"Empty-net goals are for homos"

[ClamRussel]

quote by Al Iafrate - when a reporter asked why he shot the puck around the boards instead of popping it into the yawning cage during a close game against the Bruins.

You know, I have no problem w/ empty netters counting towards point totals and all but I have a real problem w/ them counting towards the Rocket Richard trophy. That trophy wasn't named after him because he was stellar at flipping the puck into an empty net. Crosby scores TWO goals today to pass both Ovechkin (who scored his own empty netter earlier this week when he leapfrogged Henrik in the scoring race) and Stamkos only to have SS score an empty netter w/ 3 seconds left in today's game. Pretty damn weak in my books, not taking anything away from his spectacular offensive breakout year but c'mon. Really? ...really???

I don't know if Crosby would win the RR trophy if you took away empty netters, maybe Ovie would but all I know is Stamkos shouldn't be a co-winner based on todays late goal. I think the only respectable thing for the NHL to do in the future would be to discount empty net goals only for the Rocket Richard trophy. The only people who are capable of winning such a title don't need their totals padded w/ the goalie sitting on the bench. Keep it legit.


EDIT : I did some more digging and although I couldn't find definite proof I'm pretty sure it is "homos" as the correct quote.

[Ridleyfan]

While Iafrate was a moron, and his quote everything I hate--I'm not gay, but nobody needs to hear the stereotypical Neanderthal hockey player open his mouth for shit like that--the Richard should be a sniper's trophy.

I agree with you 100%

[Jelly]

People take things offensive too easily.

I'm chinese, do I go and run someone over when they make a joke about a team having a chink in their armor?

What I get from that quote is that he felt EN goals should not be included in the measurement for goals.

[Farhan Lalji]

ROFL. Al Iafrate is the man.

[Madcombinepilot]

I bet Iafrate and Vinny Damphousse would get along AWESOME !!

[Sid Dithers]

I think Iafrate used the word 'homos' instead. Sounds slightly less obnoxious to me, but the song remains the same.

[Arbour]

Since pulling the goal tender is an offensive strategy, it would seem to logically follow that any goals scored against because the net is empty could be considered a legitimate consequence of that decision and no less bona fide than goals scored by the team that pulled their goal tender, regardless of the sexual preference of the player involved.

Where I have some problems is how assists have become to be awarded. At one time an assist was only awarded to player if that player was actively involved in a play that resulted in a goal, however since the Gretzsky era it has gradually evolved to include the last two players on the scoring team to touch the puck before the goal scorer, regardless of intervening events including opposition players.

As an example: player A tries to carry the puck up the boards in his own zone and is about to be checked so he passes back to player B in the corner, and then goes to the bench to text Al about lunch. Player B meanwhile skates around his own net breaks out of his zone on the opposite wing, stick handles by a forward, walks around a defenceman at the opposition blue line, puts the puck between the legs of the remaining defenceman, steps around that defenceman recovering the puck, and as he is being hit by another forward, roofs a shot into the goal. In today's league A gets an assist...and maybe a date with Al.

[Broda]

yeah but if B didn't get the pass from A.. then none of it happens..
who cares its the norm now... and as much as i would rather have it as a pure you have to beat the goalie with a shot.. there are still certain things that happen in games where players score that you could say ah it wasn't so much his goal as it was a fluke or something like that..
I think its fine the way it is, we don't need special stat books for special situations

[Jelly]

we just need better refs

[ClamRussel]

Since pulling the goal tender is an offensive strategy, it would seem to logically follow that any goals scored against because the net is empty could be considered a legitimate consequence of that decision and no less bona fide than goals scored by the team that pulled their goal tender, regardless of the sexual preference of the player involved.

Where I have some problems is how assists have become to be awarded. At one time an assist was only awarded to player if that player was actively involved in a play that resulted in a goal, however since the Gretzsky era it has gradually evolved to include the last two players on the scoring team to touch the puck before the goal scorer, regardless of intervening events including opposition players.

As an example: player A tries to carry the puck up the boards in his own zone and is about to be checked so he passes back to player B in the corner, and then goes to the bench to text Al about lunch. Player B meanwhile skates around his own net breaks out of his zone on the opposite wing, stick handles by a forward, walks around a defenceman at the opposition blue line, puts the puck between the legs of the remaining defenceman, steps around that defenceman recovering the puck, and as he is being hit by another forward, roofs a shot into the goal. In today's league A gets an assist...and maybe a date with Al.

In terms of goals, I'm not saying they shouldn't "count", I'm just saying towards the Maurice Richard trophy. In terms of "goal scoring" in the pure sense, sniping etc they are not even close to being legit. Why do you think players look sheepish at times after scoring them. They are very important in terms of securing a win but c'mon....its Rocket Richard.

About the assists, you take into account a wicked 2nd assist that makes the goal happen. Henrik has got alot of those babies. I suppose they keep it black & white by making it the last 2 players to touch it, end of story. The other side which isn't fair is when a player totally makes a goal happen w/ a bodycheck or screening the goalie and due to not physically playing the puck he gets no assist whatsoever. I'd like to see players get credit for those types of plays when appropriate but thats very subjective (much like hits & take aways are nowadays).

I think Iafrate used the word 'homos' instead. Sounds slightly less obnoxious to me, but the song remains the same.

I thought so too but after doing a web search all I could find was the quote I used. I still think it was "homos" but perhaps we softened it subconsciously.

[trouble]

A goal is a goal is a goal don't matter how ya get it... The Empty netters even them selves out during the season

[Jelly]

A goal is a goal is a goal don't matter how ya get it... The Empty netters even them selves out during the season

empty netters usually goes to the best defensive players on the team because their out there defending a 1 goal lead.

except in Washington, they just leave Ovi out by the red line and send him the puck if they get it.

[ClamRussel]

A goal is a goal is a goal don't matter how ya get it... The Empty netters even them selves out during the season

empty netters usually goes to the best defensive players on the team because their out there defending a 1 goal lead.

except in Washington, they just leave Ovi out by the red line and send him the puck if they get it.

Same thing happened in Tampa, how else can it be explained that Stamkos (very weak defensively) is out there protecting a lead like that....oh ya right TB isn't in the playoffs and all they cared about was getting him the Richard trophy w/ the clock winding down.

[Jelly]

it makes too much sense for the NHL


which is why they won't make the change.

[Arbour]

In terms of goals, I'm not saying they shouldn't "count", I'm just saying towards the Maurice Richard trophy. In terms of "goal scoring" in the pure sense, sniping etc they are not even close to being legit. Why do you think players look sheepish at times after scoring them. They are very important in terms of securing a win but c'mon....its Rocket Richard.

About the assists, you take into account a wicked 2nd assist that makes the goal happen. Henrik has got alot of those babies. I suppose they keep it black & white by making it the last 2 players to touch it, end of story. The other side which isn't fair is when a player totally makes a goal happen w/ a bodycheck or screening the goalie and due to not physically playing the puck he gets no assist whatsoever. I'd like to see players get credit for those types of plays when appropriate but thats very subjective (much like hits & take aways are nowadays).

Clam I can see you rationale in respect to goal scoring. In some ways it is a more stringent application of what I've advocated for assists. The Richard trophy is awarded for goal scoring prowess, to those who exemplify that talent, and not for shooting the puck into an empty net.

As far as assists go, I've no problem with second assists where that player directly contributes to the end result. Frequently Henrik would start a play and two players later a goal is scored. He is the starting point for for the subsequent chain of events which are all immediately linked together. As an example Henrik from behind the net to Daniel to Burrows and in, that is a legitimate 2nd assist. Where it starts to get flaky, and this is recounted from an actual game, player A passes or shoots, it's not clear which, it goes off an opposition defenceman to B on the other side of the net who passes it back to the blue line to defenceman C who shoots and the rebound is then put in the net by B. Both C and A get assists. "A" hardly created the opportunity for B.

yeah but if B didn't get the pass from A.. then none of it happens..

Except for the fact that A did nothing to contribute to the scoring of the goal, it was a result of B's effort on the rush. Using your logic let's add C to the same scenario from the beginning where C's clearing attempt bounces off an opposition forward to A and then the above hypothetical begins, it could then be argued none of it would have happened if not for C.

Rule 78.3 states in part: "When a player scores a goal, an “assist” shall be credited to the player or players taking part in the play immediately preceding the goal, but no more than two assists can be given on any goal." Given that each assist is of equal value to a goal and all goals and assists go to make up a player's point totals, and those points factor in league awards and are used in salary negotiations, shouldn't "taking part in the play immediately preceding the goal" at least be defined as having a direct contribution to the scoring of the goal, instead of the last two players from the scoring team to have touched the puck. It then properly represents the equal point value of the "play maker" vis a vis the "goal scorer" and the contribution of the former to the latter.