Wilderness Walk: January 5, 2012

by nathaneide on Jan 5, 2012 8:15 AM CST in Wilderness Walks

With Bryan heading to spend the next few days on a frozen lake, in some kinda of ramshackle lean-to without running water, heat, toilets, TV, wifi or girls (and I question the sanity of anyone who thinks that sounds like a good idea) I'll pick up the baton as your guide through the Wilderness.

So, stay with me, the first couple won't be fun.

Jack’s Pledge to Prevent Hockey Injuries
Family says hockey player won't be able to walk again | StarTribune.com - Jack Jablonski will "not be able to walk or skate" again due to spinal cord injuries the 16-year-old suffered in a hockey collision last week, his family reported Wednesday evening. "This news is devastating to Jack and everyone who loves him," the Jablonski family posted.
Jablonski Injury Puts Focus on Checking Rules - St. Louis Park, MN Patch - The severe injury suffered by Benilde-St. Margaret’s hockey player Jack Jablonski has the Minnesota hockey community taking a closer look at the role of body-checking in the sport.

Now the meaningless crap after the jump

Want to re-hash last night's loss?

Devin Setoguchi returns to Wild lineup, top line - TwinCities.com
Season of promise has veered into danger zone | StarTribune.com - A month ago, the playoffs looked as certain as the snowstorm that we all know will pummel the Twin Cities at some point this dry winter
Wild's freefall continues in Vancouver | StarTribune.com
Wild's loss to Canucks caps a disjointed first half of the season - TwinCities.com
Canucks, Luongo shut out Wild - Vancouver Sun - The only bad news is the Wild don't visit Rogers Arena again this season. "They come here any more?" a smiling Luongo said of the Wild after the game. "No, now they're done? I'm out of luck, I guess."

How about we forget last night?

The Third Intermission: All Star Aeros
Players have stake in world juniors | StarTribune.com - The Wild has three Swedish prospects who will play in Thursday's gold medal game against Russia at the world junior championships, but most of the talk in the Wild's locker room Wednesday was on the bronze medal game
Russia tops Canada 6-5 at world junior hockey championships, will face Sweden for title | StarTribune.com - Canada will not play for the gold medal at the world junior hockey championships for the first time in over a decade.
Americans finish seventh at junior championships | StarTribune.com - "You always want to win your last game of any tournament and we did just that," said Dean Blais, coach of the U.S. team. "I'm proud of our guys for giving their all to the end."

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Comments

First off, I would like to wish JS a Happy Birthday! Despite how tragic Jappy’s injury is, I think it would be just as tragic if they removed checking from boys hockey. I hope he will be able to defy the odds and walk again. I see on the NHL.com headlines that Bulmer had another hat trick last night.

2010-2011 Minnesota Wild Fantasy League Champion
President/CEO of the Tutu Many Slapshots fantasy hockey club

by Chris Winner on Jan 5, 2012 8:52 AM CST reply actions

Agreed

Playing sports come with Risks. Football Players have been paralyzed, hell im sure some basketball players have fell wrong and been seriously injured. Comebackers and being beaned in baseball. There is always risk.

While its awful what happened to Jack, it does happen. Now its upto the community and sporting community to support him and his family as much as possible.

by ThatGuy22 on Jan 5, 2012 9:41 AM CST up reply actions

Hopefully the injury to Jabs will re-enforce the need for teaching PROPER checking again

So many of these injuries from the NHL on down are caused because players are using what I call the “shove method.” Arms extended, high and away from the hitters body. It puts everyone in a bad position.

Take one extra stride and make that full body contact.

And, God, please, please, please STOP hitting the numbers.

Being from Minnesota, it would be rude to put something clever here.

by redheadzeb on Jan 5, 2012 10:44 AM CST up reply actions

I’m not saying the self-titled “shove-method” is what exactly happened to Jabs—I haven’t seen any footage of that hit. I’m just proposing it as a symptom/byproduct of an overall disease, which is a pandemic of dangerous and illegal hits.

Being from Minnesota, it would be rude to put something clever here.

by redheadzeb on Jan 5, 2012 10:46 AM CST up reply actions

In similar news..

Carcillo got 7 games for going high on Gilbert. Honestly, I think that’s going easy on him.

Regressing to the mean since 1981.

by dlfedie on Jan 5, 2012 3:08 PM CST up reply actions

Agreed on Carcillo

Double that to 14 and even then I’m not sure it is enough to send a message to a repeat offender such as “CarBomb.”

Being from Minnesota, it would be rude to put something clever here.

by redheadzeb on Jan 5, 2012 4:16 PM CST up reply actions

There is no REAL difference between Carcillos hit on Gilbert, and the Hits Wild players have received over the last 3 weeks. The only difference is that there was speed involved. I honestly feel that for the most part, it was a clean hit. Worse more dangerous hits were dealt to Butch, Zid and Spurge.

by wild32384 on Jan 5, 2012 7:55 PM CST up reply actions

I think to send the correct message, every one of those hits deserved suspension, too. And many more beyond that all across the NHL.

Burkie’s probably right in so much that if the NHL really wants to protect its players, it is going to have to go through a period of low to zero tolerance on hitting. The byproduct will most likely be a [temporarily] less physical NHL.

Where I differ in opinion from Burkie is that I think the hitting returns, and with force for the better, once the players remember how to do it correctly—not high and not in the numbers.

Being from Minnesota, it would be rude to put something clever here.

by redheadzeb on Jan 5, 2012 8:32 PM CST up reply actions