I think these suspension and fines suck. You want these plays out of the game, change the format.

First off, dont have set fine amounts, use percentage instead. For example if Thornton is fined 2000.00 for a hit, it affects him a lot more then James Neal getting the same fine. Instead the fine should match the players salary. Give it out in percent. James Neal is fined 5% of his salary.

Second, repeat offenders should get the same suspension as a new person gets. However, there should be additional fines. For example, second offense the coach gets a fine, third offense coach and team, 4th offense coach gets suspended. When we are talking 5th offense the league has to step in a boot the player.

I would make a rule that if your hit was deemed malicious, not just recless, and a player is injured, then you should be suspended for the duration of the other players injury, up to 1 full season.

Finely suspensions should be a set sliding scale.
Each category will have a base number for days. For example, Hit to the head is a manditory 3 days. But then you have to look at severity. If the hit was accidental, then you get just the 3 days. If there was not intent to injure, but the hit was deliberate then you get an additional 2 days. If the hit was Deliberate to injure you get additional 5 days. If the hit was extreme then you get additional 12 games.

I hate the scoring system. How is a shootout win worth just as much as a thorough 5-2 victory? If there was no shootout, the Caps would be tied for 7th in the Metro.
- PhillySportsGuy

I hate the shootout. Theoretically, you could go 82-0 and have no one on your team with a goal or assist.
- jmatchett383

I never thought about it that way. I just hate how conservative teams play in order to get to the shootout. It drives me crazy. No other sport ends on a skills competition. Could you imagine baseball ending with a home run derby? Or basketball ending with a three point shootout.

I think a playoff-bound team that sees itself as one piece away would go for him. He's generally a much better all-around player in the playoffs, and is a guy that 29 teams hate. Guys like that can be very valuable in a 7-game series.

He's not as agitating as before, but he drove the entire Penguins team crazy in 2012. Same with Boston in 2010.
- jmatchett383

I didnt say teams wouldnt want him, I said his value will be low, Flyers might have to eat some of the contract, and he might not want to go to specific teams. Its a perfect storm that would result in moving him IMO, and its not likely.

I hate the shootout. Theoretically, you could go 82-0 and have no one on your team with a goal or assist.
- jmatchett383

Or go 0-0-82 and be a ".500" team.

I hate the scoring system. How is a shootout win worth just as much as a thorough 5-2 victory? If there was no shootout, the Caps would be tied for 7th in the Metro.
- PhillySportsGuy

I look at Detroit with 9 points from OT/SO losses and shake my head even more.

I think these suspension and fines suck. You want these plays out of the game, change the format.

First off, dont have set fine amounts, use percentage instead. For example if Thornton is fined 2000.00 for a hit, it affects him a lot more then James Neal getting the same fine. Instead the fine should match the players salary. Give it out in percent. James Neal is fined 5% of his salary.

Second, repeat offenders should get the same suspension as a new person gets. However, there should be additional fines. For example, second offense the coach gets a fine, third offense coach and team, 4th offense coach gets suspended. When we are talking 5th offense the league has to step in a boot the player.

I would make a rule that if your hit was deemed malicious, not just recless, and a player is injured, then you should be suspended for the duration of the other players injury, up to 1 full season.

Finely suspensions should be a set sliding scale.
Each category will have a base number for days. For example, Hit to the head is a manditory 3 days. But then you have to look at severity. If the hit was accidental, then you get just the 3 days. If there was not intent to injure, but the hit was deliberate then you get an additional 2 days. If the hit was Deliberate to injure you get additional 5 days. If the hit was extreme then you get additional 12 games.
- youarewrong

Percentages still don't work. If I'm making $50K a year and lose $5K, it hurts me a lot more than a guy making $500K a year losing $50K. He's still doing alright.

I do like your line of thinking on the baseline suspension lengths. But then we'll all be arguing over whether or not it was malicious/intent to injure/etc. or not.

Also, I'm not a fan of the "out for as long as the player." For instance, let's say James Neal hits Jay Rosehill with his knee. I am making sure that Jay Rosehill is "injured" all season long.

I hate the scoring system. How is a shootout win worth just as much as a thorough 5-2 victory? If there was no shootout, the Caps would be tied for 7th in the Metro.
- PhillySportsGuy

How? There would have to be some other means of finding a winner or you get those glorious and quite fulfilling ties. Either way, Caps would likely still have gotten points.

Edit.

I never thought about it that way. I just hate how conservative teams play in order to get to the shootout. It drives me crazy. No other sport ends on a skills competition. Could you imagine baseball ending with a home run derby? Or basketball ending with a three point shootout.
- PhillySportsGuy

If a basketball game ended with a 3-point shootout, the game would be 5 hours long. No one can shoot a 3 anymore. Now a slam dunk contest, NOW we're talking.

I think these suspension and fines suck. You want these plays out of the game, change the format.

First off, dont have set fine amounts, use percentage instead. For example if Thornton is fined 2000.00 for a hit, it affects him a lot more then James Neal getting the same fine. Instead the fine should match the players salary. Give it out in percent. James Neal is fined 5% of his salary.

Second, repeat offenders should get the same suspension as a new person gets. However, there should be additional fines. For example, second offense the coach gets a fine, third offense coach and team, 4th offense coach gets suspended. When we are talking 5th offense the league has to step in a boot the player.

I would make a rule that if your hit was deemed malicious, not just recless, and a player is injured, then you should be suspended for the duration of the other players injury, up to 1 full season.

Finely suspensions should be a set sliding scale.
Each category will have a base number for days. For example, Hit to the head is a manditory 3 days. But then you have to look at severity. If the hit was accidental, then you get just the 3 days. If there was not intent to injure, but the hit was deliberate then you get an additional 2 days. If the hit was Deliberate to injure you get additional 5 days. If the hit was extreme then you get additional 12 games.
- youarewrong

While I disagree with your rules, I agree with the premise. I think, ultimately, they need to suspend players much longer. 10 game suspensions should be more routinely given out. Players can't be paid while suspended, therefore 10 games is the equivalent of losing 1/8th of your salary.

Or go 0-0-82 and be a ".500" team.
- Scoob

Well, same thing could happen with ties. I'd prefer the 10-minute 4-on-4 and then full 20-minute 3-on-3 OT idea.

I didnt say teams wouldnt want him, I said his value will be low, Flyers might have to eat some of the contract, and he might not want to go to specific teams. Its a perfect storm that would result in moving him IMO, and its not likely.
- youarewrong

Well yes, it would be lower than if he was only at $3M or so. But he still has some good value to a team needing an agaitating power forward to fill out its playoff lineup.

Button on tsn believes that Wilson should get an in person hearing and 6 plus games fwiw.

Percentages still don't work. If I'm making $50K a year and lose $5K, it hurts me a lot more than a guy making $500K a year losing $50K. He's still doing alright.

I do like your line of thinking on the baseline suspension lengths. But then we'll all be arguing over whether or not it was malicious/intent to injure/etc. or not.

Also, I'm not a fan of the "out for as long as the player." For instance, let's say James Neal hits Jay Rosehill with his knee. I am making sure that Jay Rosehill is "injured" all season long.
- jmatchett383

But remember the person making 500k has a lifestyle that costs 500k, plus his taxes are higher. Percentage is percentage. If a Player making 1 million gets hit with a 100k fine, and a 10 million player gets hit with a 1 million dollar fine.... That is still a very significant fine. Much more effective then a max of 50k.

As for your Jay Rosehill example, if the league does physicals before letting players return from concussions, then they can do physicals on players in this issue too.

If a basketball game ended with a 3-point shootout, the game would be 5 hours long. No one can shoot a 3 anymore. Now a slam dunk contest, NOW we're talking.
- jmatchett383

A dunk contest would get old very quickly. Not to mention, the judging of the dunks would be impossible.

The shootout was exciting for the first few times. I, personally, never liked it from the beginning. I'm more of a purist in sports. Team games should be won by teams, not one on one skills.

While I disagree with your rules, I agree with the premise. I think, ultimately, they need to suspend players much longer. 10 game suspensions should be more routinely given out. Players can't be paid while suspended, therefore 10 games is the equivalent of losing 1/8th of your salary.
- PhillySportsGuy

If you could somehow get teams and coaches involved in the punishment, especially for repeat offenders, I bet you'd see a change in attitude from top to bottom.

This team is a strong home and home vs CBJ from being over .500 at the Christmas break. With a 1-7 start, this could be our Christmas miracle.

Percentages still don't work. If I'm making $50K a year and lose $5K, it hurts me a lot more than a guy making $500K a year losing $50K. He's still doing alright.
- jmatchett383

Well, that's a hell of a lot more fair than dinging the rich guy disproportionately simply because he's rich.

How? There would have to be some other means of finding a winner or you get those glorious and quite fulfilling ties. Either way, Caps would likely still have gotten points.

Edit.
- wolfhounds

In my dream world it would go as follows.

3 points for regulation win
2 points for OT win
1 point OT loss
1point tie

4v4 5min Sudden Death OT
3v3 5min Sudden Death OT

Well yes, it would be lower than if he was only at $3M or so. But he still has some good value to a team needing an agaitating power forward to fill out its playoff lineup.
- jmatchett383

Gagne had good value too when we moved him. But because of his age, salary, and NMC the only thing we could get is a 2nd rounder, and we had to take Walker back. I think this will be an even worse circumstance because hartnell really doesnt want to leave, and his contract is so very long.

How? There would have to be some other means of finding a winner or you get those glorious and quite fulfilling ties. Either way, Caps would likely still have gotten points.

Edit.
- wolfhounds

I have two beefs with it.

1. It's a skills competition. The game should be won/lost by actually playing the game.

2. Games not settled in regulation are worth more points than games settled in OT/SC.

If you could somehow get teams and coaches involved in the punishment, especially for repeat offenders, I bet you'd see a change in attitude from top to bottom.
- wolfhounds

It would be difficult to ask a team to be unbiased.

Look at the NFL. They suspend and heavily fine 'illegal hits' now. Like it or not, there is no question the number of illegal head shots has gone down.

In my dream world it would go as follows.

3 points for regulation win
2 points for OT win
1 point OT loss
1point tie

4v4 5min Sudden Death OT
3v3 5min Sudden Death OT
- PhillySportsGuy

I would get rid of the OT win point.

3 points for Regulation win
2 points for OT win
1 point for tie
0 points for any loss

4v4 5min Sudden Death OT
3v3 5min Sudden Death OT

Well yes, it would be lower than if he was only at $3M or so. But he still has some good value to a team needing an agaitating power forward to fill out its playoff lineup.
- jmatchett383

Why wouldn't that team just go after a Steve Ott, who's on an expiring deal, or any number of the other guys who fit that MO that have less odious contracts than Hartsy?

But remember the person making 500k has a lifestyle that costs 500k, plus his taxes are higher. Percentage is percentage. If a Player making 1 million gets hit with a 100k fine, and a 10 million player gets hit with a 1 million dollar fine.... That is still a very significant fine. Much more effective then a max of 50k.

As for your Jay Rosehill example, if the league does physicals before letting players return from concussions, then they can do physicals on players in this issue too.
- youarewrong

A flat tax as a form of punishment makes a certain amount of sense, but it would never be as high as 10%.