I was reading Greg Wyshynski's account of Rob Scuderi's hit on Jason Chimera over at Puck Daddy late last night when it occurred to me that nobody had mentioned the penalty that could have been called: clipping. Here's the reference straight out of the NHL rulebook.
Should they have thrown the book at Rob Scuderi?
Now, take another look at the video clip. If what happened there isn't clipping, I don't really know why the rule is in the book at all.
So how did clipping wind up in the rule book in the first place? You need to go back to the 2002 Stanley Cup Playoffs, where Darcy Tucker took aim at Michael Peca during Game Five of the first round series between the Islanders and the Maple Leafs. Though the hit, one that changed the course of Peca's career, was legal at the time, the league later used footage of the incident as a textbook case of what constituted clipping:
So I'll write it again just to make sure I'm clear: If the Scuderi hit can't be considered clipping, why is it even in the rule book?
UPDATE: Aaron Brenner from Kings Vision has put together an extended highlight reel of the hit and the postgame reaction:
Tags: Columbus Blue Jackets, Darcy Tucker, Jason Chimera, Los Angeles Kings, Michael Peca, New York Islanders, Rob Scuderi, Toronto Maple Leafs
I agree on clipping.
I don’t think it was intentional at a glance. Looked like he both had to cut in hard to make the hit and was off balance.
More like an unintentional high sticking. Still a penalty.
If you watch the video again, the hit was very low, yet, still above the knees.
Scuderi knew he had to duck low or he’d hit the boards too early and Chimaira would be gone with the puck.
If the NHL rules this more than a missed clipping call, they are ruining the sport of hockey.
Rob Blake used to throw mean hip checks, and nobody said a thing because he is old school. Why is everyone becoming a bunch of wussies? Hockey is a tough sport, and if everyone bitches about hip checks, its not gonna be intense to watch anymore.
I’ve reffereed in the past, and I feel the way calls are being made in todays game changes the game pace, and intensity of the sport. Why let those little skinnies like Crosby run around people? While big guys who worked their way to the bigs can’t even make contact.
If I had it my way, these knucleheads make so much money, we’d make the rules. “Animal Style.” Animal Style is where its a free for all game with less penalties and more fights.
This would allow the male fans to leave the wife and children at home and come watch a sport like the Greeks did in Rome.