Here And There
Jason Strudwick
April 24 2012 03:37PM
Good luck to Jordan Eberle, nominated for the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy.
It was great to see Eberle nominated for the Lady Byng. At times this award is joked about amongst the players in the NHL due to the nature of the league. Even the very name hurts! Still, I think he should be very proud.
Most NHL players view themselves as hard-nosed athletes. The concept of playing a whole season and only getting a few penalties goes against most players' view of themselves. I played with a few guys, top end players, who would always want to get a five minute major over the course of the year. It didn't matter if it was a fighting or highsticking major, they wanted to have an uneven number in the penalty minute column! They thought uneven number in the penalty column made them look tougher! Ha!
Wayne Gretzky, Jari Kurri, Paul Kariya and Ron Francis are just a few of the great players to have won the award. Talk about elite neighbors to have your name next to.
Looking at the other players nominated - Brian Campbell and Matt Moulson - there's no question that Eberle is in good company. Jordan elevated his game big time this year. I hope he wins and then moves on to other trophies like the Hart or Conn Smythe in the future.
Enough is enough...
I like Chris Neil of the Senators. He is the type of player the Oilers could use. He plays just barely within the rules, fights for the right reasons and scores goals by going to the hard areas. But I didn't like what I saw last night.
He got into a fight with Brandon Prust of the Rangers. Midway through the fight he raised his hand to the crowd for them to cheer. Then on his way off the ice he again played to the crowd.
I ABSOLUTELY HATE THIS!!!
This isn't wrestling! Show that you have been in a fight before by not turning into Ric Flair. At its best, fighting in hockey is about earning another players respect, not getting on TV.
He isn't the first guy to do this but if the NHL wants to change its rough image start here. I think the NHL should make a statement by at least fining him.
Previously by Jason Strudwick
FISTS AREN'T FOR LADY BYNG CANDIDATES!!
PROPS!!
#NUGEFORCALDER
#EBERLEFORBYNG
Woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
I guess I'm going to be against everyone. I didn't see anything wrong with the Niel fight. He is trying to get the fans energized and trying to feed off that energy to give his team momentum. Can you not celebrate after a goal, a good blocked shot? Did he knee him in the head during the fight? I just don't see it being a big deal. I would rather see a fight like that where neither player really gets hurt in any way as apposed to the Big Mac fight against Ivanians or what ever his name was.
~I disagree Jason. After watching this year's reffing I think the NHL has more in common with professional wrestling than you think.
And the more I think about it, the more similarities I find. Ryan Clowe playing the puck from the bench was just another form of the tag team partner hitting an opponent in the ring before being tagged in by his partner... missed by the refs of course.~
@David S
Vince McMahon had personality.
@ Smokey
Give it a rest. Like you wouldn't want to be honoured with a trophy that was also earned by Multiple Winners Gretzky, Datsyuk, Bossy, Bucyk...?
I'm not sure if Ivanans remembers his own name anymore.
Shea WWEber with his turnbuckle headsmash and Scott "The Hitman" Hartnell with his Hogan impression see the WWE as an inspiration.
And then there is this....good ol Onion
http://www.theonion.com/articles/nhl-to-allow-finishing-moves-in-fights-this-season,18189/
Much cooler if it was renamed the Chandler Byng Trophy.
"Is there any way I could BE more gentlemanly?"
*realizes this would be somewhat funny if only it was 2002 instead of 2012
@Oilcruzer
Im entitled to my opinion, its a stupid award that is being overblown by the media cause the Oilers have sucks. Oh boy a sportmanship award. Oh goodie.
HOW DARE YOU DISAGREE WITH JASON STRUDWICK?? JK I fixed it good call - WG.
it's still great for Ebs and I also hope he takes home the hard ware.
Chuck Norris refuses to acknowlege the existence of this award.
C'mon Jordan, you couldn't even have speared someone accidentally/on purpose?
haha it's totally about the name on the Byng! I'm damn proud of Ebs for his nomination and I love the way he plays too.
Looks like Neil and Alfie's antics may have hurt them instead of energizing them. And now cue the bad press. This has got an NYR game 7 win written all over it.
Regarding Neil and the fight-- Neil has to show some respect to the game, the fans and the other team, and lose the WWE showboating... fighting belongs in the game, but disrespect does not... one day, Neil will face a tougher, younger player than him looking to go a few rounds and how would Neil react if the opposing player acted like he did?
As for Ebs, he had a fantastic breakout year and he'll be one of the main reasons that I'll tune in to see the Oilers come September...
EDIT: One last thought on Ebs-- if he wins, can we rename the trophy the "Lady Eberle?" I think my wife has one of those things for her legs...
This may not be wrestling, but after some of the press conferences I saw Tambellini do this year I have a hard time not thinking of Vince McMahon every time he speaks.
They could just reward Neil with a goal he kicked in? Still didn't get that ruling eventhough it didn't change game still a bad call.
And so were your PIMs odd or even?
Its a award named after a lady. Enough said.
I agree with you Jason about the Neil statement but isn't it tempting in a MASSIVE game like it was to get the home town crowd going for an advantage? I dont like seeing players doing silly things like this (see Asham after he KO Beagle) and especially when an away player does it to the home teams crowd.
I dont care what anyone thinks but I have thought this for a couple years and this year espcially that Neil is probably the best agitating, energy guy in the NHL and probably top 3 most important player to his team. He can make a pass give a pass, score gross goals and most importantly he sticks up for his teammates regardless of who he is going against.
What Neil did earlier in the year to Evander Kane after he made a cheap run at Karlson was amazing and I firmly believe the Oilers need to find a player like him desperatly. Not a knuckle dragger like Hordichuk but someone that can step up and be a prick when needed but be able to play the game.
Ah come on.....Neil is usually fairly decent about understanding the unwritten rules. He was just amped because of the playoffs. I bet once he calmed down, he felt like a dick for doing it. No need to fine him, he can punish himself.
So lets name it after a player ...
Leaked images and info on NEW ARENA design!!!!!!!!!!!
http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/edmonton/6514179/story.html
or we could pretend it's the 1950's again by naming it the - Bing Crosby
Ric Flair? Hey, there is only one stylin', profilin', limousine riding, jet flying, kiss-stealing, wheelin' n' dealin' son of a gun in the NHL and he goes by the name Taylor Muthafarkin Hall.
If you don't like it, learn to *love* it!
@Smokey
~exactly. these oiler fans and media types that are clutching to this little golden nugget that has worked its way out of the giant s*** sandwich we have been fed the last 4 years need to take a step back and realize it is just an award for sportsmanship. we need to ignore the list of top end NHL talent that has won it over the years and focus on it being an award that has a sissy name given to sissies.~
**scratches balls and thinks about boobies and other manly things**
That would take away the only trophy named in honour of a transgendered athlete. Google it if you don't believe it.
I've got to slightly disagree with you here Jason. You are probably right that this sort of showboating shouldn't really be in the game but I'd cut the guy some slack. The crowd is chanting "NEIL! NEIL! NEIL!" right before he waves at them, to an extent he's just giving back what they gave him. Plus it's game 6 of the playoffs and not a regular season game so you've got way more excitement and nerves going.
I think there's more harmful things is what I'm trying to say.
Interesting though on Coach's Corner last night Don said that this fight is why NYR won that game. The whole team being fired up and not wanting to let Prust down for fighting Neil like that.
looks like my spidey senses were right...