1st Game Back From 4 Game Suspension, Vancouver’s Raffi Torres Does It Again

Added on Apr 18, 2011 by J Merrill in

NHL

The Chicago Blackhawks are obviously frustrated with their play so far against the Vancouver Canucks, but after the 3-2 loss they were all mad about the hit on Brent Seabrook. Seabrook was able to continue playing on Sunday night, but not with the any help from Canucks Forward Raffi Torres. Seabrook was playing the puck behind his own goal when the 6’3 and 220 pound Torres flattened Seabrook while go full speed into him. Not only did it look like Torres left his feet, but he will have a hard time convincing me he wasn’t targeting the head of Seabrook.

This isn’t Torres’ first time doing this, and in fact it isn’t even the first time he has done this this month. In the last week of the season, Torres hit Edmonton Oilers forward Jason Eberle with an illegal hit and was suspended 4 games, 2 in the regular season and the first 2 of the post season. This was his first game back from suspension! Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville was upset that it wasn’t a major infraction, and he obviously hopes the league takes a look at the video. He said “If he wasn’t a big Western Canadian kid, somebody else would’ve been on a stretcher. Is it a suspension? I don’t have to worry about it. It’s not my call. Guy didn’t even get through his first game back off one.”

Seabrook was looking for the puck behind him and was looking for the puck when the senseless hit took place. Seabrook said he has no problem with Torres being a rough player, but this might be turning into a serial thing with Torres. Seabrook said about Torres “He’s a hard-nosed guy. He plays hard. He’s been in trouble with the League before in doing the same kind of thing. I’m going to leave it at that and let the League take a look at it. Whatever they do is what we’ve got to deal with.” As for the play itself, Seabrook said he didn’t see a replay of the hit, and he wasn’t really sure what he was doing when it happened. He said “I felt it on my cheek and my ear. I didn’t have control of the puck … I don’t know what I was looking at to be honest with you.”

Blackhawks Captain Jonathon Toews thought the hit was dirty, and said Torres’ objective on that play was clear. He said “I only saw it from the bench, but his reputation as of late speaks for itself. He’s not just going in there to make a play. He’s trying to hurt one of our players. To us, that’s pretty obvious.”

Seabrook never left the bench after the initial hit from Torres, and after the Chicago medical staff gave him the nod to play again, he was back in the game. However, it didn’t take long for Torres to line up Seabrook a second time. The second was a legal hit, but after the contact Seabrook was rattled and left the bench for the locker room early before the third period.

It will be interesting to see how the league responds to the play itself, as some argue that this is the exact thing that the NHL is trying to avoid. Pittsburgh Penguins owner Mario Lemieux brought up the idea of penalizing the teams of the players who are repeat offenders, and this case might be a good argument for such actions. All of the NHL General Managers are planning to take a look at the way they address head hits in the off-season.