Anyone want to see a video of Pronger's hit on McAmmond? (For reviewing purposes.)?

Question

I'm posting this in case anyone wanted to see it so they could form a better opinion of what occured...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Fg5_tK1vDX0

In no way do I advocate a hit like this. Why? Look at the second and third replay. It's easy to see that Chris Pronger didn't lean into Dean McAmmond with any part of his body. He didn't lead in with his hip to make a hipcheck, his torso to make a bodycheck, or even his shoulder for a clean shoulder hit.

My original thought was that you can't judge his intentions, so you can't say for sure whether it was an accident or not. But the ONLY thing he did was extend his arm, which can only mean he ment to punch the guy, elbow him, hit him with his forearm, or push him.

If he ment to hit McAmmond with his forearm or to push him it was a poor decision that ended with him elbowing McAmmond and it should be punished. There HAS to be a low tolerance for head hits because they're far too serious and can potentially end careers.

By the way, I've read a lot of answers where people have suggested that Chris Pronger's height was to blame...

In theory it could be to blame for WHERE McAmmond was hit with an elbow (the head). However, regardless of where the elbow made contact with McAmamond, it would still be illegal.

EDIT: The NHL suspended Pronger for Game 4. It actually was a forearm, but since it was a blow to the head, it was illegal. Thank goodness.

http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app?articleid=314899&page=NewsPage&service=page

bourgoise_10o - He may have lined him up with his shoulder but he never lead in with it. His arm was extended out.

Kaotik29 - That old adage, "two wrongs don't make a right" comes to mind. There are guys with good sportsmanship in the NHL who don't do dirty after dirty is done to them and not only do they continue to play, but their team can win too.

Pronger's an athelete who should be able to bend his knees a little to get down if he really needs to hit someone with his shoulder. I've seen plenty of guys do it.

If a guy is smaller though, he doesn't really need to hit them with his shoulder. A good bodycheck or hipcheck would knock them over.

I don't care if the GM of a team is unliked or the team is considered dirty---none of that makes it okay for a player to hit another player in the head.

Answer 1

Look I've been a Pronger fan since he was with his REAL team the St. Louis Blues (God may he please come back!!) And I don't think he's a bad guy. But I do think that he is one of the absolutely best defensemen in the league and knows how to hit people without looking like he hit people. In the CUp finals with everything on the line I can see how he would be tempted to take a chance on something like this. He did it, he should pay for it. If you can't do the time, don't do the crime.

Answer 2

This suspension and the previous one to Mr. Pronger in those playoffs are unfair and unwarranted. particular he did get his elbow up and it is an unlawful play in hockey. that's why they have a penalty for elbowing, which i could upload Pronger won no such penalty for the play nor did he recieve a penalty for the hit interior the Detroit sequence. he's being singled out as a results of fact the NHL, rightly so, desires to crack down on head searching so fairly of hitting each and every conventional joe with a suspension for infractions in the process the known season they are going after a great profile guy like Pronger for the time of a playoff run. Holmstrom getting harm from the hit which have been given Chris suspened final time replaced into no longer Prongers fault, he went for the hit and fairly of touchdown the hit and the two gamers gliding off the boards like what many times occurs, Scott N hit Holmstrom for the different part hence trapping him and Prongers momentum brought about his arms to slip up an seize Holsmstrom interior the top. Now this play against McAmmond replaced into worse than that yet under no circumstances, shape or type merits a one activity suspension interior the STANLEY CUP FINALS!! If 2 referee's felt it did no longer warrant even a 2 minute penalty, which i think of he ought to are starting to be a 5 minute important for yet that's neither right here nor there, then there's no longer must be handing out suspensions. it incredibly is hockey, it is a coarse activity and human beings sometimes get harm and adult adult males sometime harm the regulations that's why we've the penalty field. permit the lads play.

Answer 3

Dirty hit from a dirty player on a dirty team (even though I do like Anaheim). If height was to blame, why doesn't Zdeno Chara ever injure people like Pronger does? Pronger has been suspended 6 times I believe. You don't get 6 suspensions by fluke.

Because of the severity of this incident, his past history and the fact he was just suspended in the last series....he should have been suspended for the remainder of the playoffs and at least 5 games next year. Ducks fans should be thanking the league that all he got was one game.

Answer 4

OK, and people expect Pronger to hit anybody but possibly Chara with a shoulder how? Neil has taken dangerous runs at people through the playoffs that could cripple a person if they actually connect, but nothing is done to him.

Besides, this is just more Murray lobbying the NHL. I didn't have much like for him when he was the Ducks GM, and the Ducks are my team. Why would I respect someone who is the coach of the dirtiest team I have seen in a while (with the exception of Philidelphia) and whines about everything to get his way?

If it was truly a serious hit, with this being Pronger's second offense of this year's playoffs, shouldn't the suspension be longer than 1 game? It'd be like me (6' 2" without skates) trying to hit Briere with my shoulder. Pretty difficult.

Answer 5

1. Repeat offender in the playoffs - he got off easy.
2. Dirtiest team in the league. They didn't get the most penalties all season for nothing. Their style is dirty.
3. Pronger didn't want to be embarrassed by McAmmond yet another time that game.
4. McAmmond shot the puck. He didn't have it, was moving faster the Pronger, and was going around him. It's interference.
5. You can't throw an elbow to stop a player skating around you, that's elbowing
6. If you are bigger than everyone else, all the more reason not to throw your elbows around illegally.

Answer 6

I'm sorry but you cannot use your height as an excuse...it's McAmmonds fault coz he's not 6'4...had he been that height it would have just been a good check...no...

As a player you are fully responsible for your actions, and knowing that he is a bigger player in the league, and knowing there are smaller guys, doesn't give anyone the right to use their size or height as an excuse.

Same reason why guys get called for high sticking even when they didn't mean to raise their sticks, you have to be responsible for it on the ice. Use your size accordingly, but sticking your elbow out on a guy smaller than you is only looking for trouble...be smarter about it.

Suspension deserved, but it should have been 2 games as he is already a repeat offender this playoff, he just did it last series and got one game so the right thing would have been to give him 2 games to show that the league is aware of this and they will not tolerate it at all.

Answer 7

As a Ducks fan i'll admit he deserved one game and that's it.
It was a dirty hit but if McAmmond wouldn't have gotten injured the punishment would not have been as severe.

Many people are saying that the Ducks are a dirty team but when you play the way they play youre gonna take some penalties.

And the only reason the ducks lead the NHL in penalties was because they had the most fighting majors. I watched almost every game and i dont remember too many misconduct penalties, so people get your facts straight.

GO DUCKS!!!!!!

Answer 8

there was no reason for him to lead with the elbow as far as im concerned should be out for rest of playoffs due to being second infraction for exact same thing. can not blame his height when he brings arm up an hits the guy with elbow could have gone for the classic hip check and sent the guy head over heels and had same result (hard hit) but would have been a clean one. To me justifies me saying Pronger thinks dirty, going for cheap shot instead of a legal hit.

Answer 9

You're right it was completely a dirty hit and he got the suspention to prove it.

The one thing you're missing is who he hit!

Late it the second Dean McAmmond's centering pass bounced off off Pronger and in. At the start of the third he saw McAmmond and went head-hunting!

This was a very selfish play and I hope the Sens can take advantage of it!

Answer 10

I think this suspension is more justified than the one in Detroit, this time he acted alone. I'm tired of the height argument, he's well aware he's one of the biggest guys on the ice and should act accordingly. Complaining he's too tall is just like blaming Martin St. Louis for being too short.