12/03/24
October 20, 2010
Rypien suspended indefinitely by NHL: Vancouver Canucks forward Rick Rypien has been suspended indefinitely for grabbing a fan on Tuesday night. The incident happened while Rypien was on the way to the visiting dressing room in Minnesota after being assessed a double minor for roughing, and a 10-minute misconduct.
posted by jjohn24680 to hockey at 02:19 PM - 12 comments
I can't find the video of this incident that I watched last night, but if I remember correctly, the removable "tunnel" was in place when this happened. The incident took place in front of it...the fan in question was directly behind the bench. My question is, why is there no glass in that particular area? Not giving Rypien any pardon, but not having a barrier between the crowd and the visiting team is just asking for something like this...
posted by MeatSaber at 04:35 PM on October 20, 2010
Not giving Rypien any pardon, but not having a barrier between the crowd and the visiting team is just asking for something like this...
A large barrier didn't stop these guys.
posted by grum@work at 05:38 PM on October 20, 2010
On the one hand, for the NHL to get tough on fighting under any circumstances is hypocritical and an oxymoron. It's almost a lesson worth learning when a fan gets the crap kicked out of them for acting out of line.
On the other hand, this is beyond deplorable, and if the NHL wants to have any credibility they should do as the NBA did w Ron Artest and suspend Rypien for the balance of the season.
Zero tolerance is the only appropriate action. Of course, when Tie Domi gets fined a mere $1000 for punching a fan twice, the precedent is clear: the NHL has no problem whatsoever with fighting under any circumstances, and if a player is willing to sacrifice the equivalent cost of a nice night on the town with his girl then he's welcome to do as he pleases. Yeah - that was ten years ago, but still - this is their moment to reset the bar.
posted by MW12 at 06:36 PM on October 20, 2010
I'm pretty sure there would be some Vancouver players pulling me off of their guy. I give the guy props for standing back up and not doing anything else.
FYI, don't ever get into a fist fight with an NHL enforcer. Rypien would eat you for breakfast.
I'm reminded in the different era we live in now. As per grum's link, Milbury beat a fan seven rows up with his own shoe. The punishment was to be GM of the Islanders for a decade. Different world, man. Different world.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 06:39 PM on October 20, 2010
On the one hand, for the NHL to get tough on fighting under any circumstances is hypocritical and an oxymoron. It's almost a lesson worth learning when a fan gets the crap kicked out of them for acting out of line.
Huh?
The fan was yelling. He didn't initiate the contact, it was the player. Proof of that is when the fan didn't get tossed from the arena (just moved to another location).
posted by grum@work at 07:59 PM on October 20, 2010
One other point that seems to be missing here: Rypien didn't just lay his hands on a fan, but he also did the same to an official just beforehand (which I believe was why he got the misconduct and was headed to the dressing room to begin with). That merits just as much punishment as grabbing the fan does.
posted by TheQatarian at 08:08 PM on October 20, 2010
Grum - I was being facetious. Thought that was implied but perhaps not. My (tongue in cheek) point was that the fans of a sport which encourages violence might benefit from first hand experience that'd make them think twice about engaging in inflammatory conduct.
posted by MW12 at 08:25 PM on October 20, 2010
It was fun to see the over-the-top responses that came out at first (suspend him for the rest of the year), it's just like Ron Artest (yea, just like it) and the myriad of "teach him and everyone else a lesson" postings. Clearer heads are starting to prevail. This will be news until the next person does something idiotic to grab the headlines. As someone said, the best thing to come from this is that Vancouver might actually skate someone worthy of a spot on the ice in his place.
P.S. Take 15 years off and give me a mullet and I'd be the spitting image of Jared Allen. I'm pretty sure I'd hold my own. :)
posted by jjohn24680 at 12:20 AM on October 21, 2010
Sports leagues are understandably sensitive when players get involved with the paying customers particularly after the NBA's Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons went in the stands and fought with fans in November 2004.
I may have to go back and watch the video again, but I don't recall any of the Pistons fighting with fans, just the Pacers.
posted by Demophon at 12:31 PM on October 21, 2010
posted by tommybiden at 06:34 PM on October 22, 2010
posted by rumple at 10:22 PM on October 22, 2010
There are numerous posts and blog posts about this. The best one I've seen so far looks at the posts that have been made so far and compares the responses. Puck Daddy on yahoo.com
My take on it is that the guy definitely went way over the line. I think he needs to sit 10 games. The 1/8th of his salary that he won't see will be financial penalty enough to make a point to him and anyone else who may think about doing that.
I attended last Thursday's Wild game and made 10 or so games last year. There is a cover that they can put over the walkway and they normally have it out during warmups. I wouldn't be surprised if they cover the walkway during the games as the Wild's way of showing that they learned from their mistake.
And as was said in some of the blogs, the two guys did not get ejected, rather they were moved somewhere else. They were treated well by the Wild. I'll be curious to see if they decide to take any action. If they're greedy, they will, but if it was me, I'd figure the Wild are going to treat me nice for a while and I'd be happy with that.
I can certainly say that if I was in that seat, I would have been doing the same thing. I would have been standing there taunting the guy. Had he yanked on my jersey like that, I don't think I would have been standing there afterwards. I'm pretty sure there would be some Vancouver players pulling me off of their guy. I give the guy props for standing back up and not doing anything else.