Tough Call

Tough Call Podcast is back four a fourth season! Get caught up on the latest NHL hits and suspensions through the first week of the pre-season. What's the deal with all the open ice hitting? Is it here to stay??? And why are forecheckers so surprised when defenders “turn their back” when they're the ones who forced them into doing it? Why are we so surprised when angling works?

The Markstrom spear, the Cogliano knee. And what would happen if we called the NHL rulebook to the standard to which it's written?

This is an 18 minute rant on all that's wrong with the NHL and the fans who won't allow it to be fixed. My apologies.

The theme is exploding into contact and maybe not doing it. The Zadorov check to Kase, the Dunn slash on Zegras, the Brad Marchand suspension, and more! Plus the trivia: last week's answer and this week's question. Subscribe to the Tough Call YouTube channel, and to this podcast!

The Myers boarding to Lewis, the Gourde boarding to Vaakanainen, and why basing suspension length on injury is a bad idea. My usual segments and as always I end off with some trivia.

The Greenway interference on Kuemper, the Drouin crosscheck to Seguin, and what's my motivation for doing Tough Call? As always, fun trivia at the end.

This covers NHL incidents from the week of January 2nd - 8th, 2022.

I'm back for a third season! This tells you everything you should expect to get out of this podcast when you follow me this year (and you absolutely should). Plus, why is there such a difference between hockey player personas on the ice vs off the ice? And finally, a little bit of trivia to end off!

What is a hockey play? Keeping things within the context of the game. Also, what do we do wrong when comparing incidents? Who's dirtier? Reaves or Wilson? Find out here!

Ryan Reaves of the Vegas Golden Knights was issued a 2 game suspension for his actions against Ryan Graves of the Colorado Avalanche in game 1 of their second round series. This is the last straw for many in a years long chain of poor decisions from the NHL's Department of Player Safety. It's time for real change.

Why did Nick Foligno fight Corey Perry after the Tavares injury? Why did Dmitry Orlov have his major penalty against Kevan Miller reduced to a roughing minor? How did Jeff Petry avoid any discipline at all from both the on ice officials and the Department of Player Safety for his blindside hit to Alex Galchenyuk in overtime of Game Six? Also, subscribe to the new Tough Call YouTube channel for all my suspension recommendations, and follow both @ToughCallBlog and my companion account @NhlCall on Twitter!

The Kadri incident. Brad Marchand and his after the whistle antics. And how to keep the right kind of physicality in hockey.

In this show I explain my suspension scale in a little more depth and how I apply it. Subscribe to my YouTube channel and see how it plays out with real incidents. Plus, Brayden McNabb has a habit, but is it good or bad?

Why Tom Wilson SHOULD be treated differently.

Why did Edler have to fight Simmonds? Also, can Matthew Tkachuk throw a normal check? And Tough Call is now on YouTube! Listen to find out more.

Was the McDavid hit on Byron really a dirty elbow? And what do people mean when they talk about “playoff” hockey? Find out here!

Would a crackdown on dangerous incidents really change the fabric of the NHL game? And if so, is that a bad thing? Looking at NHL discipline practices and seeing if there might be a better path to consistency.

Brandon Tanev was ejected for his hit on Jarred Tinordi in a game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Bruins. What makes this hit stand out from the rest?

The Tom Wilson hit on Brandon Carlo. A look at that incident, explaining Wilson's disciplinary history, and how I would get Wilson where he needs to be moving forward.

Why is crosschecking still prevalent in the NHL and why is it so accepted? What's with all the slew-foots these days? The Wilson hit on Jankowski, goaltender interference, and incosistency.

Why do head shots continue to run rampant in the NHL? Because they only punish just enough to say they're doing “something”. See why the Larsson suspension is a token gesture that won't help the problem at hand.

Why do I think some checks are dirty and some that look awfully similar are clean? Also the importance of players accepting when they've been beaten.

Is the NHL right to focus on the entertainment more than the hockey when it comes to the safety of its most valuable assets: the players? Also the Dube hit on Kotkaniemi. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Why are NHL players forced to take matters into their own hands so often? What makes a hit legal? Who should have to be held accountable and what is “the Code”?

Tyler Myers received a match penalty for his hit to Joel Armia, but will the NHL's Department of Player Safety suspend? Why they should and how blindside hits should be dealt with moving forward.

Recapping the week of January 11-17, 2020. How to deal with the recent trend of leg trips, the continued fight against crosschecking, and is it time to make a rule change for powerplays interrupted by the end of a period? --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Wayne Simmonds fought Ben Chiarot on opening night and it was everything a hockey fight should be. The question is, should hockey fighting be at all? --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Who is Josh, the man behind Tough Call anyway? What's his point? Also, why the head contact penalty does more harm than good, how can I get mentioned on the Podcast? Find it all here. Let's go! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Running up the score, and the Schneider and Wimmer suspensions. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

The Benn OT penalty, the Perry “spear”, and the Point embellishment. Also, are that Dallas Stars being unfairly targeted by the officials? Find out here!

All the hits and incidents from Games 1-3 of the 2020 Stanley Cup Final. Benn, Pavelski, Paquette...who deserves the benefit of the doubt? --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

The Killorn suspension, the Goodrow Crosscheck, and what was Kucherov thinking with his slash on Pageau?? --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Reaves hit on Motte, Pelech hit on Farabee, Perry butt-ending, and what it means to be “predatory”. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

If anyone ever blames the victim in a hockey boarding incident, point them here. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

The Ritchie and Paquette boardings, why is it bad to launch? (and why do I even have to answer that), and more! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

The Kotkaniemi boarding major, the Niskanen, Myers, and Kucherov crosschecks, and the Couturier grease move after Montreal's empty net goal. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

An in depth look at how the NHL prioritizes hitting over safety, and the Fentenberg, Foligno, Dubois, Eckman-Larsson, and Tom Wilson boardings in Round 2 of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Talking about the goal video review process, Tom Wilson doing some elbowing, and why is spearing called slashing so much? --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

The Svechnikov Injury, is Chara to blame? Tuukka Rask exits the bubble, and how are rhe officials doing in the Tampa/Columbus series? All this and more. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

The Zadarov and Wilson elbows. The Sammy Blais boarding, and how those who fail to learn from the lessons of player safety history are doomed to repeat them. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Benn on Tkachuk, Lucic on Klingberg, and how can playOFF records be broken during a play-IN round? --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

What I think of Perron “shadowing” Petterson, was the Anders Lee hit on Backstrom predatory? Glove pass, goalie possession, goal....how does that happen? And when is it a good idea to run your own goalie. Find out here! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Should Cam Atkinson have been given a penalty shot in overtime number 5?? Plus my proposed power play rule change and what's a player got to do to get a boarding or crosschecking suspension around here? --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

What just happened in Toronto??? Why couldn't they even make the playoffs this year? Plus, boarding continues to plague the NHL Playoffs... --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

The Foligno trip, the Goodrow head shot, and all the elimination drama. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Wilson boards Provorov, and why was Ennis's controversial injury not penalized but Yamamoto's hit was? Why do players hit from behind? Find out here! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

The Smith on Garland hit, Muzzin, Cross Checking, and the NHL's unhealthy obsession with hitting. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Cagguila suspended? Chiarot's cross check on Crosby, THE hit on Boychuk, and did Tkachuk try to injure Scheifele on purpose? This and more... --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

The most controversial hits of the NHL's return to play exhibition 2020 including Reaves on Schmaltz and Dickinson on Fabbro, and how does the NHL decide suspension length in the playoffs anyway? How many regular season games is a playoff suspension worth? Oh, and follow me on Twitter. @ToughCallBlog. Thanks!

What I do and why I do it, and how you can help and be part of the fun!

Bad hit? Missed call? Horrible video review? I'll tell you how I feel about it and you can tell me how you feel about that. Follow me on Twitter at @ToughCallBlog and on Facebook on the page Tough Call and join the discussion. Lively debates and fun chirps. Join the over 2000 people who already follow along. Talk to you soon!