Chara Will Not be Suspended for His Hit

[Phil The Thrill]

National Hockey League Senior Vice President of Hockey Operations Mike Murphy today issued the following statement on Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara's hit in NHL game #996 last night against the Montreal Canadiens:

"I conducted a hearing with Boston Bruins' defenseman Zdeno Chara with respect to the major penalty for interference and game misconduct that he was assessed at 19:44 of the second period for a hit on Max Pacioretty of the Montreal Canadiens.

"After a thorough review of the video I can find no basis to impose supplemental discipline. This hit resulted from a play that evolved and then happened very quickly -- with both players skating in the same direction and with Chara attempting to angle his opponent into the boards. I could not find any evidence to suggest that, beyond this being a correct call for interference, that Chara targeted the head of his opponent, left his feet or delivered the check in any other manner that could be deemed to be dangerous.

"This was a hockey play that resulted in an injury because of the player colliding with the stanchion and then the ice surface. In reviewing this play, I also took into consideration that Chara has not been involved in a supplemental discipline incident during his 13-year NHL career."

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=555520

Superstar treatment much?

 

[LeafsFan4Life]

I had a good laugh reading Hab fans posts on HF calling for Chara to be suspended for the rest of the season and playoffs. Some even wanting criminal charges laid on Chara. lol

 

[Gtown81]

doesnt deserve a suspension at all

 

[Phil The Thrill]

I had a good laugh reading Hab fans posts on HF calling for Chara to be suspended for the rest of the season and playoffs. Some even wanting criminal charges laid on Chara. lol

I was dying from that thread.

 

[The Guid]

Montreal Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty spoke to TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie from his hospital room on Wednesday evening about the injury that he suffered against the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night.

"I am upset and disgusted that the league didn't think enough of (the hit) to suspend him," Pacioretty told TSN. "I not mad for myself, I'm mad because if other players see a hit like that and think it's okay, they won't be suspended, then other players will get hurt like I got hurt."

"It's been an emotional day. I saw the video for the first time this morning. You see the hit, I've got a fractured vertebrae, I'm in hospital and I thought the league would do something, a little something. I'm not talking a big number, I don't know, one game, two games, three games...whatever, but something to show that it's not right."

"I heard (Chara) said he didn't mean to do it. I felt he did mean to do it. I would feel better if he said he made a mistake and that he was sorry for doing that, I could forgive that, but I guess he's talking about how I jumped up or something."

"I believe he was trying to guide my head into the turnbuckle. We all know where the turnbuckle is. It wasn't a head shot like a lot of head shots we see but I do feel he targeted my head into the turnbuckle."

TSN.ca

 

[Rios15]

Didn't really look intentional but to prevent it, he could of received some sort of punishment.

 

[The Guid]

I agree he should have got 2-4 games but, in any event, they should have just suspended him to not hear everyone up in arms about this.

Some idiot just tweeted that the NHL showed favoritism in their decision today. Yeah, well, Savard would like to know where said favoritism was almost exactly a year ago.

 

[Phil The Thrill]

The only thing with Chara is he should have know his positioning better, and the size difference between him and Pacioretty.

The league also has to look into better protection for the boards and glass around the bench.

 

[Mr.Baller]

lolllll !!!! No suspension ? LOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL ... they are waiting to see some one die in the nhl come on no suspension wow loll makes me laugh wowww

 

[.infamous]

It really isnt a hit that should get someone suspended. If it was anywhere else on the rink it wouldnt have been this bad.

 

[Lake Louise]

It was a nasty outcome to an unfortunately timed hit. The hit wasn't dirty, just where it was at, made it look worse. Didn't deserve a suspension.

 

[Mr.Baller]

and ya no suspension on this lolll ... its just cause all fucker hate montreal ! And bet u guys if it was a player from the leafs the reaction wouldnt be the same !

 

[.infamous]

You know he didnt hit the dude into that on purpose man. And If it happened to a Red Wings player yeah I would be mad at first but from the video if it wouldve been anywhere else on the rink dude wouldnt be hurt that bad.

 

[Phil The Thrill]

LOL

MONTREAL -- Montreal police confirmed they opened a criminal investigation Thursday into the devastating hit that placed Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty in the hospital with a cracked vertebra.

Police said they were acting on a complaint about the shot delivered by Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara earlier this week.

The move came as people outside the hockey world piled onto the league, with federal politicians and a major NHL sponsor expressing outrage over a hit that failed to draw a suspension or fine.

Law enforcement got involved following a request by Quebec's director of criminal and penal prosecutions, Louis Dionne.

A spokeswoman for Dionne said that, after seeing television footage of the incident, he issued a recommendation to the provincial Public Security department that an investigation be opened.

The department then forwarded the file to police.

"The police investigation will be held. Like all police investigations, evidence will be gathered and an investigation report will be submitted (to the DCPP)," said spokeswoman Martine Berube.

"(The DCPP) will then evaluate to see whether there's grounds for prosecution."

Asked what kind of punishment could be assessed in a case like Chara's, she replied: "It's too early to say. That would depend on what charges are laid. That's a little difficult to predict at this point."

The move came amid a burst of outrage after the National Hockey League declined to suspend Chara.

Earlier Wednesday, Dionne's own office downplayed talk of a criminal investigation but hardened its tone hours later when the league announced no sanctions would be taken.

Later in the day, a major league sponsor and even the federal government were demanding action.

Air Canada waded into the debate, sending a letter late Wednesday to the NHL.

In the letter, the airline threatened to withdraw its sponsorship unless the NHL moves to impose sanctions to reduce potential serious injuries.

The debate over headshots and concussions has been constant this season, with superstar Sidney Crosby topping the injury list.

Pacioretty, a left-winger from New Canaan, Conn., who had established himself this season as a regular top-line player, suffered a severe concussion and a non-displaced fracture to the fourth cervical vertebra in his neck.

With both racing for the puck near the player benches, the six-foot-nine Chara checked Pacioretty into the boards and the young Hab slammed into a stanchion supporting the glass.

The hit drew criticism from Gary Lunn, the minister of state for sports, and others outside the league. Lunn called it unacceptable.

But the league deemed it "a hockey play that resulted in an injury because of the player colliding with the stanchion and then the ice surface."

Chara, who said he had no intent to hurt Pacioretty, was given a major penalty for interference and a game misconduct on the play.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman refused to comment on the incident Thursday morning on his way into a U.S. congressional briefing in Washington, D.C., where he was to discuss the state of hockey in America.

The big Bruin is not known to be a dirty player and has never been suspended in his 13-year career.

Pacioretty told TSN he was "upset and disgusted" that the league had not suspended Chara.

"I'm not mad for myself, I'm mad because if other players see a hit like that and think it's OK, they won't be suspended, then other players will get hurt like I got hurt."

Legal and law-enforcement experts expressed doubt the police investigation would result in criminal charges.

"This would be the type of case that would be very tough to prosecute," said John Galianos, a former major crimes investigator with Quebec's provincial police.

He added that the difficulty facing prosecutors would be establishing Chara's intent to injure.

"I don't think a Crown attorney would prosecute based on the video," Galianos said.

The prosecution would also have to argue that the violence of the hit went above and beyond the normal level of violence in professional hockey, said a Montreal criminal lawyer.

"When you get involved in a sport, there is a concept of acceptance of risk," said Steven Slimovitch.

"The question is did Pacioretty agree to be hit in that kind of fashion by Zdeno Chara? Was the hit so outside the norm of what is found in the sport of hockey . . . that it's not hockey anymore.

Slimovitch pointed out that while criminal charges have been brought against NHL players in the past for on-ice violence, they have generally involved stick-swinging incidents.

There is little precedent for a bodycheck leading to legal action.

Following the Bruins' pre-game skate in Boston on Thursday, Chara reiterated his claim that he didn't set out to hurt Pacioretty.

"You feel bad when a fellow player gets severely hurt," he said. "I know, deep down, I did not do it intentionally."

http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=357361

 

[playmaker7]

Criminal investigation? What's there to investigate honestly...it's hockey WTF

 

[.infamous]

Canadians and Hockey man lol.

 

[cruzg24]

It was a nasty outcome to an unfortunately timed hit. The hit wasn't dirty, just where it was at, made it look worse. Didn't deserve a suspension.

x2. I agree because it was very fast how it occured and it just didnt look intentional.

 

[Rios15]

I'm saying that it should have been a suspension just for future prevention of hits like these. Nothing major.

 

[DannyColtsBro]

Funniest thing I've ever seen LOL!

 

[Yankees2772]

The hit MAY have been an interference call at worst. Calling for a suspension is ridiculous. There was no malicious intent whatsoever and there is no history with Chara being a dirty player like that.