Patrice Cormier nearly kills a guy
by Resolute on Jan 18, 2010 8:40 PM EST
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Devils prospect Patrice Cormier seriously injures an opponent with one of the most disturbing elbows I've seen in hockey.
(The victim's convulsions on the ice aren't pretty. You've been warned)
The victim, Mikael Tam, is in hospital following the hit with brain trauma and has lost several teeth, while the Quebec Remparts filed a criminal complaint over the hit.
Pretty damn disgusting and cowardly hit by Cormier, made all the more disappointing by the fact that he did the exact same thing in a pre-WJHC exhibition game against Sweden. And that hit was bad enough that a lot of people here in Canada called for him to be kicked off of the Canadian team. Kid has talent, but honestly, after this, I would not shed a tear if the powers that be drummed him out of hockey entirely.
Editor Update: Hat tip to Puck Daddy, Patrice Cormier has been suspended indefinitely by the QMJHL.
Late, Old News Editor Update #2: The ruling was announced today. As reported in this post by Tom Gulitti, Patrice Cormier has been suspended for the rest of Rouyn-Noranda's season - that includes the regular season and any postseason action. The deeper the Huskies go, the longer Cormier's out. Cormier is eligible to play in the AHL, but he can't transfer until Rouyn-Noranda's season ends and by then Lowell's season may be done. Moreover, the AHL would review the suspension before allowing him to play, and I'd be surprised if they allow him in at the point.
Per this follow up post by Gulitti, Lou's not considering other places for Cormier to play for this season during the suspension - which is the right thing to do. There isn't a way to circumvent the suspension, nor should it be. I think the suspension length is appropriate and I sincerely hope Cormier gets the message here. In fact, if I were Cormier, I'd try to reconcile with Mikael Tam if that is possible.
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Oh my god what a disturbing video. I didn’t see that game so I am wondering if the rest of the game was filled with revenge fights. Just from seeing Tam on ice in convulsions made me wish i was there to immediately charge the entire bench. Hate seeing that. His elbow was way out there. Ugh. Again, hate seeing that.
by Devil_Hard_Core on Jan 18, 2010 11:05 AM EST reply actions
speedy recover Tam
In all my rage, I lost focus. Wishing Tam a speedy recovery and hope this doesn’t ruin his career. His family must be going through a rough time to because of this.
by Devil_Hard_Core on Jan 18, 2010 11:10 AM EST reply actions
Yes a cheap shot...
But was it as despicable as McSorely’s tomahawk or Bertuzzi’s blindsider? No way. It was a face-to-face elbow that was 4" away from being a solid legal check. Stupid move that caused a potentially-serious injury. I personally think Domi’s elbow on Nieds in the 2001 playoffs was much “worse” than this one, because it was a blindside.
A bad mistake by Cormier and he’ll pay the price, but he’s young and hopefully he’ll learn from his mistakes and keep his damned elbows down while crushing opponents.
I hope that Tam kid is all right…
According to this blog (so take it for what it is worth, and in french), the initial diagnosis was “somewhere between severe concussion and brain death”. You can try to minimize the viciousness of that hit all you want, but the action, the history and the result leave this as one of the most disgusting acts I have seen in a hockey rink in a very long time. So yes, this was just as despicable as McSorley and Bertuzzi. That wasn’t just a mistake. It was a reckless disregard for another person’s life.
Minimize? More like "not over-exaggerating".
If his elbow was down 4" and he hit this guy in the face with his shoulder, and Tam suffered the same injury, it’d be A-OK, right? Legal check and it’s hockey. Oh well, game on!
I’m not saying it wasn’t wrong. It WAS wrong and Cormier is gonna pay a hefty price. Hopefully Tam comes out all right, Cormier learns his lesson and all is right in the world.
I just don’t find it “one of the most disgusting acts” I’ve seen in my life. I’ve seen much worse stuff attempted in the beer leagues I play in, luckily with less damaging results. Then again, I have seen quite a few knees destroyed on cheap shots that ended beer league “careers”.
I’m just annoyed by everyone in the media jumping on the “Kill Cormier” bandwagon, just because over-exaggeration in the name of self-promotion is the “in” thing with the media. It was a bad mistake by a young kid. If Bertuzzi, Domi, Simon, etc, who’ve delivered their fair share of cheap shost can come back and play, then Cormier should too. And if he’s gonna play for Lou, he won’t be here very long if he keeps up that cheap stuff.
Unbelievable...
This was beyond uncalled for. I would certainly consider this to be worse than McSorely on Brashear, and at least as bad as Bertuzzi on Moore. I really hope the QMJHL throws the book at Cormier, because there is absolutely no place for anything like that. As much as I had been looking forward to Cormier’s arrival with the Devils in a few years, I imagine I would have a rather hard time cheering for him if this mess doesn’t end his career.
Wow.
You think that this face to face elbow was worse than McSorley taking a full baseball-bat swing to the side of Brashear’s head, while BEHIND HIM?!?!?!
Wow.
Yeah, I do
The question of face-to-face vs. behind is less releveant than the question of how the play unfolded.
McSorely and Brashear were coming out of the corner, and there is at least the possibility, however remote, that McSorely’s action was a split-second overreaction.
Cormier however, could clearly see Tam coming, and decided to launch himself elbow-first into Tam’s head. He had plenty of time to set himself to deliver the hit cleanly, but went up high with the elbow anyway.
by HockeyWeasel on Jan 18, 2010 1:00 PM EST up reply actions
Heat of the moment...
…is what most people are experiencing with their feelings about this Cormier hit.
Even off the ice, if you told me that hitting someone in the side of the head with a stick is less severe than someone taking an elbow to the face, I would have to disagree. I believe most people would as well.
Thankfully this is a heat of the moment reaction so in a few years we can watch the cormier hit again and get a good ol’ laugh.
by Devil_Hard_Core on Jan 18, 2010 11:54 PM EST up reply actions
Ah, good ol' sarcasm!
Yeah, anyone who laughs about this hit needs some therapy.
Trying to watch Devs games at 4pm is a PitA.
Nothing gets by you. I’m sure there are plenty of therapists that live nearby who can help you. (Come on, you walked into that one.)
by Devil_Hard_Core on Jan 19, 2010 1:37 PM EST up reply actions
I never condoned the hit.
Nor have I made light of its nasty outcome. So your suggestion that I think everything is hunky-dory with what Corrente did is unwarranted.
I just believe that all of these people on this “Worst Hit EVER!” witch-hunt need to relax. Corrente will get his fair dues then hopefully he’ll learn a lesson and play again. Otherwise, we just wasted a draft pick.
Trying to watch Devs games at 4pm is a PitA.
OK, OK, I think we all learned a valuable lesson. None of this is funny and sarcasm translates to text as well as an HD broadcast translates to a CRT from 1950.
Let’s stop this little tiff.
Devils in my heart! Devils in my mind! Devils in my eyes! Devils until I die!
In Lou We Trust - The Devils SBN Blog
by John Fischer on Jan 19, 2010 9:55 PM EST up reply actions
John I was just having fun and I lost sight of how thoughts/conversations don’t always translate well into writing. I will knock off the sarcasm now because that’s not what this site is about.
SinDoner—I want to apologize for my sarcasm and post that really added nothing to the conversation. It really was in jest but was also anything but classy. I have to add that I can only appreciate you speaking your mind from a different perspective on this issue. It’s a blog and if we did nothing but agree and pat each other on the back, it would be boring. Thanks for holding down the Devils fort in the Pacific Northwest.
by Devil_Hard_Core on Jan 20, 2010 10:34 AM EST up reply actions
No apology necessary...
I don’t take too much offense about things posted on internet message boards.
I’d also like to apologize to Devils’ D Matt Corrente. Dunno why I change “Cormier” into “Corrente” in my last post. Too much Devils on my mind I guess.
Trying to watch Devs games at 4pm is a PitA.
Sarcasm and the internet don’t mix very well
Space Weed Says (Insert Generic quote about blog here)
"DO NOT get stuck behind Kyle Wellwood in the buffet line. This isn't really etiquette, but it will prevent you from starving to death"- Down Goes Brown on Etiquette for Jason Spezza's wedding
by Kevin Sellathamby on Jan 20, 2010 9:10 PM EST up reply actions
I was going to talk about this too
but I had to go to class and no time to finish it. This literally looks like something a goon like Steve Ott or Chris Neil would do. I was excited about Cormier, he looks like a solid player and a good prospect. He was also captain of team Canada’s junior team, and being a Canadian, I kinda feel bad that he was the Captain and he’d pull such a dirty move too. Obviously you can’t just go back in time and remove the “C” off his jersey at the Juniors, though he has pulled off several cheapshots. Hopefully he doesn’t turn into a Steve Ott, Sean Avery or Chris Neil
Space Weed Says (Insert Generic quote about blog here)
"DO NOT get stuck behind Kyle Wellwood in the buffet line. This isn't really etiquette, but it will prevent you from starving to death"- Down Goes Brown on Etiquette for Jason Spezza's wedding
by Kevin Sellathamby on Jan 18, 2010 1:01 PM EST reply actions
Hard to see something like that and still be as excited for the prospect of Cormier as I once was. This was a cheap shot by Patrice and his reputation as someone who throws cheapshots on a consistent basis is slowly beginning to procede him. I’ve never seen a player have convulsions on the ice like that before.
"We aim above the mark to hit the mark." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
An update from Gulitti, where Lou says that Cormier shouldn’t face criminal charges for the hit
Space Weed Says (Insert Generic quote about blog here)
"DO NOT get stuck behind Kyle Wellwood in the buffet line. This isn't really etiquette, but it will prevent you from starving to death"- Down Goes Brown on Etiquette for Jason Spezza's wedding
by Kevin Sellathamby on Jan 18, 2010 1:27 PM EST reply actions
What does Lou know?!?!
He should be paying attention to all the guys in this thread who are calling for Cormier’s head!!!
[sarc off]
I think
some people are mistaking intent for result. Was the result of this hit disgusting? Of course. I certainly have never seen a hit with such a disturbing outcome. But do I think Cormier went in there planning to kill the kid? No. He went in there with the intent of hitting him, and when he found himself out of position, he threw his elbow out. I’m not so sure it was accidental, I just don’t think it remotely compares to some of the malicious displays some of you are comparing it to (i.e. Bertuzzi, McSorley, etc.).
Here’s to a speedy and full recovery for Tam, and Cormier should get some serious punishment for this. There is no doubt there is no place in hockey for a hit like that. But he should do his time, come back, and be given a chance to prove he’s learned his lesson. Hopefully he has. You’d have to be a pretty big bastard to not get shaken up after seeing a guy you hit convulsing on the ice.
I agree, punish the hit, not the injury
To many hits like this go unpunished (except for maybe a minor penalty), because the, uh, receiving(?) player wasn’t injured. Every hit to the head needs to result in suspension and fines. And how about a little consistency with the punishments? Maybe an actual system for this kind of thing?
by LangsForPres on Jan 20, 2010 10:38 AM EST up reply actions
I agree...
But just like a high-stick that causes blood to pour out of someone’s face, since this full-speed elbow caused major injuries, the penalty should be a bit more substantial.
Drive home drunk and get busted, you lose your license for a year. Drive home drunk and get into an accident that kills someone, and you get to spend some hard time in jail.
Cormier deserves some strong punishment, but once he serves his time, he should be welcome (and take it down a notch) and hopefully be a great grinder for the Devils.
And if he ever lays out Sean Avery like he did Tam, (albeit legally) ,then Cormier will be good in my book.
Trying to watch Devs games at 4pm is a PitA.
Still agree
But there needs to be a system.
Drive drunk once, you lose your license for 6 mo., drive drunk twice, you lose your license for 12 mo., do it a third time and you do jail time. Kill someone, and you get charged with vehicular manslaughter. Clear system.
I doubt Cormier intended to do as much damage as he did, but he no doubt intended to knock him into the next century, and by raising his elbow, he risked injuring Tam. He should be punished harshly, but it CANNOT be a subjective, knee-jerk punishment doled out because we all wanted to pummel the living hell out of him after seeing Tam convulsing.
To me his “indefinite” suspension is unacceptable. Players need to know that if they pull a hit like this, that it will result in x number of games suspended, and there is no chance of a slap on the wrist, because everyone receives the same punishment, from a rookie AHLer to a NHL superstar.
by LangsForPres on Jan 20, 2010 3:03 PM EST up reply actions
Well, it’s not the end-all be-all suspension. He has a hearing with league officials tomorrow as reported by Gulitti. I would imagine the terms of his suspension would be defined.
The “indefinite” suspension was to keep him out of games prior to his hearing.
Devils in my heart! Devils in my mind! Devils in my eyes! Devils until I die!
In Lou We Trust - The Devils SBN Blog
by John Fischer on Jan 20, 2010 4:42 PM EST up reply actions
Yes
My point was more in line with SinDonor, but I agree with both. There does need to be a system in place, and certainly serious injury from an illegal play should elevate the punishment.
My primary point was (albeit poorly expressed) to respond to some people who seem to think it was as bad or worse than the McSorley and Bertuzzi incidents. In my book, irregardless of the consequences of the plays, it lacked the maliciousness that truly made the McSorley and Bertuzzi incidents, which served no other purpose than to injure an opponent.
While I can only guess at Cormier’s mindset, it is up for debate as to how much prior intent there was to injure Tam going into the collision. As I said before, it looked to me more like Cormier got caught out of position trying to make an open ice hit, and threw his elbow out. He needs to learn that this is not an acceptable reaction, but I don’t believe it was as despicable a play as the Bertuzzi or McSorley incidents.
Great assessment...
I’ve read a few quotes from people in the “industry”, like NHLers and commentators and the sort, and some of them state that it was premeditated and deliberate. Here:
In Vancouver, Canucks forward Tanner Glass called it "one of the ugliest hits I’ve ever seen.
“It was premeditated. He had the elbow up good and early. It’s disappointing to see a kid that’s trying to play a gritty game, to be a tough player to play against, take liberties like that because it always comes back to haunt you.”
Sorry, Tanner Glass must have been watching the clip in super-slow-mo. I’ve seen the clip a bunch of times now and, in real-time, his elbow goes up 0.1 seconds before he makes contact. Go ahead and time it yourself.
Not premeditated, just a stupid, split-second decision.
Trying to watch Devs games at 4pm is a PitA.
A number of things
For a Devils-based forum, I’m impressed that no one brought up Tie Domi’s elbow on Scott Niedermayer’s face in the 2001 playoffs. this was like that except in open ice and with far, far more force on it. Cormier is a physical player, but this was so over the line, it makes one wonder whether Cormier knows that there is even a line. An absolutely dispicable act and any punishment he gets is deserving.
That said, let’s not get it twisted. In the cases of Todd Bertuzzi and Tie Domi among others, they eventually returned to play. Cormier’s career isn’t over; but he absolutely needs the Fear of God (or, alternatively, the Fear of Lou) put into him. No, that does not mean the frontier justice of a Quebec teammate of Tam’s or anyone else. I would hope the Rouyn-Noranda management and the QMJHL makes an example out of Cormier. A season-long suspension is entirely warranted in this case.
I understand what Lou said as reported by Gulitti. Lou was intentionally vague and he comes across as being more concerned than angry; but I don’t believe for one second that Lou didn’t read him the riot act over this. While Gulitti says he doesn’t think this warrants criminal investigation or a season-long suspension, this is what Lou actually says:
"I’m not the judge and jury of things, but in my opinion this is not something that should be talked about," Lamoriello said.
I read that as Lou not wanting to interfere with the process, which is fair. Lou’s not responsible for Cormier’s actions, only Cormier is.
Devils in my heart! Devils in my mind! Devils in my eyes! Devils until I die!
In Lou We Trust - The Devils SBN Blog
Ah, so you did. I stand corrected. My apologies.
Devils in my heart! Devils in my mind! Devils in my eyes! Devils until I die!
In Lou We Trust - The Devils SBN Blog
by John Fischer on Jan 18, 2010 5:19 PM EST up reply actions
I hope Cormier wasn’t trying to seriously injure Tam but he was pretty obviously trying to hurt him. He elbowed Anton Rodin and he just got a bloody nose so he was probably thinking the same thing would happen. Hopefully seeing what happened to Tam and getting suspended will teach him that he can’t do stupid things like that any more.
I updated the post with news on his suspension, Resolute: it’s currently “indefinite.” I hope you don’t mind.
Devils in my heart! Devils in my mind! Devils in my eyes! Devils until I die!
In Lou We Trust - The Devils SBN Blog
I agree the hit was dirty, but I just read an article on TSN that claims that even if QMJHL suspends Cormier for the rest of the year the Devils could move him to the AHL Lowell Devils.
“It’s also possible, unlikely but possible, that David Andrews the commissioner of the AHL could uphold whatever suspension exists with the QMJHL. I doubt that would happen because Cormier is moving from junior to professional hockey, but he could be cleared and he could play in the AHL this season. Andrews tells TSN that the only way Cormier would be allowed to play in the AHL, assuming that he is still under suspension with the QMJHL, is if there were an AHL review, which there has been in the past with players like Steve Downie and Jesse Boulerice, amongst others who have moved on.”
Interesting. By the way, do you have the link to the article?
Devils in my heart! Devils in my mind! Devils in my eyes! Devils until I die!
In Lou We Trust - The Devils SBN Blog
by John Fischer on Jan 19, 2010 6:11 PM EST up reply actions
Finland
Did the same thing to a Fin that he did to the Swede. Both of those hits were very similar as the opposing player was heading to the bench. This guy is a disgrace and should not put on a Lowell Devils sweater until he cleans his act up.
Finland hit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xp0lNdmqfpY
Sweden hit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hzeOhL8_9g
Very good job, eeberlew. I never saw those two other videos before. Cormier appears to have quite the history of elbowing players in the face when they least expect it. Not only would these penalties be considered the exact opposite approach that a Devils player must have on the ice (DISCIPLINE, staying out of the penalty box), but more importantly he could cause serious damage if he continues his wrecklessness. No matter what his talent level might be, Lou will not tolerate players who act on their own whim.
"We aim above the mark to hit the mark." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
As captain on the Canadian JR team...
He’s got some massive potential. We should give him a chance to learn his lesson and get some proper coaching. Obviously he learned this lack of judgement during his hockey coaching as a kid. The Devils’ staff will not tolerate it and he’ll get his butt kicked in team practices if he attempts this stuff while at the pro-level.
Trying to watch Devs games at 4pm is a PitA.
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