Mason Raymond taken to hospital

[iamlilc]

There's no question that this was just a hockey play. Boychuk was playing his man and it just so happened he went back first into the boards in an awkward position.

If anything Edler's hit on Peverley in the 1st period could have been suspend-able. He was racing down the ice to touch the puck to prevent an icing and got hit in the head before he touched the puck. He was crouching a bit, but it's still a head shot/interference that could have potentially gave him a concussion. Luckily for Edler he jumped back up, otherwise he could have been gone for game 7.

[thatbirdguy]

Current word (From Kypreos, via Stubbs): may be 4-6 months with a back/hip injury.

[Boogeypop]

I really have to disagree with you 4T2. Boychuk totally made sure Raymond hit the boards. Watch the video very closely. Boychuk doesn't go straight, he swings around quite a bit and finishes him off.

As for horrorfan, it was totally interference. Here is the NHL's rule on this "The last player to touch the puck, other than the goalkeeper, shall be considered the player in possession. The player deemed in possession of the puck may be checked legally, provided the check is rendered immediately following his loss of possession."

Raymond was travelling one way hunched over never having touched the puck, Boychuk reeled him in and made sure his body kept him there. Seeing as how he never had the puck the check was given illegally. Now, if you think this wasn't a check please look at the video. Sure Raymond wasn't thrown but in this case it wouldn't take much to check since his body is doing all the work when someone is hunched over.

I admit that Boychuk probably doesn't deserve a lofty suspension here but I think for consistency sake (when are they ever) the NHL must impose a 1 game here. Rome's hit was a split second off, like a fraction of a second which is a blink. Boychuk willing steers Raymond in to the boards...

And of course I fully realize this won't happen. I really think this messed up their game last night and they couldn't get back in it until the very end but by then it was already too late. It's a shame it didn't rally them like Horton's departure.

[thatbirdguy]

Wanted to add that Kypreos on twitter also stated that the League will not further review the hit.

[horrorfan]

Boogeypop, fair enough with your reasoning but we'll have to agree to disagree. I watched it again several times and looking at the puck, if the puck glanced off one of their skates then this wouldn't be discussed. The fact that it went between both of their legs as they were both going in that direction - that to me wouldn't be interference. Thanks for the rule but I don't feel it applies in this case. I know you disagree and that's fine.

I also don't think it was much of a check as they were both gliding following the tie up at the point of the puck going between their legs. Could Boychuck have stopped - I don't know but looking at it over and over in slow motion isn't clear enough that makes me change my mind. And of course, refs don't get the slow motion replay.

As for a suspension, I'm glad that there isn't one as if we are just looking at the result now then the NHL is heading down a slippery slope in my opinion. You cannot compare to Rome as his was a clear, late hit, leaving his feet so making contact with Horton's head.

[Loch]

I also don't think it was much of a check as they were both gliding following the tie up at the point of the puck going between their legs. Could Boychuck have stopped - I don't know but looking at it over and over in slow motion isn't clear enough that makes me change my mind. And of course, refs don't get the slow motion replay.

See I have to disagree... Boychuck definitely puts him into the boards. Raymond had little or no momentum by the time the reached the boards, certainly not enough to do injury. He's also falling forward so I fail to see how his ass would hit the boards without Boychuck shoving him in. It really looks like he repositions his feet and gives a good shove as they get to the boards.

Do I think Boychuck was trying to injure him? No. But he sure as hell did.

(wait, didn't I say the same about Rome on Horton?)

[2 Minutes For Bearding]

bottom line is Raymond is interfered with, boychuck hits him and raymond is out 6-8 months.

so Horton is interfered with, rome hits him and Horton more than likely in training camp.


based on the NHL's logic of "weighing the result heavily" in any disciplinary hearing, i really think the 2 incidents are alot more similar than people are realizing. Both Horton and Raymond were in vulnerable positions on the ice and both rome and Boychuck took advantage of that. Just because one was right in centre ice and the other off to the side of the frame isnt reason enough to draw distinctions.

im certainly not saying its going to happen but i think people should at least look closely at the similarities and admit the nhl criteria are using could be applied in this case. really it just brings up more questions going forward about discipline for me. they need a real clear cut guide that they follow to a t.

[Loch]

I agree with you completely, except there is one huge difference between the 2 plays... the refs called no penalty on Boychuk. They did call one on Rome. So (by nhl's logic anyway) they plays are different since Boychuk's play was deemed legal.
I certainly feel they missed the call on the ice, but the NHL's higher-ups will always be reluctant to say their referees missed an important call....

Isn't that what happened with the Cooke non-suspension on Savard?
(I sometimes forget the details)

[Thieving Giraffe]

Mike Hurley on NESN confirms no suspension, and also cites multiple unconfirmed sources reporting a fractured vertebra or back injury. Thankfully 4-6 weeks recovery, rather than months.

I was among the first to say that a penalty could be called on the play, but I think that a suspension would be overkill and set the precedent for suspension from a dozen plays a game. And I think that if the Rome hit hadn't happened, there would be no call for suspension. Strikes me as an equalizer movement.

A couple of important differences between the Boychuk and Rome hits.

First, Boychuk initiated the check while the puck was at Raymond's feet, rather than .94 seconds later (a long time in hockey terms). I do think that it could have been called interference, but only because he finished the check in a way that continued to take Raymond out of the play for longer than your standard check on a player with possession. The problem was the angle of Raymond's body, not a boarding, roughing or typically dangerous hit.

But even if it could have been called interference, it's not a penalty that does get called, regular or post-season. Players are taught to finish their checks like that if they're near the boards, and this unfortunate result aside, it's not the kind of dangerous hit that they're trying to take out of the game. Unfortunately, the one out of a thousand times that this kind of hit causes injury, happened to be Boychuk-Raymond's. But the Rome hit was the kind of open-ice, unexpected hit that the NHL has been targeting for a year now. If Horton had gotten up uninjured, is there any doubt that the refs have still called the penalty? And yet I can't imagine the Boychuk hit being called without the injury, regular season or playoffs.

[thatbirdguy]

Mike Hurley on NESN confirms no suspension, and also cites multiple unconfirmed sources reporting a fractured vertebra or back injury. Thankfully 4-6 weeks recovery, rather than months.

That article misquoted Kypreos on the weeks. The article says 4-6 weeks, but if you follow the link Kypreos says 4-6 months. As does the Vancouver Province.

Edit - the NESN report has been fixed to appropriately reflect the timeline.

[vaseuro]

vertabrae compression fracture....3-4 months

[A Watch]

I'm worried this may slow him down in the future. Hopefully they don't require his vertebrae fused...

[A Watch]

I think the worst thing was the way Raymond was treated. Horton was trying to get up and arena staff were all over him with the stretcher (rightfully so). Raymond gets hit and can't move his legs and no arena staff assist. He is carried off the ice!!! As a professional first aid attendant this is unacceptable. The got him to the dressing room and then loaded him onto a spine board. For arena staff to ignore obvious spinal trauma is unacceptable. If I could see it from my couch, staff should have been all over it. Horton on a spine-board was a precaution. Raymond on a spine-board was a necessity.

[vaseuro]

Vancouver could have requested that when Raymond was on the ice....Theres no way you knew he had a spinal injury.....he went awkwardly into the boards...it could have been anything.....instead of trying to help him up, the vancouver staff should have requested a stretcher!

[ridinryan44]

I think the worst thing was the way Raymond was treated. Horton was trying to get up and arena staff were all over him with the stretcher (rightfully so). Raymond gets hit and can't move his legs and no arena staff assist. He is carried off the ice!!! As a professional first aid attendant this is unacceptable. The got him to the dressing room and then loaded him onto a spine board. For arena staff to ignore obvious spinal trauma is unacceptable. If I could see it from my couch, staff should have been all over it. Horton on a spine-board was a precaution. Raymond on a spine-board was a necessity.

Wouldn't that be up to Vancouver's medical staff to ask or get the board out there??? I'm sure the arena would have had no problem getting that out there had that been the case...