GOHABS.com Message Board

Otis - why does Richards have to keep his feet on the ice? OV doesn't have to.

How many times have we seen a player miss a stationary player along the boards? I think Richards was leading with his shoulder, to just throw an open-ice hit.

The "leaving the feet" part is a total red herring guys.

You don't usually see guys leaving both feet on an open ice hit. It's hardly the criterion for a dirty play here.

WHEN (God forbid) someone eventually does get killed (perhaps even live on coast-to-coast National TV) from such a hit, good-luck ever trying to grow the game!

These types of hits are medieval and need to be taken far more seriously!!!

P.S. How much money will be pinned onto the board (as bounty) the next time these two teams face-off??? THAT is the type of sport that is being promoted here!!!

What a stupid and opportunistic hit!

Look guys, it definitely was shoulder-to-head contact. I've watched the video about 50 times. My point, though, is that:

-The hit was not late (it was a split second after Booth passed it, and Richard lined him up way before he passed the puck).
-Richards clearly lined him up with his shoulder.
-He did not leave his feet, only at the end when he lost his balance.

To me, it appears that Richards caught Booth's head instead of his shoulder/chest. If you pause the video a split second before the hit, you'll see that Richards is lined up to hit Booth square in the chest, which is ideal. When Booth turns around to admire his pass, his body position changes, Richards clips his head and not his body, thus losing his balance because he was preparing for a bigger impact, and his back leg comes up.

The key factor to remember here is that things like this inevitably happen in hockey because of how fast the game is. No way can Richards plan exactly where his shoulder will make contact with Booth.

That will look great on a gravestone!

...but the family of the deceased should really find great comfort in the frame-by-frame replays that will clearly show that the defendant accused of man slaughter really didn't demonstrate the true intent associated with second degree murder!

Just don't be all surprised when it happens!!!

Otis, I think your missing my point.

Was it by definition a "clean hit"? Yes....I'd say so.

Was Richards looking to hurt a guy? I'd say so.

Like I said....hit hard a seperate from the puck...but there is no need to smoke a guy like that. Non whatsoever.

And yes....I think Scott Stevens was a goon.

Until players respect each other....you'll see this type of hit end up in death one day.

No need for it....get it out of the game.

Hitting is one thing.....absolute annihilation....quite another.

We could probably debate this one all day Otis. That's why it's borderline, and that's why I say it's only 1 game at most. To me Richards loses balance because he unloads hard and up, adding extra juice when it was unnecessary and with a good chance of catching an unsuspecting guy in the head. He also loses balance because of the angle of the hit I think.

Sure if you look early he's lined up for Booth's chest. But he pushes up hard, and really only initiates that final movement (the extra juice) WELL AFTER Booth has already turned his head away. Look at this replay between 0:05 and 0:10. If I didn't have immense respect for Richards as a player I'd swear he was going directly for Booth's head on purpose.

And that's why it's reckless and intent-to-injure. The priority was destruction of a guy who wasn't looking, with a good chance of catching the guy in the head as a result.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUNPTXkcxOQ

This video clearly shows Richards leaving his feet(1:14 and 2:05).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSILVbnofZM

He is building a reputation for headhunting

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd3gmPkVtk8&feature=fvw

Im sorry but the hit was blind sided, A number of stevens hits are players skating TOWARDS him or facing him with their head down, not being blind sided.

Richards knew EXACTLY what he was doing and you are just as capable of hitting a playing in the SHOULDER and dishing out a good hit. The fact that it was a HEAD shot makes it a DIRTY hit, if you go for shoulder to shoulder contact you will NEVER hit the head and that is what respecting your fellow players is about.

Double standard, no doubt about it.

I like Richards but I hated that hit. Legal or not, it was ugly.

My problem with the hit is the way Richards goes lunging at Booth. It's one thing to let the guy run into you but to lunge at the guy shows clear intent to do damage.