The good news is that Kyle Okposo is talking, moving, and has been cleared to travel after this scary open ice hit by Dion Phaneuf during Thursday's (9/18) preseason game. After being taken in an ambulance to a local hospital, KO was able to call his father and assure people he was not seriously hurt. The Islanders later announced that Okposo has been diagnosed with a mild concussion, with no timetable set for his return to action.
Since we were unsure of the extent of his injuries we did not want to post anything until an announcement was made on the situation. While we weren't the first to carry the story, we wanted to be sure that we could get as many of the facts correct before posting. We'd rather be late with news than disseminating misinformation or speculation on a serious matter like this.
Reviewing the tape many times, it appears that Phaneuf leapt into the hit, which is not allowed or appreciated, especially during a preseason tilt. Things being what they are in this league with respect to hits and the Islanders, we fully expect no action to be taken by the NHL against Phaneuf.
We wish Kyle a speedy recovery and hope he is available for the regular season opener in New York on October 3rd.
Friday, September 18, 2009
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4 comments:
i certainly do not appreciate this over the top hit. when someone gets hurt because of a macho action like this, there is no glory, or pride, in it.
kyle - i wish you a speedy recovery and the very best of luck in your future. i hope to see you as a big success.
Phaneuf did not leap into the air. I think the person writing this column has never played hockey before, or if they have they have never made a good open ice hit. I found a picture on another site that shows when he made contact his skates were still on the ice (which I posted as the URL). I understand how Islander fans could be upset but stop embarrassing yourselves because you are acting like you don't know hockey. Maybe you should stick to a sport like Tennis or Golf if you can't handle hard hits.
Sorry wrong link...
Thank you for reading and expressing your opinion. You have your opinion and I have mine.
While I don't think it was the dirtiest hit ever, I really question the timing and need for such a hit. I love a hard hit like the next guy; opinion has run 50-50 on the clean/dirty issue. Several Isles fans have maintained it was clean...so please don't generalize.
I'm putting up a follow with a link to a site run by a referee. He's a knowledgeable guy and I trust his opinion.
I know one thing and that is Flames fans would not appreciate a similar hit on Iginla in a preseason game by an established player. That's why the NY fan base is upset, I feel. Similarly, Coach Sutter was livid when Doug Weight hurt his son with a really hard, clean hit.
Anyway, thanks for visiting and come back often. Intelligent opinions are always welcomed here.
--Ken
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