Brad Stuart Suspended 3 Games for Hit on Rick Nash

[AlaskaFlyerFan]

What do you think?  Was the hit suspension worthy?  Was it worthy of 3 games?

 

http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?catid=60&id=455148&navid=DL|NHL|home

[SpikeDDS]

I am actually pretty shocked at this ruling. Yes, he did raise his shoulder, but the contact to the head seems marginal to me. It looked to me that he got Nash's chest every bit as much if not more than his head. Looks like Stuart is being used to set the example here to me. Without any kind of supplemental discipline history, at most this should have been one game, IMHO.

[flyerrod]

If Stuart does not elevate the way he does trying to finish the check, this would not even have been a penalty. As he is targeting Nash for a solid hit to the chest, you see him raise up and follow through his left skate leaving the ice before body contact is made and putting his shoulder into Nash's head versus his chest. I thought it might get one game due to the head contact but he kept his elbow tight to the body in what looked to just be an attempt at a full body check. Head contact and his elevation off of his left skate is what got the suspension. I have seen much worse not even called a penalty so that makes it a little tough to call.

[yave1964]

He elevated.

 

Finishing your check is one thing, finishing it so long after the puck was gone is another.

 

Suspension worthy.

 

3 games seemed a bit long, though. First offender.

 

I attended quite a few Wings/Jackets games, and though Nash and Stuart have both moved on, it seems that I remember a history of hard checks and bad blood between these two, a game within a game whenever the two of them were on the ice. Stu has always been known for his hard hitting but this seemed more along the lines of running a guy. Loved when him and Kronwall were icemates together, Stuart made Kronwall a few feet taller on the ice by having him as a partner.

Edited October 10, 2013 by yave1964

[hf101]

Harry Z got 3 games for his first offence, that hit was a lot worse than this.

 

IMO, Stuart got 1 game for the head shot, 1 game for elevating his hit, and 1 game because he hit a star player.

[Polaris922]

I think with all the talk of eliminating hits to the head Stuart was an idiot for hopping up.  He had him lined up  perfectly for a dead center hit to the chest.  No need to jump upwards.  This is not much different than the Kronwall hits I rail against so much.  3 games is fitting considering it's been harped on repeatedly to NOT do this kind of thing.  

[Haliax]

 

IMO, Stuart got 1 game for the head shot, 1 game for elevating his hit, and 1 game because he hit a star player.

Yeah, pretty much this. It was a stupid hit, but he got the extra game or 2 because it's Nash.

[ihabs1993]

I think 3 games is about right. {layers need to realize that as soon as you decide to target the head, you're going to sit for a while. Stuart had the opportunity to just hit Nash in his upper body, taking him out of the play; however, Stuart decides to elevate his arms and hit the head. As far as I'm concerned, Stuart had a god second or two to think about what he was doing, and he still chose to hit Nash in the head. Easy call for Shanny IMO

[J0e Th0rnton]

Edler suspended the same amount for his headshot on Hertl