Zeiler gets three-game suspension

what a bunch of garbage... but the good news is, no John Zeiler in the lineup for at least 3 games.

anyone got video of the hit?

Is there any video footage of the hit? I was at the Seattle Thunderbirds game and missed the Kings game on TV. In that game, Jordan, Winterhawks, jumped Hickey and pummeled him. The linesman stood there as Hickey was laying on the ice getting punched. I couldn't believe that the linesman stood there and did nothing.

Horse droppings!!! A lot of punishment for something that wasn't even being called a penalty when it happened.

go to youtube and type Kings Avalanche and you'll find the game. I (think) it includes this hit. can't guarantee they didn't edit it out.

also try LA Kings.com and click highlights, though it's likely the same video.

What a croc! Granted Zeiler did run him into the boards but, Pronger destroy's Holmstrom face into the glass last year and elbow's McAmmond head and only gets a one gamer for each. Just shows how the league has it's prefered players instead of sending a strong message to all of them. What a joke!

"In the name of the brownie, the irish and the kopistar, amen."

http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2008/11/23/spin-the-nhl-wheel-of-discipline-john-zeiler/

don`t feel bad a peanut vender got five games for hitting a fan with a bag of peanuts wearing a colorado sweater with foot on the back

This suspension just totally reaks of more East Coast Bias and pertains, albeit to most of the calls against the Kings. In discussing this with the powers-to-be I think that consideration must be given to the positioning of one Adam Foote. Foote goes into the cornear and clearly bespies Zeiler who seemed to me to decelerate if anything. Footes face though. (Ouch!). I was impressed. A LOT. The NFL needs to stop babying these guys like Foot who are nefarious for this sort of thing.

fully deserved IMO. Zeiler hits hard and legal most of the time, but when you extend your arms to drive a guy into the boards, even if he sees you coming, you deserve the penalty and the suspension. It won't change his game... he'll still be aggressive on the forecheck, he'll just have to think twice before extends his arms on a play like that.

Carla M. is the NHL,NHL not the NFL

Good news Kings fans... three games without Zeiler! Even better news... he'll be back for the game against Toronto, when he and Ryan Hollweg can take turns trying to kill each other, culminating in Zam-Man sweeping their bloody carcasses off the ice for once and for all.

oh give me a break. That was not a blatant cheap shot at all. Foote turned his body in a way that Zeiler had no choice but to hit him from behind.
I couldn't believe that they called a major penalty to begin with. Now 3 games? Terrible call by the league.

there's been worse.

do i condone it? no.

there just needs to be some consistency when it comes to the disciplinary actions taken.

superstars, veterans, rookies, call-ups, or whomever... just friggin' standardize it already.

I guess this is much worse than Ovechkin taking a run at our Captain's head when he doesn't even have the puck. Great job NHL. The officiating in this league is horrible. I doubt they could keep the kids in line at Chuck E. Cheeses.
It just shows that the Stars can do as they please. Ovechkin leaves his feet regularly. It wouldn't be so unbelievable if I didn't see these types of hits every 2 minutes while watching a game. Horrible.

I said this already but watch the video and you will see that Zeiler is staring at Foote's numbers starting from the chase for the puck at the blue line. From there he then takes at least 5 strides. Also notice his hands are off his stick and he uses his right hand to push Foote. At no time does it appear that he is making a play for the puck.

And at no time does Zeiler start to turn. Even if your going to pin a guy on the boards at some point you would want to turn your skates so that you can brake and also lead w/ your shoulder. If you miss the guy do you really want to be going full speed face first into the glass? Or if the guy is ready for you do you want a face full of his elbow or shoulder?

My bad on the NFL rather then NHL. But they treat Zeiler like he plays in the no-touch-em leagues. But what was good, no OUTSTANDING to see. Finally! Egad Finally we see team toughness and heart. We along with COach TM are on a bridge to somewhere and I believe that somewhere is over the rainbow and into that Playoff Pot of Gold!

JB - There would be no discussion here if Foote had played the puck around the boards on his forehand and Zeiler hit him. The only reason this is being discussed is because Foote got squeezed and hurt because he turned to play the puck on the backhand and fell off balance akwardly, getting twisted and pinned by the fairly soft check. I've seen this hit in the NHL a millon times without a penalty being called. If you want to watch the video again, watch Lapperiere who saw THE ENTIRE thing, picked up the puck, and started turning up ice. Only when he realizes that foote is down does he stop and go after Zeiler.
Again, if Ovechkin can take a run at our captains head and not even get a revue on it, its all about politics and mob-rules. This is such a non-issue its ridiculous. If the NHL wants to avoid these hits, make hitting in the back a penalty at ALL times.

Egad? WTF!

Zeiler derserves his 3 games. Hits like this need to be punished and punished severely. People like Zeiler, Ott, Tootoo, Hollweg and the like DO NOT belong in the league.

Good lord I've been watching hockey for the better part of 30 yrs and that hit was average at best. Adam Foote might have been clocked but he certainly wasn't lights out. To suspend this guy Zeiler for 3 games is just ludicrous....pretty soon the league will be having the players in PINK skates.

I don't see what people are upset about. Zeiler has a history of being a player that toes the line of dirty and clean and this time he crossed it. Foote may have made a mistake in turning away from Zeiler, but that doesn't excuse Zeiler for driving him head first into the boards. It was a stupid play and he got what he deserved.

It was a dirty hit from a useless goon who should not be in the NHL in the first place. I'm glad the NHL did this. I have seen too much of this from the Kings this season. Dustin Brown has been going out of his way even more than usual to make hits and they have not all been as clean as we're used to seeing from him. Hopefully this will send a strong message to the players to stop hitting from behind!!

To JB, Garrett, Nick and anyone else who thinks this suspesion is justified.

You are insane and so is the league. The league is especially. They want more hits because fans want more hits, so they allow hits from behind. No JB, they are not "pretty much against the rules", whatever that means, or there would be a penalty called on every shift!). Granted, they want safe hits, so they have a charging rule and a boarding rule, which are both mostly subjective. How is a guy like Zeiler, who is paid to go out and finish checks, supposed to know that Foote is going to stop short of the boards and bend over putting his head at board level?

The NHL needs to stop penalizing guys from the outcome of a penalty and start making players accountable for the action. If that hit had ended with no injury with Foote bouncing off the glass the way 99% of those hits usually do, it would have been a non-call. No suspension, nothing. That's stupid!

The only way to handle this is to ban hits from behind, period. Still somewhat subjective, but at least more consistent. Then, if a guy gets hurt, the league can take action with suspensions and it will make sense.

Same thing with stick penalties. Slashing or High stick - auto 4 minutes double minor regardless of injury/blood. If the refs feel there was intent to injure, 5 minute major and let the league deal with suspensions.

Same with hits to the head, whether it's an elbow or a glove or anything. 4 minute double... 5 for intent to injure.

This is the only way to stop this ridiculous subjectiveness. That or take away the instigator rule and let the players police themselves again.

Zeiler tracked Foote from the blue line with every intention of riding him into the boards. From every angle you can clearly see the push to the back. Zeiler didn't even have both hands on his stick.

This could have ended Foote's career. Even if he played the puck in a less than perfect way, Zeiler never should have followed through with the hit the way he did. It was blatant and dirty. He got off easy with a 3 game suspension.

Reminds me of Bertuzzi's hack job on Steve Moore, whom will never play the game again, yet Bertuzzi still takes to the ice and gets the paycheck. Ovechin's run at his targets or D Browns dirty play will only lead to more of these types of career ending injuries. It is a behavior that must be stopped, and soon. We can all agree big hits and the intent to hurt the opponent makes this game as enjoyable as it is, but the intent that players like these display, with a desire to injure, will destroy the league.

About Vegas, from what I remembered, Foote started pummeling a Kings player behind the net. It wasn't a scrum that started with a shove and a push, it was a flat out attack by Foote the started with a sucker punch. I don't remember why he did that, but I'm sure it was because he was checked or bumped.

BTW, did Carla just use the word "EGAD"? Lame!

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Anonymous.. the one that compared Zeiler to Bertuzzi. Seriously? I mean.. seriously??? Zeiler, who again is paid to finish checks, a perfectly legal activitiy in hockey, is similar to Bertuzzi who sucker punched Moore...from behind.

Was Zeiler "tracking" Foote? Sure.. to check him. So what? Was he trying to hurt Foote? Sure, the way a check should hurt. By having Foote get slammed against the glass the way a check ends 99% of the time. The simple fact is, it was a flukey play that Foote stopped short and bent over so far.

Zeiler wasn't being dirty and don't even get me started on Brown. Dirty? He's probably the cleanest checker in the league! I really can't believe you mentioned the word dirty in the same sentence as Brown.

Like I said before. I'm all for banning checking from behind and bigger penalties on boarding, charging, shots to the head, and stick infractions, but don't try and say that Zeiler did anything different than any checking line forward would have done in that situation.

sd - well said.

I think we have some Foote family members posting anonymously. And the idea that Brown is dirty was only effective in invalidating their comments.