This was a clean hit... but this is the exact moment I realized things needed to change in the NHL. Mitchell had his concussion issues at this point and it's his job to make a hit like that. It just became very clear these guys can't keep dishing out this level of damage on each other.
@ljed28 Richard Loney is not an "untalented old man". He has been a singer/soloist with symphonies and choral groups throughout Canada. He was also the Canucks anthem singer for 35 years before going into semi-retirement and giving way to Mark Donnelly (the fat guy) when they moved into GM Place. He only sings now for "special events". Frankly, you should be honoured that Richard sang the U.S. national anthem!
@karner I've been playing and watching hockey for half of my young life and that's about as textbook an open ice hit as you can get. Toews had the puck, Mitchell didn't leave his feet, he hit him with the shoulder not the elbow, he didn't charge him. What's not to like about the hit? Toews is one of the most complete players in the NHL, but that doesn't change the fact that he got cleanly clocked by Mitchell on this particular play.
I miss Willie. Jovo, Willie, Salo. Few d-men I wish never left the Canucks. As for major hits initiated by a Canuck, this one ranks up there with Aaron Rome's hit on Horton.
100% clean hit. Hope he's not hurt, Toews is a good player. I'm a canucks fan and with the exception of that oaf Byfuglien I like pretty much all of the Hawks players.
I am a Canucks fan and this hit was awesome! But in a way it sucks to see one of the best young Canadian players go down like that. Toews really is the heart and soul of Chi
Yes I'm a huge Canucks fan, but fan or no fan, that is by far one of the biggest hits...ever. And the key part here is that it was a clean front side check. Mitchell kept his elbow tucked to his side, and legs were bent without any upward motion before the hit. Actually connected with Toews on the shoulder. Hits like Richards on Booth, and Ruutu on Tucker are the real questionable ones. Even submarine hits (NOT hipchecks) are cheap and should be fined/suspended.
I don't know why some people complain about checking in hockey. It's a contact sport and sometimes people will get injured. No one complains about contact in football, yet those players frequently get carried off the field. It's just the nature of the sport.
I like how the announcer keeps trying to find something wrong with Mitchell then he kinda pulls back when he again realizes it was really just a clean hit.
Football is a tough sport, but the hits in hockey are just on another level to anything in football. For one thing you can skate faster than you can run, two guys skating at full pace in opposite directions. Sparks are gonna fly!
@fijiankilla a few things are wrong with your theory. 1) wasn't this a regular season game not a playoff game? 2) The play was blown dead for an injury that's why the defense left the guy wide open. 3) even wide open they missed the shot and only scored after Niemi quit trying. 4) It would have only tied it. what's not saying Chicago couldn't have scored to take back the lead. 5) Hawks were predicted to take the Cup in 2009-2010.
Im not a big fan of Vancouver but that hit was freakin awsome. Credit to toews though, 90% of players would have just layed there but Toews skated back to the bench.
Wow...that's entertainment! Take it for the team Jon! Take it for the team! What a splendid leader...damn...he's such man. Gettin wiped out like that. Thanks Jon.
I agree, the league seriously needs to crack down on players who go attack other players after a clean hit, however, you can't allow six guys to be going at it at center ice with play continuing. The canucks had a scoring chance but play needed to be stopped.
This is the perfect storm of hits. Toews looks up and sees open ice, Mitchell steps out and crushes the poor kid. Good on Mitchell for keeping it clean. Elbows down, avoid the head. I know many other players who would have ended careers if put in the same situation. I seriously doubt Toews will play Saturday. Looks like a concussion, and will keep him out. Maybe I'm wrong ...
@TheRezolve Most likely a combination of both events. It doesn't matter if a player gets up, if he can't skate straight as the result of a hit, and shows it, that's reason enough to blow a play dead.
Lol. The rivalry between these two is hilarious. It isn't even because they are completely violent to each other and they make each other horribly mad. Most of them are friends with each other outside of the rink. They have a rivalry because the Canucks always get out by these guys but we finally got em this year. The only way they start fighting is if they provoke each other A LOT or player gets hurt and then team mates fight the guy who did it leading to war on ice basically. I personally don
there should be a rule added in the NHL, that if a breakaway is created by the result of a hit, and the opposing team, starts a fight, the player on the break should be awarded a penalty shot.
I think Toews is the most respectable captain in the NHL, he plays a great game... And even admitting he had his head down and accepting that he screwed up and got punished for it, all class.... Too bad they're absolutely nothing without him eh
@FFJabarr Joe Thornton's hit was a bit different, (A) his elbow was out. (B) it was completely from a blindside when he hit Perron, who still isn't playing with a concussion btw.
NightHawk007 has it 100%. Mitchell said himself in a post-game interview that if he had tried to check Toews, and failed, Toews would have gone whizzing by him, and it would be a 3 on 2 rush on the Canucks. Toews has clear possession of the puck, he has his head down, it's a brutal play but that's how the game is played. Mitchell doesn't have any hard feelings and neither does Toews.
What a hit! That hard of a hit will make Toews grow up quick. Unfortunately, getting knocked into manhood in a split second leaves a lot of what you have behind. He's not going to be the same after this. It's too bad. He was going to be a star.
The Hawks always stick up for eachother, whether it's a clean hit or not, from what I've noticed. I think that is pretty Admirable. I love the Hawks! :)
This is a great clean hit shoulder to shoulder. To all the young goalies out there, this is why you slam your stick when a penalty is expiring, which he didnt't in this case, you need to warn players that a guy is coming on the ice from a spot they might not see him coming. Also whats with this crap of going after guys for throwing clean hits? I think that should be a game misconduct. If its dirty dropt the gloves if it''s clean keep playing.
@ljed28 I don't understand...am I not allowed to have favourites? As a Canuck fan, I mentioned Keith and Seabrook on purpose because they especially shut down the Sedin twins and Burrows/Kesler REALLY well, and I forgot to mention Dave Bolland, he did an exceptional job as well. And I've loved Toews since his rookie year, so WTF are you trying to assume here again?
ouch, he didnt even see that comming. lol he was soo out of it afterwards. poor tazer. but gotta love the hawks love how the guys start fighting mitchel for his hit on toews, even tho it was clean. but yup stanley cup champs! chicago!!!
@prokill00 His head is looking out not down. Yes he needed to know when the power play ended but it doesn't help that no body else seemed to know it was ending either. But his head wasn't looking down it was just looking away from Mitchelle.
Seems like a clean hit. Mitchell's skates doesn't leave the ice, elbows are close to the body, nothing dirty here. I can't find anyone who is really at fault here.
7th of May 2010 is the day Toews will remember getting vengance on the Canucks with a hat trick and sealing thier fate in the playoffs. sorry i dont have Canucks or anything
@ljed28 You know what the problem is? We're looking at it from two completely different perspectives. You only heard the song (which you think was sung badly). Meanwhile, Vancouverites were thinking that it was a great thing to see Richard singing _anything_ after suffering a stroke (which is why Donnelly became the regular anthem singer). It would have been nice if the announcers had mentioned that fact to prevent anyone from feeling insulted, as you obviously did.
Lol im such a huge bhawks fan but Toews just cannot fight. He doesnt even try anymore. Its like he has so much control and respect now.. people back off. Its cool.
His mistake was not realizing that Mitchell's penalty was expiring. He probably looked up ice several seconds before and saw noone then all of a sudden Mitchell is there and levels him.
@ljed28 Richard was only there as a guest. As mentioned, he is no longer the regular anthem singer. Donnelly is the only one that sings "O Canada" now. As for agreeing (or not), that's why I said that we're looking at this from different perspectives. I have no argument with you; I'm just explaining what happened at that game. You can continue to be insulted if you want, but if you're a Chicago fan, then you have the Cup. That must go a long way to soothing your hurt feelings.
Don't worry, I won't take away your precious bodychecks. There's no one out there who actively militates against bodychecks. But there's people who are worried about all those concussions and about the lack of respect among the players which leads to more and more injuries. Those injuries are bad for the league, bad for sport, bad for entertainment. Players are bigger, faster and consequently hit harder. It's time to take that into consideration and see what we can do to reduce injuries.
thats a hockey player right there. he doesnt lay down in a heap waiting for a stretcher, he crawls his way off the ice. if youre conscious, you get your own ass off the ice, thats what I was always taught Then you see shit like Cindy Crosbytch who gets a little bump and starts crying and misses 2 seasons
that was devastating!! kinda sucks that it was toews...but its not like the canucks havent experienced their captain getting knocked. im sure every hockey fan knows the moore hit on naslund resulting in a career change for both moore and bertuzzi...
i am a calgary fan and here this bad, hit clean hit bull poo all the time, the elbow was down, his feet did not leave the ice , he did not charge and an over rated little twit got smashed, AWESOME BODY CHECK!!!!!
@JoeySNV Joe being a much taller person than Perron isn't something he can control. Mitchell and Toews are both 6' 2" I believe. Thornton is 6' 4" while Perron I think is just at 6'. Joe's shoulder is going to naturally be at Perron's chin level. I'm sorry Joe is tall :( It's not like he changed his body position to hit him in the head or anything. He had him lined up and Perron was looking the other way.
