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He does bear alot of the blame. Don't turn your back as a form of protection and it wouldn't have happened. Be a man and take the hit properly. End of story. Hopefully others learn from this. btw, I am a Bergeron fan.

Duh! What are they suppossed to do? (DC)

take the hit from the side ? . . . . I don't know . . . . . woulda , shoulda , coulda . . . . . he went in with his back turned and the result looked nasty . . . . the after affects look even nastier . . . . However , it will continue . ..that's the sorry part . . . . players do that to draw a " hit from behind penalty " . . . . it won't be the last player to sustain this injury this season . . .hate to say it

He didn't turn to avoid the hit. He wasn't looking that way. The thug blind sided him.

He didn't turn to avoid the hit. He wasn't looking that way. The thug blind sided him.

bergeron is in no fault for what happened. He went to get the puck and the guy reamed him, knowing he couldn't defend himself.

Please, everyone who has played ice hockey tries to use the boards for protection. As long as your facing the boards, they feel the ref should protect him. Didn't see anyone from Boston saying anything when he plowed Volchenkov from behind and knocked him out for the season. Instead of protecting the puck the right way, just stand there with someone coming up on you, then when he has to go to one side to hit you, step to the other way and head to the net. Sure let the guy do that. Morons.

Anyone who blames Bergeron is an idiot!!! (including the hockey analysts on TV) I'm sure in the two seconds that he truned his body he wasn't thinking that he better not turn his back to the opposing player because he probably was not thinking, he was REACTING!! Come on now, this happened so fast and it was an accident!!! It is easy to watch this in slow motion and pinpoint what should or shouldn't have been done, however in REAL TIME, this happened so fast, so can people stop blaming the guy!
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I was there in the 8th row..it was a dirty hot from behind, and the two game suspension is a joke. The Flyers have two other incidents involving suspensions and this is their MO, to intimidate and cheap shot.

The NHL had a chance to send a message that hits from behind will not be tolerated. Instead they give a two gamer and say that headhunting the better players on a team is encouraged....I've played and my kids now play high school hockey...I see the same crap from referees who want to let them play...bullcrap...save the kid's brain cells and save the pros brain cells....especially in Jone's case where the puck was going to be passed before he got there....I can't believe that people are trying to put the blame on the guy who was driven through the glass from behind..

if this is the flyers "MO", why did they waive one of the guys? this was an accident and in no way, shape, or form should be compared to the other incidents. saying bergeron has no fault in this is a joke, i mean, he knew jones was there, im not saying it was all his fault, but it could have been avoided by him as well

I definatly agree with orange and black.

There's not much to "blame" actually. Just a costly mistake by a very good player that still has to learn a few tricks.... No one's perfect.
There was no intention to injure at all in Jones's hit. He apologized by phone later on I believe.

After watching it a few times, I just don't see how Bergeron has any blame to take at all.....he got bashed , plain and simple.

HE got hit from behind, yes. His face got smashed into the boards as a result. Jones should have been able to pull up, but he didn't, and actually followed through with his hit, ensuring Bergeron's fate. Jones has some fault to be sure. But Bergeron should not have put himself in that position. You hear talk today of how players don't respect each other and that that is why you see these kind of injuries, but I have watched hockey for a long time and never saw any players going into the boards that way ever before. In the 80s, when there was REAL hitting, you NEVER saw a player skate into the boards, head down, playing the puck. Gretzky, Messier, Yzerman, Lemiuex, the list can go on for as long as you like, these guys didn't do what Bergeron did, and they avoided these kind of injuries as a result. I think Bergeron is an awesome little hockey player, but this kind of act has to be prevented, and the only real way to do so is to re-teach the players to not put themselves in the position he put himself in. I remember being taught that in one of my first practices at the PeeWee level of hockey (the first level where hitting is allowed up here in Canada), why can't these guys?

Sorry if you blame Bergeron you're a part of the problem in hockey, as long as people think it's up to the person being hit to avoid getting hit from behind we'll continue to have careers shortened and lives ruined. Jones had the chance to let up and not hit smash him into the boards....he didn't. END OF STORY! This garbage saying he turned is totally out of line and you mustn't be able to see through those orange and black glasses if you think that. Get real people, why not suspend Bergeron for a few games while you're at it for playing the puck.

This is the most stupid arguement I have ever read. As an OMHA instructor, you teach the kids in Minor Atom to "always protect themselves". Do not assume that the other player can stop his momentum. In the hitting clinics that I do for the various minor hockey associations in the province there is one golden rule that we are taught to preach. NEVER GO INTO THE BOARDS AT A NINETY DEGREE ANGLE! There is no way to defend yourself or absorb ANY form of contact, accidental or otherwise. Approach at a 45, that way contact can be absorbed by a shoulder, arm, etc... Maybe Bergeron was sick that day. Believe it or not I've actually heard coaches tell their players to turn to draw a penalty. Great, they draw a deuce for a HFB, but at what expense? Fractures, paralysis, etc...? My assistant coaches have actually had to talk me out of "having a chat" with these coaches>

So is it possible at all times to go in at a 45? I suppose when it's not possible, you just let the puck go....at which point your coach benches you for the remainder of the game. Isn't it the responsibility of the other player to then hold up and not plow you into the boards? Wouldn't the NHL have not suspended Jones if it were the fault of Bergeron for not going in at a 45? I agree kids need to be educated (and that alot of coaches are crazy for what they tell kids to do), but respect takes over at some point. My problem with the whole thing is this Berg is messed up and all anyone can do is blame him for the fact that he made the "mistake" of leaving himself vulnerable.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, so im not gonna rag on anyone here but I think the arguments saying Bergeron is at all to blame are off. I also heard Darren Dregor say that most of the players in the league didn't think it was enough....thought I'd add that.

You are exactly right when you speak of respect. Modern players do not repsect each other any more. They view each others as "enemies", rather than co-workers. I don't want them to handle each other with silk gloves, but don't "hit to hurt". Jones could have let up on the hit and merely covered him so he couldn't go to the net. I did not mean to imply that Bergeron was totally to blame. Both Bergeron and Jones are equally guilty of their respective mistakes. I must add that YES it is always possible to go into the boards at an angle. Its all about set up, speed, balance and agility. The cardinal rule that we used to use was IF YOU CAN SEE THE BIG NUMBERS, DON'T DO IT!
Cheers! 4fORREVER!

Fair enough, good points brought up on your part. I'm a huge Bruins fan and pretty angry that he's lost for so long (and think that's been lost in all the blame game antics), but also understand it happens. I just think it's a shame that it's come to the point where players have to protect themselves at all times, but I guess that's the point hockey has gotten, sadly enough.