with their heads at shoulder length to start racking up suspensions for other teams. Well, every team but the Red Wings. Those guys get "respect".

I said the exact same thing. If Cole's hit is worth a suspension, then Datsyuk's hit is absolutely worth a suspension.
It's funny, even the Detroit announcers in that clip made comment about how Datsyuk's shoulder targeted Jackman's head...but no penalty, and no review for suspension.

What a joke. I'd love to hear why Shanahan didn't review that play...and if they did, why wasn't there a suspension?

[STLADOGG]

[youtube][/youtube]

Bull and shit. I guess this is an example of "respect" or some crap. What a joke.

If the Cole hit is worth 3 games then the Datsyuk hit is worth twice that.

We should start having all of the Blues players skate through center ice with their heads at shoulder length to start racking up suspensions for other teams. Well, every team but the Red Wings. Those guys get "respect".

Wow..I'm a believer now..this is ridiculous. I wish someone would bring this up in the media.

[WaukeeBlues]

For some reason I can't get the youtube video to work so here's the link...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZAF3R_j ... re=related

About the only thing I can say in the NHL's defense is that if Cole wasn't targeting the head, what WAS he targeting? The shoulder and he just missed? The first thing his shoulder makes contact with is Abdelkader's head. We've seen the NHL wave off penalties where the hit targets the shoulders, contacts the shoulders first, with incidental head contact after that. I'm sorry guys, but the Cole hit, to me, looks an AWFUL lot like several of the blind-side hits to the head that have consistently been suspendable hits.

Look at about the 30 second mark of this video in slow motion: Cole does almost a "U" to line up Abdelkader: I THINK he was trying to stand him up chest to chest and he just missed and only caught Abdelkader's head. Cole's elbow and arm were extended and he only hit the head. That's routinely been a suspension.

Cole had him lined up but just should have gone for the shoulder to shoulder hit. Could've legally dropped him because that pass was a suicide pass that left Abdelkader out to dry, Cole just had to finish it cleanly.

[drwoland]

GUYS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DATSYUK. DON'T YOU KNOW HE'S A GENTLEMAN?

[kodos]

Is there a more annoying thing on this planet then a wings fan posting on the Internet?

Seriously. Any wings fan posting anything. Anything at all.

Dickholes, the entire lot of them. Puss oozing, dirty diseased dickholes.

[philco_3]

[youtube][/youtube]

Bull and shit. I guess this is an example of "respect" or some crap. What a joke.

If the Cole hit is worth 3 games then the Datsyuk hit is worth twice that.

We should start having all of the Blues players skate through center ice with their heads at shoulder height to start racking up suspensions for other teams. Well, every team but the Red Wings. Those guys get "respect".

Maybe if Jackman would have fell down, got up and stumbled back to the ice, maybe a penalty. Bullshit none the less.

[cardsfan04]

This is the first time I saw the Datsyuk hit and that's complete bullshit that he's not suspended. I have no problem with Cole being suspended because he did get his elbow up and he got the head. But, pretty much the only difference between the two hits is the elbow. They both target the head which is the bad part.

[Oaklandblue]

Wow, surprising. Yes, let's come up with a vague interpretation of what constitutes a serious attempt at hurting someone and then nail them with suspensions. Ain't that wtf Penalties are for?

Shanahan is purposely using these 'vague rulings' as a way to knock down teams that might be a threat to the Original Six teams so one of the six have a better shot at win the Cup. It's like being back in 1967 again.

3 games for THAT? Cole gets a penalty AND is suspended? Yeah, Lucic knocked down a netminder, gets a penalty and how long was his suspension? Take special note of how many games non-Original Six players are getting suspended for and those who play on an OS team. Notice a difference?

Shanahan is an idiot. What he is really doing is making it a standard that you're going to get a suspension anyway, so you might as well hurt your target.

Fire this tool and get someone like Brett Hull or Mike Modano in there. Let's end this stupidity.

[TheoSqua]

[youtube][/youtube]

Just reminding everyone that Stevens literally made it into the hall of fame by making these same hits that are suspendable for 3+ games nowadays, but were perfectly legal and even respected only 8 years ago. The game is heading in a terrible direction. I don't know where, but somewhere along the line everyone has been forgetting how to harden the (Frank) up. I blame bettman and crosby. If you want to reduce the number of concussions, you have to slow the game down. Bring back clutch and grab hockey, open the neutral zone back up, bring back two line passes and drop the gay ass trapezoid.

I think the Stanley Cups, 900+ points, and +393 career stats had more to do with his HoF selection than did his big hits. The blend of solid tough defenseman with offensive flair was quite unique. But he would still be a HoF defenseman without the hits.

[WaukeeBlues]

Wow, surprising. Yes, let's come up with a vague interpretation of what constitutes a serious attempt at hurting someone and then nail them with suspensions. Ain't that wtf Penalties are for?

Shanahan is purposely using these 'vague rulings' as a way to knock down teams that might be a threat to the Original Six teams so one of the six have a better shot at win the Cup. It's like being back in 1967 again.

3 games for THAT? Cole gets a penalty AND is suspended? Yeah, Lucic knocked down a netminder, gets a penalty and how long was his suspension? Take special note of how many games non-Original Six players are getting suspended for and those who play on an OS team. Notice a difference?

Shanahan is an idiot. [What he is really doing is making it a standard that you're going to get a suspension anyway, so you might as well hurt your target.

Fire this tool and get someone like Brett Hull or Mike Modano in there. Let's end this stupidity.

Allegedly, Shanahan is supposed to take that into consideration when giving a suspension: whether or not the target got injured on the play.