Blackhawks React To NHL’s Decision Not To Suspend Torres (video)

Added on Apr 19, 2011 by J Merrill in

NHL

Blackhawks Coach Joel Quenneville isn’t bothered with the decision of Colin Campbell to not suspend Vancouver’s Raffi Torres for his hit on Brent Seabrook, but the rest of the Hawks are furious. Campbell, the NHL Senior Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations, issued a statement yesterday that they would not be discipling Torres for the hit on Seabrook that resulted in a minor penalty for interference at 12:14 of the second period.

Campbell explained in the statement that Torres’ hit was clean, and he explained in detail why they ruled how they ruled. He said “This hit meets none of the criteria that would subject Torres to supplemental discipline, including an application of Rule 48: He did not charge his opponent or leave his feet to deliver this check. He did not deliver an elbow or extended forearm and this hit was not ‘late’.”

The key part to the decision was actually helped by a video the NHL released earlier in the year, the video showed the difference between clean hits and the hits the NHL was trying to avoid. Campbell concluded “When Rule 48 (Illegal Check to the Head) was unanimously adopted by the General Managers in March 2010, there was no intention to make this type of shoulder hit to the head illegal. In fact, at that time, we distributed a video to all players and teams that showed a similar hit on a defenseman by an attacking forward coming from the opposite direction behind the net and stated that this is a legal play.”

The Hit:

This statement has done very little to calm down Seabrook and all the Hawks skaters. All of the Hawks were quick to point out that Torres was just coming back from a suspension for doing the same thing, but Seabrook was very specific about what went on during the play. He said “I think he kept his elbow in, but he hit the head first. As far as I’m concerned that’s the first thing I felt, it’s the only thing I felt. The rest of my body is feeling the rest of it today, but Sunday night all I could really feel was my ear. The way it looks to me, the head was hit first. Whether he was targeting or not, he made contact with the head first.”

Seabrook was also quick to point out that he is well aware of how rough hockey is, and has no problem with taking or giving a solid legal hit. He was also quick to point out the two things he didn’t like about what Torres did. Seabrook didn’t like the fact his head was targeted, and he didn’t like the fact that he wasn’t playing the puck. Seabrook concluded “If that’s a split second later and I’ve got the puck, I’m fair game. When you have the puck you’re fair game. But, if you’re hitting the guy in the head, you’re leaving your feet and you hit him square in the melon, that’s not the hit you’re supposed to make. If he stays on the ice and drives his shoulder through my chest and that’s the end of it, then that’s the end of it and I’m for that. That’s a hockey play. The thing I’m upset with is the fact that he hit my head.”

Quenneville was upset with the call on the ice, and said he respected the decision of the NHL, but he felt they got hurt on the ice when a major wasn’t called. Coach Q said “I’ve got no problem with that as far as the League views it. That’s their job. They do a good job. They know the standards and the criteria. I just think the call on the ice is where we probably got hurt the most, knowing that it was a major penalty because he didn’t touch the puck. Impact hit like that, you can be exposed to severe injuries and I think that’s the intent of the call, a major call.”

Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews said he knew the Blackhawks players were going to rally around Seabrook, and the Canucks would be behind Torres. However, Toews really felt there was intent on the side of Torres. Toews said “There will be biased opinions on both sides. They probably don’t think it is a suspension and we do, but at the end of the day we’re looking out for our teammate and we feel like it has to be at least a borderline head hit. Like I said (Sunday), considering what Torres has been up to lately, obviously it’s no coincidence that something like that would happen, so it’s frustrating that the League didn’t take action in our favor.”

Game 4 takes place tonight in Chicago at 7pm, and Vancouver Canucks have a 3-0 lead over the defending Stanley Cup Champions.