by tiger » Fri Jan 22, 2010 6:31 pm
Downie's 20 suspensions were in the NHL and the AHL. So he lost money and lost opportunity. Plus it's in a professional league. I'm not saying that Cormier should get 20 games. That's what Downie got. I posted earlier that Cormier should be banned for the year. **(added) Now knowing more of his situation, perhaps it should be a full calendar year. don't know how that would be enforced, unless most of the major hockey leagues respect that. So he could be stuck in Europe playing for a year. Pretty sure Sweden won't take him though.
I do think that the Cormier hit is worse. It's going to be odd b/c of the timing of the hit, Cormier could actually serve less time, which sucks, IMO. What happens if some guy loses his mind on the last day of the season, and does the same thing? 1 game suspension? 3 minute misconduct? What about Tam's career? The dude might not be able to play hockey again.
B/c of the hit, I'm actually more in favour of the police being involved. Any for anyone who says the police shouldn't be involved, spend a day with them in the hospital first and say it directly to the faces of the Mikael and the Tam family. If you can do that in good conscience and still feel that way after, then okay, I'll back off.
Ending Liambus' jr career is pretty severe for him, b/c his chance of making it into the NHL are slim. I'm not sure if he's even drafted. So less playing time means that he can't showcase his talents. Cormier represented team canada as captain! An honor, a priviledge. Since being named, he has done 2 very intentional idiotic elbows. Because he was held in such high esteem, he has fallen far, so the disgrace is greater.
Cormier has already been drafted, named captain in the WJC, and probably has a legit shot at the NHL. So ending his jr career doesn't really teach him any lesson, IMO. Plus on top of that, he's a repeat offender of the same type of cheap hit. So obviously, this guy is still immature, thinks he's invincible and and carry on like a donkey with no consequences. I think a stiffer penalty will actually be better for him in the long run. You knocked out a player with your elbow, plus a few teeth, gave the guy brain trauma, and who know what other lasting negative effects. I don't want to hear any excuses of ignorance (I didn't think it would be that bad, I didn't mean to give him brain trauma..etc.) Of course you didn't! Nobody that is sane goes around wanting to give people brain trauma. But you did something stupid, a mistake, which turned out really really bad, so there are consequences. Possibly big consequences.
If he doesn't learn, then someone's going to teach him that lesson the hard way. It also protects him. Downie was still running around like a donkey, hitting players late, sucker punching them. Then George Laraque checked him from behind into the boards to teach him a lesson. I don't agree with that, but since then Downie's stop doing that sort of stuff and has turned into a better player.
In the end, if Cormier loses his chance at the NHL b/c of this, that's his own unfortunate fault.
...my meager skills were no match for his devastating...