Thomas Godoj Thread » e NHLPA focused on length and not

The National Lacrosse League awards event was highlighted by Rochester Knighthawks forward Cody Jamieson, who won the 2014 NLL MVP award after leading the league in points this past season. Minnesota Swarm forward Logan Schuss, the first overall pick from the 2013 NLL Draft, was voted as the 2014 NLL Rookie of the Year. The complete summary of award winners, including NLL All-Pro and All-Rookie Teams, are listed below: Most Valuable Player – Cody Jamieson (Rochester Knighthawks) Jamieson won the 2014 NLL scoring title with 108 points, tied for second in the league in assists (72) and tied for sixth overall with 36 goals. Jamieson recorded at least six points in a game nine times and 10-plus points a league-high four times. The fourth-year pro scored eight power play goals, tied for 10th-most in the league, and recovered 70 loose balls which were 17th-most among NLL forwards. Jamieson helped lead the Knighthawks to the top of the East Division and second in the NLL with a 14-4 overall record. Jamieson, who hails from Six Nations, Ontario and played collegiately at Syracuse University, was the first overall pick in the 2010 NLL Entry Draft. Toronto Rock forward Garrett Billings was the runner-up for the award for the third-straight year while Rochester Knighthawks goaltender Matt Vinc finished third in the voting. Rookie of the Year – Logan Schuss (Minnesota Swarm) Schuss led all rookies in goals (36), assists (37), points (73) and power play goals, and finished fourth in loose balls (77) this year. The 36 goals by Schuss were tied for the sixth-most in the NLL and his 73 points ranked second on the Swarm and 16th in the league overall. Schuss recorded at least one point in all 18 games played and four or more points in 10 contests. Schuss won the NLL Rookie of the Month award three-straight times from February to April. The Ladner, B.C. native played collegiate lacrosse at the Ohio State University and was the first overall selection in the 2013 NLL Entry Draft. Colorado Mammoth goaltender Dillon Ward was the runner-up for the award while Edmonton Rush forward Robert Church finished third in the voting. Goaltender of the Year – Matt Vinc (Rochester Knighthawks) Vinc, two-time defending NLL Goaltender of the Year, finished second in the league in save percentage (.798), tied for second in wins (12), and third in goals against average (9.56), saves (595) and minutes played (947:43) in 2014. The Knighthawks allowed the second-fewest goals in the NLL (167) and finished atop the East Division with a 14-4 record as Vinc allowed 10 or fewer goals in 10 games this year. The nine-year NLL veteran is the only goalie in league history to win the Goaltender of the Year award four times (2010, 2011, 2013 & 2014). The St. Catharines, Ontario native played collegiately at Canisius College and was drafted in the first round (6th overall) of the 2005 NLL Entry Draft. Edmonton Rush goaltender Aaron Bold was the runner-up for the award while Buffalo Bandits goalie Anthony Cosmo, who won the award in 2007, finished third in the voting. Transition Player of the Year – Jordan MacIntosh (Minnesota Swarm) MacIntosh, who becomes just the second player in NLL history to win the Transition Player of the Year award twice, was third on the Swarm in points in 2014 and led all NLL transition players in points (61) and goals (23) while finishing second in assists (38). The third-year pro ranked second in the league with 204 loose balls, sixth with 198 faceoffs won and tied for 10th in the NLL with 25 forced turnovers. The Oakville, Ontario native played collegiately at RIT and was Minnesotas first-round selection (4th overall) in the 2011 NLL Entry Draft. Philadelphia Wings transition player Brodie Merrill, who won the award in 2009 & 2010, was the runner-up while Edmonton Rush transition player Jeremy Thompson finished third in the voting. Defensive Player of the Year – Kyle Rubisch (Edmonton Rush) Rubisch, the first player in league history to win the Defensive Player of the Year award three times (2012, 2013 & 2014), led the NLL in 2014 with a league-record 61 forced turnovers, 25 more than the second-highest total. The fourth-year pro recorded nine points (2+7), 25 penalty minutes and 156 loose balls, which ranked seventh in the league and second among both defensemen and non-faceoff men. The shutdown defender helped the Rush limit opposing teams to a league-low 157 goals this year. The Brampton, Ont. native, who played collegiately at Dowling College, was the second overall selection in the 2010 NLL Entry Draft. Edmonton Rush defenseman Chris Corbeil was the runner-up for the award while Buffalo Bandits defenseman Steve Priolo finished third in the voting for the second-straight year. Head Coach of the Year (Les Bartley Award) – Derek Keenan (Edmonton Rush) Keenan becomes the first coach in league history to win the Les Bartley Award three times after coaching Edmonton to a historic season which included a league-record 14-0 start and culminated with a 16-2 record as the top overall seed in the NLL standings to clinch the franchises first home playoff game. The Rush allowed a league-low 157 goals and finished second in the league with 220 goals scored. The Oshawa, Ont. native, who played three seasons in the league, has been head coach of the Rush since 2009. Keenan had five previous years of head coaching experience after five seasons as an assistant coach. Keenan, who also serves as the Rushs general manager, previously won the Les Bartley Award in 2006 and was a co-winner in 2010. Rochester Knighthawks head coach Mike Hasen, who won the award in 2011, was the runner-up while Calgary Roughnecks head coach Curt Malawsky finished third in the voting. General Manager of the Year – Derek Keenan (Edmonton Rush) Keenan, who marks the first GM in NLL history to win the General Manager of the Year award three times, led Edmonton to a 14-0 start and 16-2 record as the top overall seed in the NLL standings, clinching the franchises first home playoff game. The Rush allowed a league-low 157 goals and finished second in the league with 220 goals scored. Building through the draft, Edmonton had two players finish in the top five of rookie scoring. Keenan also won the GM of the Year award in 2006 and 2010. Calgary Roughnecks general manager Mike Board was the runner-up for the award while Rochester Knighthawks general manager Curt Styres, who won the award in 2011, finished third in the voting. Executive of the Year Award – John Bean (Calgary Roughnecks) As part of the Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation (CSEC), Bean has led a skilled team of ticketing, sponsorship and in-game promotion to drive significantly improved results. As a member of the NLL Board of Governors, John continues to assist the league and all its partners by focusing the NLL and its member teams on the current financial model. In addition, John serves as a member and chairman of the NLL Audit Finance Committee. As Chief Operating Officer of the CSEC, John led the rebuild efforts of the Scotiabank Saddledomes entire event level following the devastating floods of 2013. This immense undertaking was finished in just 65 days while a project of this scope and magnitude normally takes three or four times that to complete. Edmonton Rush owner Bruce Urban was the runner-up for the award while Rochester Knighthawks owner Curt Styres, who won the award in 2011, finished third in the voting. Sportsmanship Award – Garrett Billings (Toronto Rock) Billings becomes the first player in NLL history to win the Sportsmanship Award outright twice. The first player in league history to record three-straight 100-plus point seasons, the fifth-year pro registered just two penalty minutes in 15 games played before suffering a season-ending knee injury. The Langley, BC native, who played collegiately at the University of Virginia, was the sixth-overall pick in the 2009 NLL Entry Draft. Buffalo Bandits forward Shawn Williams, who won the award in 2010, was the runner-up while Edmonton Rush forward Curtis Knight finished third in the voting. NLL All-Pro First Team Forward – Cody Jamieson, Rochester Knighthawks (2nd selection) Forward – Garrett Billings, Toronto Rock (3rd selection) Forward – Shawn Evans, Calgary Roughnecks (3rd selection) Transition – Jordan MacIntosh, Minnesota Swarm (2nd selection) Defense – Kyle Rubisch, Edmonton Rush (3rd selection) Goaltender – Matt Vinc, Rochester Knighthawks (5th selection) NLL All-Pro Second Team Forward – Dane Dobbie, Calgary Roughnecks (1st selection) Forward – Adam Jones, Colorado Mammoth (1st selection) Forward – Curtis Dickson, Calgary Roughnecks (2nd selection) Transition – Brodie Merrill, Philadelphia Wings (6th selection) Defense – Chris Corbeil, Edmonton Rush (1st selection) Goaltender – Aaron Bold, Edmonton Rush (2nd selection) NLL All-Rookie Team Logan Schuss (Forward- Minnesota Swarm) Dillon Ward (Goaltender- Colorado Mammoth) Robert Church (Edmonton Rush) Karsen Leung (Calgary Roughnecks) Tyler Digby (Vancouver Stealth) Garrett Thul (Philadelphia Wings) Steve Bartkowski Falcons Jersey .Michael Briscoe is serving a life sentence for sexual assault, kidnapping and first-degree murder in the death of 13-year-old Nina Courtepatte in 2005. Julio Jones Falcons Jersey . -- San Francisco 49ers offensive co-ordinator Greg Roman is a finalist to replace Joe Paterno at Penn State, his agent said Monday. http://www.falconsrookiestore.com/Falcon...o-Jones-Jersey/. The young man, never lacking confidence, thought he could be really good. Kaleb McGary Youth Jersey .com) - Joique Bells touchdown run in the fourth quarter gave the Detroit Lions a 20-14 victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday. Julio Jones Womens Jersey . Costa injured his right thigh muscle against Barcelona last Saturday and had sought treatment in Belgrade from a doctor specializing in using fluid derived from horse placenta to repair damaged cells.In preserving Bruins forward Shawn Thorntons 15 game suspension on appeal, Commissioner Gary Bettman concluded that the attack on Penguins defenceman Brooks Orpik was "a bad act with a bad result, and neither will be tolerated in our game." Bettman very clearly confirms that protecting the brains of players is of paramount importance, and decisive action will be taken to discourage excessive and unnecessary force that may result in irreversible brain damage. Thornton will now have seven days to appeal Bettmans decision to an independent arbitrator. This is brand new under the CBA and has never been done. So if we do see an appeal, we will break new ground (and/or ice). The Hearing: Who Was There? The hearing was held at the law firm Proskauer Rose LLP. Thats the firm that acted for the NHL during the lockout. Very good law firm. Apart from Thornton appearing at the hearing, his agent Anton Thun, NHLPA representatives Roman Stoykewych, David Sinclair and Maria Dennis, and Boston General Manager Peter Chiarelli were all in attendance. Thun and Chiarelli were called by the Union to testify. On the NHL side were members of the League office, including Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly, David Zimmerman, Julie Grand and Brendan Shanahan (who was called to testify), as well as Joseph Baumgarten from Proskauer Rose. While Thornton has an agent, the NHLPA handles the hearing. The agent can help with arguments, but ultimately the Union is in charge of the appeal and does the talking. NHLPA: What They Argued The NHLPA did not dispute that a suspension was warranted, but rather argued that the suspension was too long. So the NHLPA focused on length and not whether a wrong was committed. In fact, at the hearing, the NHLPA and Thornton acknowledged that the act was "quite serious", "harmful", and resulted in "significant" injury. Bettman writes that the NHLPA was aiming for a suspension closer to 10 to 12 games. In doing so, the Union relied on the leagues past practice for similar incidents, Thorntons clean record and the act lacking premeditation. Overall, the NHLPA argued that the "punishment was excessive." Bettman Disagrees In preserving the length of the suspension, Bettman relied heavily on the intentional nature of the act together with its "highly dangerous nature" and the "extent of the injury." As per the NHL CBA, the league considers a number of factors when determining the length of a suspension, including the following: (1) the excessive and unnecessary nature of the act, (2) the injury sustained, (3) whether the player has a rap sheet or is a repeat offender, and (4) the circumstances of the game. The league can also consider any other relevant surrounding circumstances. Bettman ruled that Thornton engaged in intentionally excessive force. He skated the length of the ice, slew footed Orpik, dragged him to the ice from behind and punched him multiple times in the face. Orpik, Bettman writes, "never had a chance to fairly confront his opponent, much less an opportunity to defend himself."t; As well, Orpiks injury was also key in maintaining the suspension.dddddddddddd Bettman noted that there was still no "definitive date for his return" and that there is "uncertainty as to his future condition." Bettman also ruled that the act constituted "retribution" for Orpik declining Thorntons invitation to fight after Orpiks hit on Louis Eriksson. For the Commissioner, that also supported upholding the suspension. The fact that Thornton had no prior history of suspensions was recognized by Bettman. Indeed, the Commissioner expressed that it was "certainly possible" to argue for a more "severe punishment." So it looks like Thorntons clean record may have resulted in a shorter suspension. Bettman also relied on one more key factor: the human brain. It is recognized that players may suffer irreversible brain damage as a result of blows to the head. Consequently, the league must take active and decisive steps to safeguard the brains of its players. That includes imposing punishments that are designed to strongly discourage behavior that threatens the long-term health of its players. The league would argue that failing to firmly discipline players puts all players at risk. Hockey is an inherently dangerous sport and that will never change. Still, contact that is not part of the game will be scrutinized. Indeed, the 200 plus NFL concussion lawsuits, the NHL class action concussion lawsuit and the Derek Boogaard lawsuit weighed heavily on the decision making process. The league simply cannot be seen as soft on brain damage with this mass of litigation gathering around sports. So the legal side of this case was inescapably important. Some have argued that the nature of Thorntons act just doesnt match up with past lengthy suspensions because Thornton used his glove to punish Orpik rather than his stick or skate. This type of argument is a red herring and ignores the bigger issue at play: its not how the harm is delivered but rather what harm is inflicted. Times have changed and penalties must be aligned with evolving sensibilities. Indeed, Bettman wrote in his Decision that a player "who today blatantly flouts the rules in a manner that causes a head injury can and should expect to be severely disciplined." Why So Long For Bettman Decision? Thorntons hearing was on December 20. So it took 4 days for the Commissioner to issue his decision. In part, a reason for the delay was that the NHL wanted to get the decision just right given the possibility the case could be appealed to an independent arbitrator. The NHL wanted to make sure, in part, that its reasons were well-reasoned, considered and thoughtful. So Whats The Takeway? The extent of the harm delivered together with the weight of the concussion lawsuits and evolving sensibilities conspired to preserve Thorntons suspension. Bettmans decision was not only predictable, but it was also prudent and ultimately correct. And for these reasons, and as I wrote here, Thorntons chances of success on appeal to an independent arbitrator are bleak. ' ' '