Rick Rypien needs to be suspended for the rest of the season. Period.
Rick Rypien, if you're that upset that you're can't hang with the rest of the goons in the league - but also that your hockey-relevant skills are utterly sub-par - that you have to attack a fan that is SIMPLY CLAPPING that your sorry excuse for talent is being removed from the game, you have no place on the ice.
This is Todd Bertuzzi disgusting. Its not as violent as Todd Bertuzzi, but it is just as stomach-turning and game-tarnishing. Rick Rypien, if you want to attack the fans, grow about 9 inches and I'm sure The King will be glad to have your act on board his circus down in Southeast Miami.
... but wait, another thought just occurred to me. I've heard of this thing called "'roid rage." Maybe Rick Rypien and Alexander Ovechkin have the same hookup. Hmm... Nah, Rypien's not good enough to be suspected of being on the juice. He's just a whiny little [expletive deleted] that got his [expletive deleted] beat and felt the need to unleash his frustration elsewhere.
Once again, fighting reveals its true value to the game of hockey.
You can swear if you want, Rankin's. I agree that this needs to be a pretty hefty suspension, because this is where real precedents are set. Any sort of move like this, while not having hurt anyone this time, should be dealt with in Draconian terms. You allow it once, then you question where you put your foot down.
ReplyDeleteRypien's probably not on 'roids, but the rumor mill held that in the 90s there was a large number of goons suspected of using steroids, as strength is the most important part of their "skill set."