Gagner out indefinitely with broken jaw

[hf101]

The team announce forward Sam Gagner would be out indefinitely with a broken jaw suffered in last night’s preseason win over Vancouver. Gagner was high-sticked in the second period, left the game and did not return.

 

It was reported he lost some teeth courtesy of the stick of Zack Kassian, but things have gotten a bit worse now.

 

 

 

source

 

 

I haven't been able to find a video, but I would think this is one of those high sticking penalties that the league was planning to look at.  Could be a tough start to the season with both RNH and Gagner out.

[goalnut3133]

Yah HF, was watching the game last nite....it was a bad one, courtesy of none other than our wonderboy Kassian...a terrible careless stick, easily could have been avoided as he swung it up high & back right on Gagner's face. He got 4 mins but he should be suspended...shouldn't get away with crap like that. Looked 'accidentally on purpose'....what a GOON!   :blink:   Feel bad for Gagner, he was playing well last nite & he's one of my faves on the Oilys...

[AlaskaFlyerFan]

Happens at about the :30 second mark in the lower left of the video. Very wreckless.

[hf101]

@AlaskaFlyerFan

 

Thanks for the video.

 

@goalnut3133

 

Yeah, I was watching that too.  The hit on Hall was a head shot also.

 

TSN’s Bob McKenzie is reporting that Weise’s hearing for his questionable hit on Hall will come via telephone while Kassian’s is taking place in person, indicating that Kassian’s punishment should be more severe.

[jammer2]

  I say Kass get's 10 games, you have to have more control of your stick than that. It's sad, cause Kassian has some nice hands for a big guy. He finally gets a coach that believes in him and was gonna give him some decent ice time....and he goes and pulls this stunt. Very, very wreckless, agreed!

[goalnut3133]

@AlaskaFlyerFan

 

Thanks for the video.

 

@goalnut3133

 

Yeah, I was watching that too.  The hit on Hall was a head shot also.

 

TSN’s Bob McKenzie is reporting that Weise’s hearing for his questionable hit on Hall will come via telephone while Kassian’s is taking place in person, indicating that Kassian’s punishment should be more severe.

 

Yah that was a dirty hit, but no surprise coming from Wiese. Needless to say, he's one of my least favourite players for our team. So unnecessary to make these kinds of dirtball plays. I just hate it. Having said that, I don't mind if it's made on players like Marchand who deserves it...lol.    But Hall & Gagner didn't.

[JR Ewing]

Wiese hit: dumb and dirty.

 

Kassian: Most people are saying something along the lines of "an unfortunate accident because he didn't have his stick under control... I don't agree. I actually find a situation like the Kassian stick to be less defensible than something like the Raffi Torres/Marian Hossa suspension. Torres was suspended for throwing a hit which was a fraction of a second late; it was a hockey play gone bad. With Kassian, there was no need for him to be firing his stick around at head height with the sort of velocity he used. This wasn't a hockey play in any way, shape or form. The potential for injury was just too great.

 

And I would throw the book at that kind of play if I were the NHL.

 

JR

Edited September 23, 2013 by JR Ewing

[AlaskaFlyerFan]

Zach Kassian suspended for the remainder of the preseason (3 games) and the first 5 games of the regular season.

 

http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?catid=60&id=446793&navid=DL|NHL|home

 

Dale Weise suspended for the remainder of the preseason (3 games)

 

http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?catid=60&id=446794&navid=DL|NHL|home

Edited September 24, 2013 by AlaskaFlyerFan

[JR Ewing]

Picture of Gagner's face from his twitter account:

https://twitter.com/89SGagner/status/382312027038822400/photo/1

 

Looks like he ate a grenade for breakfast.

 

JR

[goalnut3133]

@JR Ewing Damn bad, JR. But also relieved Yak got out of that game in 1 piece, at least! Geeze! I don't see how we could defend Kassian's actions in the interview...like 'Well, that's just hockey, isn't it?'...NO it's not, when you swing your stick around like that after missing the guy by 3 feet! Just plain idiotic with NO discipline whatsoever! The penalty was not stiff enough to me. And the 'Nucks defending it makes it even worse. Admit it was a huge undisciplined error, call your player on it, then move on. They'd gain more respect that way. I agree with what Eakins said, 'A questionable play from a questionable player'...everyone knows Kass has that rep.

[JR Ewing]

@JR Ewing Damn bad, JR. But also relieved Yak got out of that game in 1 piece, at least! Geeze! I don't see how we could defend Kassian's actions in the interview...like 'Well, that's just hockey, isn't it?'...NO it's not, when you swing your stick around like that after missing the guy by 3 feet! Just plain idiotic with NO discipline whatsoever! The penalty was not stiff enough to me. And the 'Nucks defending it makes it even worse. Admit it was a huge undisciplined error, call your player on it, then move on. They'd gain more respect that way. I agree with what Eakins said, 'A questionable play from a questionable player'...everyone knows Kass has that rep.

 

You've got that right. Falling down on a guy and cutting him with your skate by accident? That's just hockey sometimes. Swinging your stick at head height with that sort of power hasn't been a part of the game since the 1920s (back when sticks over the head was something of a sport in and of itself).

 

Works out fairly well for Kassian and the Canucks. They're without Kassian's services for 5 games, and the Oilers are without Gagner's for an indefinite amount of time, not counting how long it will take him to get back up to speed after he begins playing. Terrible blow for both the player and the team.

 

JR

[yave1964]

Too bad for Gagner, things were looking up for this year, I originally thought Kassian should be out for the same length of time as Gagner but it is more of a punishment to force the Canucks to play him.....

[goalnut3133]

@yave1964  To be honest, I'd like to see Kassian go (I know @jammer2 will disagree), he seems more of a 'liability' to us than an 'asset'...especially now. He's never really gotten his game going as he did in junior. Yah, we do need some big guys on our team, esp. when it comes to playing some of the eastern teams, but not ones that take such undisciplined penalties & in this case suspensions (though I feel we're better off with him out for the moment). Tonite's game vs Sharks  was disastrous with our usual parade to the penalty box, we don't need more players that easily fall into that pattern of play.

[yave1964]

@yave1964  To be honest, I'd like to see Kassian go (I know @jammer2 will disagree), he seems more of a 'liability' to us than an 'asset'...especially now. He's never really gotten his game going as he did in junior. Yah, we do need some big guys on our team, esp. when it comes to playing some of the eastern teams, but not ones that take such undisciplined penalties & in this case suspensions (though I feel we're better off with him out for the moment). Tonite's game vs Sharks  was disastrous with our usual parade to the penalty box, we don't need more players that easily fall into that pattern of play.

Gotta think the Canucks would love to take that trade back any day of the week...

[jammer2]

@yave1964  It was a horrible trade, I agree. All this time the Canucks never had a legit #2 center to take the scoring heat off the Sedins. They had him sitting right there, but sent him packing. I get why Vancouver did it, power forwards are so tough to come by. Guys like Lucic come by once in a long time. Plus, if the guy is big and tough, you have built in protecting for some of your smaller top six guys.

 

 If Kassian does not impress this year, his trade value will be horrible. A real make or break year for the guy. I still contend he has better hands than he has shown. Zack's skating is not really good enough to be a top 6, but they have to play him there a bit, to A) see once and for all if the offense will come and B) increase his trade value.