Jordin Tootoo's "charge" - will it result in suspension?

to realize that Jordin Tootoo was jobbed by the referees. He committed no penalty at all. In fact, the refs made no call until Colaiacovo stayed down on the ice. Only then did they decide to issue the “charging” call and a game misconduct penalty. Tootoo did not stride into Colaiacovo and he hit him squarely shoulder-to-shoulder. This was one of the NHL’s “reputation” calls based on Tootoo’s actions three or four years ago. It was completely wrong. It also effectively terminated the game. With the ridiculous non-calls thus far this season, it makes an utter mockery of the league’s expressed attempt to reduce the level of headshots this season. The referees’ actions leave a very disagreeable stench.

if there’s no suspension. from what it sounds like (didn’t see the game, and can’t see the vid here) the hit shouldn’t have even been a penalty. However, the NHL has a habit of suspending players based on the RESULTS of hits, and not the actual hit itself. because the player went down and stayed down, it sounds like the wheel of justice will spin again.

the hilarious bit is the shopping of replays by the blue’s announcers. “uh this one looks like a shoulder to shoulder hit” “and this angle here clearly was a head shot” it’s complete crap. it was a clean hit. toots did not leave his feet, did not take any strides into the player. the player was in an active zone and had the puck. it’s part of the game.

the saddest part of this is the coverage on the blues side of the SBN affiliate. not quite as “pro” over there…

I’m not really upset with the charging call, because it did look pretty reckless at full speed. But if there’s any supplemental on this I will be livid.

I see the Tootoo rulebook is out, not even close to charging. Just go ahead and put skirts on NHL

It was definitely a blind side hit and he left his feet (being short isn’t a defense because when Pronger elbows people, they don’t say “well the guy’s head is at his elbow level anyway”). I don’t know if you can definitively say he did or didn’t hit Colaiacovo in the head or not. If he didn’t, why did he look like he was slumping on the way to the ice? Why was he down and dazed? His shoulder may have grazed him.

And for the record, I don’t think he should be suspended.

My question for the residents of Smashville around here, do you support the way Tootoo plays? Do you like him as a player? I like strong physical play. I don’t like intent to injure.

If this helps to stoke the fires of a Nashville-St. Louis rivalry, cool. Would love some more spark to these matchups.

It was a shoulder to shoulder hit. So does it being a blindside hit even matter? The anouncers reference the new rule, which is about head shots, but is there a new one about blindside hits period?

1.The blindside/headshot rule: The rule that the announcers bring up has absolutely no bearing in this instance. It was not a blindside hit. It was not a shot to the head. Not only did Tootoo hit him in the shoulder(not the head), he hit him in the front of the shoulder. If you look at the 1:45 mark of the video and go through those couple of frames, you can see Colaiacovo full face. Just because he turns his head at the last second or his head is turned as a result of the hit doesn’t mean that he was blindsided. Don’t agree with that? Well here’s something else. Watch the direction that Colaiacovo is skating. If it’s a blindside hit, why can I see his face and his crotch?

2. Charging: As many have mentioned above, Tootoo doesn’t take one stride from the top of the circles. If he had any intent to injure, Tootoo would have been skating right up to the hit. Now I’ve seen several people say he left his feet. Please pause the frame where you see this and post it. Sure he ends up in the air, but it’s after the hit. That’s just physics, people. Tootoo is small guy, and when he collides with somebody bigger than him, he’s going to get launched in some direction.

3. The imposed penalties: In real time, I can see where the officials might have seen charging. I don’t agree, but I can understand. Now the major penalty: I think they just saw that it was Tootoo and called that one. When you make a call like that, though, you know in your head that it’s a borderline call. If you’re going to enforce that strong of a penalty, you need to lean towards the penalty on both sides. Where was the roughing call on Strachan? J.P. Dumont got a BS roughing call earlier in the game after takingg an unwarranted cheap shot. Strachan took his gloves off and started fighting. That should be an automatic penalty. Period.

4. Suspension?: It’s all in the video, folks.

His name alone will get him at least 2 games.

Tootoo is already leaving his feet, before the hit, and his shoulder is lined up with Colaicovo’s head.

It’s charging as defined by rule, Rule 42.1 i believe, because he left his feet.

Being smaller than the player he hit is not an excuse.

It was charging, Tootoo targeted Colaicovo’s head, and then kept his gloves glued on when Strachan wanted him to answer the bell.

There will be a suspension, and it’s deserved. It probably won’t be for more than one game, maybe two, but a suspension is warranted.

should have had his head up! Hitting IS a part of this game, I assure you! He wasn’t charging because he was gliding towards the puck! The dude is just fast!! And if a player is facing the player who hits him, it doesn’t qualify as a blind side hit. I’m sorry if Colaiacovo wasn’t ready for the hit but STAY ALERT! If he had been ready for the hit he wouldn’t have been in bad shape.

It’s amazing that our player Marcel Goc who has been sidelined for about 2 weeks and still has a couple to heal and the player who did it to him got ONLY A 2 MINUTE MINOR AND NO SUSPENSION. Yet we are talking about a player who isn’t really that badly hurt but we are talking about a suspension for something that is a borderline no call is simply ridiculous.