Pominville to Minnesota Wild UPDATE: offered extension.

[Sabre Dance]

I've been watching hockey for a long time and I've seen way more questionable hits called for a penalty. I'd be interested in hearing what Shanny has to say about this one (if anything). It just demonstrates that the league is less interested in protecting all of its players from hits to the head than it is protecting its stars. (And I mean both protecting them from hits to the head AND protecting them from being punished properly when they deliver a head shot, as in this case).

The NHL has enough of an issue with credibility, and things like this make it worse. You know that if this was a player like Kaleta or Cooke delivering a hit on Brown, they'd be out for at least 3 games. Also, I can't think of a more non-threatening player than Pominville. I wonder if Brown thought it was someone else.

[That Aud Smell]

Cheap and dirty -- it deserves 3 or 4 games. However, I don't think anything will be handed down--maybe 1 game. This owes not only to the player and the time of year, but also to the clever way in which Brown disguised his reckless treachery.

[spndnchz]

Another vid:

 

 

:55 Looks like a shoulder. Are you kidding me?! What a homer.

[bunomatic]

That was sneaky. He glances back but I think he could also see Pomms reflection in the glass. :blink:

[LGR4GM]

Another vid:

 

http://youtu.be/mLnisfcvAeA

 

:55 Looks like a shoulder. Are you kidding me?! What a homer.

...wow "Pominville does not expect him to brace" what the ###### is this idiot talking about?

 

it should be 5 games. no doubt in my mind and if it is not anything I will be writing a superfluous letter to the league asking them why they are inconsistent and clearly biased in their penalty assessments.

[nobody]

Brown was just preparing himself for the hit. :)

 

I'd still take Brown on the Sabres any day of the week.

[inkman]

Not going to excuse what Brown did there but WTF was Pominville doing? He really put himself in harms way. He probably shouldn't expect a nice stiff elbow to the face but a little self preservation goes a long way.

[Trettioåtta]

Not going to excuse what Brown did there but WTF was Pominville doing? He really put himself in harms way. He probably shouldn't expect a nice stiff elbow to the face but a little self preservation goes a long way.

 

He was avoiding all physical contact. There is no physical contact on that play unless Brown moves to hit Pommers - which he did. If Brown braces himself Pommers doesn't even bump him. Based on comments from LA fans, Brown has been playing on and over the edge of acceptable behaviour recently

[26CornerBlitz]

Give Brown a 5 game Shanaban:

 

@SNHockeyCentral

Dustin Brown will have a hearing today for his elbow on Jason Pominville.

[Eleven]

Give Brown a 5 game Shanaban:

 

@SNHockeyCentral

Dustin Brown will have a hearing today for his elbow on Jason Pominville.

 

He'll get either a warning with repeat offender status or one or two games.

[MattPie]

Give Brown a 5 game Shanaban:

 

@SNHockeyCentral

Dustin Brown will have a hearing today for his elbow on Jason Pominville.

 

Is it telling that it doesn't say "phone hearing"?

[Trettioåtta]

Is it telling that it doesn't say "phone hearing"?

 

I doubt it is an in person hearing, very quick turn around to get Brown from LA to NYC

[LastPommerFan]

He'll get either a warning with repeat offender status or one or two games.

 

2 meaningless games, no way they take the defending Stanley Cup champion captain out of the playoffs.

[26CornerBlitz]

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/dustin-brown-takes-jason-pominville-shanaban-coming-video-071955779--nhl.html

 

Michael Russo of the Star Tribune didn’t mince words:

Brown, who amazingly has never been suspended, does this time and time again and somehow gets away with it. I was told today by a league source that he came “very close” to getting suspended for what I thought was a very dirty elbow on Dallas’ Antoine Roussel two nights ago.

[LastPommerFan]

I doubt it is an in person hearing, very quick turn around to get Brown from LA to NYC

 

He's in detroit.

[That Aud Smell]

Not going to excuse what Brown did there but WTF was Pominville doing? He really put himself in harms way. He probably shouldn't expect a nice stiff elbow to the face but a little self preservation goes a long way.

He was avoiding all physical contact. There is no physical contact on that play unless Brown moves to hit Pommers - which he did. If Brown braces himself Pommers doesn't even bump him. Based on comments from LA fans, Brown has been playing on and over the edge of acceptable behaviour recently

 

To your point, Ink -- looks to me like Pominville was attempting to make a safe, legal, but effective containment play against a player who was facing the boards while playing the puck. As 38 suggests, it looks like Pominville was looking to avoid a situation where he could be charged with driving a defenseless player into the boards head-first. Brown is apparently hip to this jive, and took full advantage of the situation. Nasty bit of business it was, too.

[inkman]

He was avoiding all physical contact. There is no physical contact on that play unless Brown moves to hit Pommers - which he did. If Brown braces himself Pommers doesn't even bump him. Based on comments from LA fans, Brown has been playing on and over the edge of acceptable behaviour recently

Brown threw his elbow 6 inches into Pominville's face. If he was avoiding ALL contact as you say, wouldn't he not skate right to within striking distance of a known elbow thrower. Not absolving Dustin of any guilt, I'd just like to see a player act a little smarter goin into a scrum with a guy who plays on the edge.

[nfreeman]

This play is another exhibit supporting the position that all head shots should be illegal, regardless of intent, position of victim, etc. If you put the onus on the hitter to avoid the head, and back it up with consistent, firm discipline, the head shots will stop. Otherwise they won't.

[qwksndmonster]

I'd still take Brown on the Sabres any day of the week.

If there's anybody who wouldn't, all I need is an address and a knife...

[Eleven]

It's a phone hearing:

 

Greg Wyshynski ‏@wyshynski 26m

Dustin Brown has a 1 p.m. ET phone hearing with NHL for Pominville hit. #Kings #Wild

[TrueBlueGED]

This play is another exhibit supporting the position that all head shots should be illegal, regardless of intent, position of victim, etc. If you put the onus on the hitter to avoid the head, and back it up with consistent, firm discipline, the head shots will stop. Otherwise they won't.

 

Agreed 100%. But seeing as it's the NHL, I expect the same meaningless two game suspension others do.

[Weave]

I guess I'm the only one here that didn't see that play as very egregious as head shots go. Brown did get his elbow up and leaned in, but it looked to me like it was Pominville's momentum that created all the damage.

 

That play was no worse than what Donald Audette spent a career doing along the boards.

[X. Benedict]

I guess I'm the only one here that didn't see that play as very egregious as head shots go. Brown did get his elbow up and leaned in, but it looked to me like it was Pominville's momentum that created all the damage.

 

That play was no worse than what Donald Audette spent a career doing along the boards.

 

Brown saw him. He threw it. Dirty play. The elbows get higher this time of year.

 

Better to take him out now then in round one.

LA and Minnesota are the likely first round match-up. (whoops....check that, not true.)

[26CornerBlitz]

Brown's hearing starts at 1 PM Eastern.

 

@SNHockeyCentral

Brendan Shanahan live on HC @ Noon. Listen here: http://player.rogers...ca/cjcl/on_air

[Taro T]

I guess I'm the only one here that didn't see that play as very egregious as head shots go. Brown did get his elbow up and leaned in, but it looked to me like it was Pominville's momentum that created all the damage.

 

That play was no worse than what Donald Audette spent a career doing along the boards.

With 'no history' of suspensions for Brown, I could definitely see him getting off with 0 games. My guess is he'll get 1. I'd be shocked if he gets more than 2.