Brent Seabook lies on the ice after the hit. (Victor Decolongon/Getty Images)
ANAHEIM, Calif.-- Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook was knocked out during the second period of Wednesday night's 4-2 loss to the Ducks following a hit from former teammate James Wisniewski.
Seabrook was gathering the puck along the end boards when Wisniewski crunched him into the boards and got his hands and stick up in the process. Seabrook appeared dazed as he fell to the ice before recovering and skating off. He left the bench a short time later and did not return to the game.
Wisniewski was given a charging penalty and also a five-minute major for fighting with Duncan Keith after the hit.
Dustin Byfuglien moved from winger to defense to replace Seabrook. The Hawks are already short-handed with injuries to Brian Campbell and Kim Johnsson, neither of whom are on the three-game road trip.
Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville was visibly angry after the game.
"(Wisniewski) tried to hurt him," Quenneville said.
"If that's not intent. ... That's as a bad a hit as you can ever have
in the game."
Wisniewski played four seasons with the Hawks before the team traded him to Anaheim last March.
"He's one of my really close friends," Wisniewski said of Seabrook. "You don't like to see that. I thought he had the puck so I finished my check. I was already down there, so I pinched in and that's what happened.
"It probably will get looked at (by the league), but the result wasn't because of a shot to the head. I'm 5-foot-11 and he's 6-3. What happened was that my face hit his face. The visor came down and cut up my nose. I was shocked when I saw the result of it on the replay."
Wisniewski was asked if he thought the NHL would suspend him. Alex Ovechkin was given two games for the Brian Campbell incident Sunday."I hope not," Wisniewski said. "I didn't do anything wrong. The result of what happened isn't good, but there wasn't anything wrong that I did."
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The NHL needs to keep these hits to a minimum. Look what the NFL has done. The game is still exciting but less players are getting hurt due to unnecessary hits. This is no longer a ruff and tumble Canadian game. It is a high speed high action games American game which makes a lot of people rich. Don't screw with you assets boys!
I initially felt unsure about Seabrook's hit on Perry behind the net, but Perry was the man on puck, but lost it behind the net. Seabrook gave him a shot, but Perry was already spinning. It wasa hard shot, sure. Was it a penalty? Probably.
You can see Wisniewski come flying in from the point. He was zeroed in on Seabrook when he skated around Toews. He left his skates and drove Seabrook into the boards. Wisniewski wanted to hurt him because you can see Wis falling to the ground after he hit Seabrook.
This Ducks analyst is an idiot. How he can even compare the two hits, and to suggest Seabrook was selling it is ludicrous.
Wiznewski, Ovechkin, Cooke, etc: what do they all have in common? All gutless cowards. Cheap shot sissies that couldn't win a fair fight in their lives off the ice. All I see in the NHL is talent being destroyed by garbage and untalented cowards. It fits perfectly with Rat Bettman's plans. As long as you fools stay quiet and attend games for the fights, you'll keep seeing the best players carted off on stretchers. It's your fault for having pathetic personalities that condone fighting. Bettman is just giving you what your loser egos require. The rat is feeding the mice poison. I hate to say it, but you are suckers and chumps all. Every time you spend money at an NHL game, you pad the pocket of the rat and his slimy friends. And, best of all, you increase the chance that another star on your team will be maimed. Enjoy susckers!
Wiznewski, Ovechkin, Cooke, etc: what do they all have in common? All gutless cowards. Cheap shot sissies that couldn't win a fair fight in their lives off the ice. All I see in the NHL is talent being destroyed by garbage and untalented cowards. It fits perfectly with Rat Bettman's plans. As long as you fools stay quiet and attend games for the fights, you keep seeing the best players carted off on stretchers. It's your fault for having pathetic personalities that condone fighting. Bettman is just giving you what your loser egos require. The rat is feeding the mice poison. I hate to say it, but you are suckers and chumps all. Every time you spend money at an NHL game, you pad the pocket of the rat and his slimy friends. And, best of all, you increase the chance that another star on your team will be maimed. Enjoy susckers!
hey thats me.... heheheh :-) rocking with my fingers out
hey thats me.... heheheh :-)
The Blackhawks have nothing to worry about. Gary Bettamn and the refereees will protect them.
Said it right there everytime Hawks 4th lines came out Wiz took off. Hawks is not a soft team!
Hitting some players without them having a puck possesions it is against the NHL rules isn't it? I thought so. I am beginning to feel these rivalries are trying hard to put the Hawks out because they knew Hawks are very talented and speedy team.
We can cry all we want about bad officiating/missed calls, etc. The fact of the matter is that The Hawks are not taking it to the opposition. They are being dictated to. The more physical play that was prevalent earlier in the season is gone. Too much stickhandling, wheeling and passing and not enough putting the puck at the goal and charging it and playing physical hockey. They need to regroup now!
This team was built for the regular season and the playoffs are coming.
Ut Oh.
The Hawks need an ENFORCER, not some other Goaltender. Other teams now know how to play the hawks in the playoffs. A game misconduct for boarding is well worth it against the Hawks, because the hawks can't physically respond. a token fight after the boarding just isn't going to cut it. It's a Man's game, it's not Golf.
It's obvious that was payback for something. I wonder how much of a dick Seabrook must be for an ex teammate to trash him like that.
And it didn't look like most of his current teammates minded either.
Why do douche bags always come on to these sites to talk shit! Maybe not enough attention growing up or they were dropped on their heads at birth.
This had to be thee worst officiated game I have ever seen! Troy Murray was saying after the second period on the radio that one of the other officials off ice already had made a call to Toronto about the none call on the Seabrook hit! As for Wiz if he don't get at least 2 games for it the league should just come out and say that it is open season the rest of the year!!! No way a defense man leaves the line hands in the air with the stick, jumps off his skates and delivers a blow to the head with his arms and hands and gets a charging??? THAT IS INTENT TO INJURE!!! That rule already is on the books!!!
This team will not make it out of the first round.
There's regular season good and playoff good, the Hawks are not in any way built for the playoffs.
Paul Devorski, Ian Walsh. Remember these names. One called charging on Wisnewski, the other "non-called" interference on Ryan's push in the back to Sopel. Both of their "actions" had direct effects on the outcome of the game they were paid to officiate, not influence.
Both should be suspended by the NHL for not showing up for their scheduled game. Devorski was less than ten feet away, looking directly at the offense, when Wisnewski leap off the ice with fists and elbow up after taking at least five strides directly towards Seabrook. Yes, it was charging, it was also boarding and intent to injure. Now sure how well Devorski slept last night knowing he will probably end up looking for work in the ECHL next season. Ian Walsh apparently doesn't believe there is a rule in the book that relates to interference. He's a much less senior official so he'll probably just be given less and less work until he figures out he doesn't really have a future in officiating.
Looks like "goon hockey" for the play-offs this year. I'm sure Burish, Eager, Byfulien, Bolland, Boynton, Seabrook, Fraser and others will have no trouble "playing" by the NHL's "new" rules.
HawksfaninLA, Dont even worry about Idiots like "Softhawks" We all saw they tried. Keith went after him right away. He did not fair to well but thats not the point. Then everytime the 4th line came on the ice Wiz was taken off. Guess the Ducks did not want Burish and Eager Piling on Wiz and Like you said Boynton also came to his aid at the end. Troy B also laid a couple BIG hits on him.
I like what Boynton said after the game. We all wanted to get him (wiz) but we did not want to take a stupid penalty in a close game and lose our compsure and the game. We waited till the game was in hand one way or another and when it was, right after the empty netter I happened to be the one on the ice at THAT time and got to him first.
Those are not exact words but it is close to what he said.I dont have the video in front of me.
Wisniewski better get a suspension on that as well. Seabrook is just standing there and Wisniewski came straight at him now that was intentional. The NHL better start cracking down on this garbage before a player gets seriously hurt.
Does Wiz think we can't see the replay. He claims he was already pinching in on the play. Yeah, he pinched in once he saw an opportunity to blindside a guy without the puck, leaving his feet and leading with his forearm and stick. Maybe trading him for nothing wasn't such a bad idea last year. This guy is an idiot.
Are you kidding me?
Seabrook's hit on Perry was shoulder to shoulder. And even if you consider it a dirty hit (which it wasn't) there is no way in hell that it was worse.
let them boys work it out. some tuff doods who will take care of biz on the ice. enough with the arm chair Don Cherry's and zebra's. yeah....the Hawks really suck....right chowderheads. I don't blame Wiz at all. Props to Keith for stepping up. Sit back and enjoy ya puckheads.
Lean how to play Hockey Chicago before you shoot your mouth off.... At least the hawks have a back up career with Jay Leno... and the strippers in Vancouver.... even though it was cheesy and with average girls.... Grow up .... fair weather fans...
Come on.... did is everyone blind in Chicago.... What about the hit to the dead Seebrook did on Perry..... Now that was worse.. Come Chicago.. fare weather fans.. your team sucks and are all divers.... get a life...
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G - I was just pointing out what some "pundits" were saying about the hit Sunday - I think that any play deemed "reckless" as Sunday's hit was, which results in an injury, should be met with a suspension as long as the injured player is unable to play. Just comparing the disparity between the call Sunday and the non-call tonight. Sick hit, sicker non-call, and disgusting to see how the refs totally screwed this game. Worst refereed game my old bones have every seen. Reminded me of a typical NBA game. What an absolute joke.
@soft hawks
keith went right after wiz when he hit seabrook and had to sit in the box for half the period. did you not watch the end of the game either?
Yet another cheap shot to the head. The NHL is really disgusting these days, and this is why I have gotten so disinterested in hockey. It's just repeated thuggery and no punishment when you openly try to end the other guys' career.
2 game suspensions - when they rarely hand them out - are not good enough. Cheap shot Cooke didn't even get that for what he did to Savard.
Mad-house that was not an excessive call on Ovechkin on Sunday. Look what happened to Campbell. He's out 8 weeks because of that thug, and that was intent to injure for sure. A 5 minute penalty and 2 game suspension are nothing to Ovechkin, he will be back with head shots and knee on knee hits soon enough and gloating about it like he always does.
And the hit tonight on Seabrook really sickened me.
Brutal game by the zebras... two minutes for charging when the guy drilled his head into the boards after the play was over. Meanwhile, lord only knows what they were watching on the non-call on Sopel. Brutal just brutal.
What the hell is wrong with these refs. are they even watching the game. If Eager isn't willing to stick up for his teamates, what the hell is he doing on the Hawks
Bunch of sissy's on this team. Seabrook gets completely cheap shotted brutally and none of these sissy's did anything to retaliate. Embarrassing absolutely embarrasing bunch of lil girls.
Looks like these refs got their stripes from a cracker jack box - non calls on penalties to phantom offside whistles. So add the zebras to the list of adversities the boys will need to overcome if they want to go deep into April and May (and June). It's at least gonna be interesting!
The Hawks are a soft team, of course as the season winds down teams are going to start pushing them around.
If you think this is bad, wait until the playoffs, I'd give even money this team won't make it out of the first round.
And yes, I'm a Hawks fan, just a realistic one.
That was probably the worst call of the year. Wiz and Seabrook were jawing at the end of the 1st and right before the hit, Seabrook legally hit another Duck. Wiz took at least 5 strides, and left the ice with both hands and stick in Seabrooks chin. And they called a 2 min charge? I was hoping Q pulled a vintage Keenan on the ref! What a joke that was.
Second straight game, second straight game losing a defenseman - what might have been an excessive call on Sunday ("may" have been, I think it was a great call for 5min and game misconduct) - was countered by the biggest non-call of the year. Charging? How is a play like that... leaving his skates and going straight for the head against a player who didn't even have the puck...not another example of reckless?? This one has to be reviewed and another suspension is warranted!