Following a 1:00 PM hearing with the NHL Monday, Washington Capitals winger Donald Brashear, one of the most feared players in the NHL, has been suspended for six games by the NHL for actions he took before yesterday's playoff game with the New York Rangers.Brashear was disciplined for two separate and distinct incidents.
During the pre-game warmup, Brashear initiated a brief confrontation with Rangers enforcer Colton Orr, an infraction that earned him a one-game suspension. Orr was later declared a healthy scratch, and did not play.
Later, during the first period of the game with the score tied 1-1, Brashear delivered a devastating blind side hit to Rangers winger Blair Betts that broke his orbital bone. Betts, who did not return to action, had to be helped to the locker room, and It's feared that he will be lost for the remainder of the postseason.
Said NHL disciplinary czar Colin Campbell in a statement released by the league shortly before 4:00 PM, "Brashear delivered a shoulder hit to an unsuspecting player ... It is also my opinion that the hit was delivered late and targeted the head of his opponent, causing significant injury."
Coming during the playoffs, the severity of the suspension has to be considered something of a surprise, though it may also signal that the league is finally listening to a number of critics, most importantly ones inside the National Hockey League Players Association, that it's time to more severely punish deliberate blows to the head for the sake of the safety of the players.
While the loss of Brashear's physical presence against the Rangers can't be underestimated, the loss allows Washington to re-insert team captain Chris Clark back into the lineup. Clark, who was placed on injured reserve on January 31 for wrist surgery, hasn't played since a January 27 game against the Boston Bruins. Limited to just 40 games over the last two seasons due to injury, Clark ascended to the team's captaincy thanks, in part, for scoring 50 goals over the course of two seasons, most of those playing on the team's top line with Alex Ovechkin.
More importantly, Clark has a well-known reputation for toughness and heart, two qualities that seemed to be in short supply in the first two games of Washington's series against the Rangers. His willingness to fight for real estate in front of the net and work hard in the corners will be a welcome addition to the Caps lineup.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
4-27-2009 @ 5:51PM
John said...
The only thing I find kinda strange about this is that it was shoulder to head contact. Scott Stevens made a living out of knocking players unconscious with shoulder to head hits, and was praised as a great hitter because of it. Typically, if its not a hit from behind, the stick is down, if its not an elbow, and if you don't leave your feet, not only is there not a suspension, but there isn't even a penalty.
I'm not saying there wasn't intent to injure here, but plenty of other players (Eric Lindros, Paul Kariya to name 2) have been demolished by Scott Stevens shoulder hits, and I don't remember suspensions coming from them.
Reply
4-27-2009 @ 10:31PM
mr-hockey said...
o well excuse me scott stevens is one of the gratest hitters ever even though i am a ranger fan i am saying that and he hit players clean with his key word here SHOULDER not ELBOW brashear used his elbow and knocked blair betts out cold and he should thrown out of the leage for that
4-27-2009 @ 6:36PM
slugger1834 said...
Brashirs hit was after a whistle. he should have gotten more
Reply
4-27-2009 @ 7:02PM
Jason True said...
First of all, it's Brashear. Second, it wasn't after a whistle. Go watch the video again, slugger. There wasn't a whistle for another 4 or 5 seconds when Mara went after Brashear. A six game suspension for that hit is ridiculous considering Avery has been getting away with cheap shots all series.
Reply
4-27-2009 @ 7:11PM
firstclassmeal said...
can you say thug on skates? He does not add anything to the sport of hockey. He should not only be suspended...he should be locked up for attempted murder...
Reply
4-27-2009 @ 7:35PM
John Marshall said...
It's just a matter of time before someone gets killed from this type of behavior. But this is what the NHL wants so it will never change.
Reply
4-27-2009 @ 7:38PM
dobedobydo said...
I've watched several different videos on the hit and still believe it was an elbow, even if Campbell won't say ti was. Another angle shows it more clearly. Regardless, there was an obvious intent to injure. What's worse is if Betts didn't turn towards Brashear, it would've been a hit from behind. If the NHL is going to penalize players for trash talking that does not end players' careers, then the NHL needs to STOP BAD HITS like this one. Betts' career may be over and since it was an OBVIOUS intent to injure, the suspension should be until the injured player is able to return to the game. brashear was hunting for a hit (seen as he wandered away from Voros) and went headhunting. The NHL needs to take the cheap crap out of the game. Maybe the NYC Police will be interested in charging Brashear because hits like that are not supposed to be part of the game; period, end of discussion... blah blah blah. I don't want to hear that those hits are common and allowed, because they are not! This PROVES the refs are 'fixing' games. How could something so CONCLUSIVE (warrenting a 5 games suspension) be overlooked by all of the on-ice officiating. Even LInesmen are allowed to call that penalty and none of them did. The NHL has been renamed the CBC; The Campbell Bettman Circus. Watch for it coming to a town near you... The clowns wear zebra stripes and the animals aren't in cages! Old time hockey is officially dead.
Reply
4-27-2009 @ 8:21PM
espadon58 said...
Good hits are not aloud in the NHL anymore, we should have them wear skirt. It was a good clean hit.You have to look where you going when you play hockey. Blind sided hit is what you look for to smoke a guy,like in football. The NHL is going nowhere,better watch europeen hockey for now on.
Reply
4-27-2009 @ 9:12PM
hafttwo said...
brashear is a thug
Reply
4-27-2009 @ 9:25PM
espadon58 said...
He's a thug,no question,but that was a very clean hit. Look up kid next time,don't watch you're no skill dump that long next time.
Reply
4-27-2009 @ 10:32PM
mr-hockey said...
are u stupid the was a visious dirty hit
4-27-2009 @ 10:54PM
Dee said...
He was hit after he got rid of the puck. That guy was looking for someone to hit. It was a cheap, shot plain & simple.
Reply
4-27-2009 @ 11:22PM
billyp01 said...
are you guys f'in stupid? the puck was nowhere near the play, betts wasnt even looking and it looks like brash uppercuts him..you can clearly see brashear go after the rangers player that hit him but he went for a line change so he hit the first guy he saw.. how retarted can you people be? im a flyers fan so i despise the rangers and liked brash when he was here, but there is no room in hockey for this $hit.. you have to be insane to make some of the points you guys are making in defence of this hit..he broke his freaking orbital bone for christs sake! 6 games isnt enough if you ask me.. theres old time hockey and than theres gorillas on ice (and that is by no means racist)
Reply
4-28-2009 @ 12:52AM
biddin4 said...
Wow, 5 games what a joke!, Betts never saw him comming to at least protect himself...He dumped the puck, pulled up and was heading off and that freaking ape was looking a piece of someone...That's a play where you don't expect to get hit, especially after 3 seconds go by without the puck...The gutless Rangers never showed any spine for their teamate who is a big reason they're still here and went on to play a typical "vanilla" game...
Reply
4-28-2009 @ 1:54AM
RYAN said...
Wow harsh comments that really mean absolutely nothing to the player and what the real issue is. That is the inconsistency in Colin Campbell to hand down appropriate punishment on a consistent basis. Being an Ice Hockey Official and reviewing several different views of the hit he came at Betts with his shoulder and ended up hitting him with his elbow right after Betts got rid of the puck so it was a late hit. It was not worthy of a 6 game suspension though. Sorry but that it was too harsh for the hit. IT is not a life threatening hit and clearly there have been worse hits.
Reply
4-28-2009 @ 5:19AM
rwing said...
To espadon58...can't believe you could say that was a CLEAN hit!!! Deliberate elbow to the head and obvious INTENT TO INJURE. One comment on this blog also mentioned that the player should be suspended until the injured one can return to the game, which is my consensus also. These Bulls**t and COWARDLY hits are what the NHL needs to STOP...that is not hockey to me.
Reply
4-28-2009 @ 6:10AM
sandmlayton said...
This proves the old saying the squeaky wheel gets the grease. The Rangers have been crying about everything from a-z. Names calling, lack of security,and the list goes on. Avery hits a Cap in the face but gets no suspension. Brashear creams a homo gets 6 games. Someone call Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton.
Reply
4-28-2009 @ 7:01AM
Jim said...
Colin Campbell? The same Colin Campbell that was the former New York Rangers head coach?
Reply
4-28-2009 @ 8:00AM
rwing said...
Your CAPS AIN'T NOTHING BUT TRASH!!
Reply
4-28-2009 @ 9:18AM
kfogs1957 said...
I am not a Caps or Rangers fan, but I do think the Caps organization has looked pretty bad lately. Ovechkin's antics are bush league, the guy is a great player and the only people who find his actions entertaining are Cap fans or casual fans. Like Joe Paterno has said, when you score, act like you've been there before. Secondly, the crowd and Tortorella's suspension. There is no excuse for what Tortorella did, but please, that crowd behavior was thug like. Who yells that kind of stuff in front of others, pours beer on people and security does nothing. Yea, it happens elsewhere, but that does not make it right either. Now, the Brashear junk. This guy whined like a little b*&%* when he got hit in the head a few years back by I believe Marty McSorley, and then he goes and does this? It wasn't clean, it was intentional and he should be gone for the entire playoffs or a minimum of ten games. Hockey is a tough sport, these guys make their living playing. You should have to deal with clean, tough, hard hits , not thgat stuff. If you are objective, and nbot reactive, I don't know how you can disagree with that. Had that been done to a Caps player, the washington fans would be going crazy.
Reply