Pat Host wrote:
 
> Does anybody remember a player name Nick Kypreos?  He was on the 94 Rangers
> Cup team, and I believe he played for Edmonton and Toronto.  Even though he
> was nothing but a fighter with twice the talent of worthless Kirk Maltby
> combined (sorry had to throw that in), he suffered a career ending
> concussion and skull fracture when his head slammed into the ice during a
> fight with Darren Langdon, I believe.  This is probably the biggest
> detriment to any fighting in hockey, even though I think that in the NHL it
> is necessary, but in college? No.  May people say that "he'll think twice
> about hitting from behind if there is fighting."  This is totally false.
> This is what he'll think:
 
As one of the hated Red wings fans, I have to respond to the Kirk Maltby
comment.  I will assume that he's raised your hackles by chopping a couple of
months out of Valeri Kamensky's season.  This incident actually makes the point
that NHL players really aren't careful with their sticks, regardless of what
some might say.  While this slash was certainly vicious, it wasn't all that
remarkeable.  It's the kind of thing that goes on pretty routinely in every NHL
game I watch.  Whacking people with two-handers is an accepted way of harrassing
the puck carrier.  In this case, you had several factors including a hard swing,
a target that wears the short gloves and bad luck resulting in a serious
injury.  By all means, I think Maltby deserved to be suspended, but this sort of
thing will keep happening until this play gets penalized all of the time rather
than just when an injury happens.  The Wings lost Todd Gill for about the same
length of time on an almost identical play earlier in the season.
Unfortunately, the league has tacitly decided that that's how they want the game
to be played.
 
J. Michael Neal
Who thought that having a chance to root for a repeat champion was a lot of fun
and can still remember that it was an enjoyable ride while it lasted.  Sure
beats the mid-80s, when the really were the Dead Things.
 
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