Berenson ticked at goons targeting Hunwick
Red Berenson is ticked off. Apparently, goons from other teams continue to target Shawn Hunwick. From last night's game:
On three occasions during Michigan's 4-1 win over Miami on Friday, fifth-year senior Shawn Hunwick was run into his own goal by a Red Hawks player. On two occasions, his helmet went flying. On a play that was eventually called roughing on Miami's Curtis McKenzie, he laid on the ice in a daze in need of assistance from the training staff.
Link: http://www.annarbor.com/sports/berenson-wants-ccha-to-take-action-against-goaltender-abuse/
What's worse is that Red has sent this in before, but nothing happens:
Berenson said he plans to send tape to the league offices in Farmington Hills, which he has done in the past, but not gotten the reaction he's expected.
"We’ll keep sending the information to the league, but the league has to respond," Berenson said. "I don’t know that they’ve done a good job of it so far."
That's a pretty sharp rebuke of the CCHA. I guess if a team isn't good enough to beat Hunwick fair and square, they'll try to take him out of the game.
It is one thing for there to be rough play out on the ice. It is part of the game. It also is within reason when a team targets a weak player, knowing he can be beat. You see that in football all the time: the opposition targets the weak link in the secondary or on the line.
But when a team tries to injure a star (exhibit A: MSU game & Denard; exhibit B: Miami game & Hunwick,) it's just wrong. I really hope that refs and the league won't stand for this. In a way, what does a team have to lose? A five minute penalty versus your opponent losing their goalie for the season? Do risk reward analysis, and that sounds like a good bet.
If league officials don't sanction much harsher penalities, every team from here on out is going to be going after Hunwick. Something's gotta change. Moving from the CCHA to Big 10 might be the change needed.
February 4th, 2012 at 4:28 PM ^
Logan Tuley-Tillman is visiting the hockey game tonight, right? Miami goons beware.
February 4th, 2012 at 4:30 PM ^
There are times when 2 minutes in the box doesn't send a strong enough message. This is why whenever a goalie gets involved in a scuffle, his defenders will knock people flying. M is probably holding back on cracking skulls because they have a classy coach.
Red is probably calling out the CCHA because he doesn't want to be forced to allow his players to go the full Bertuzzi on anyone that gets withing a foot of Hunwick.
February 4th, 2012 at 4:37 PM ^
if other teams' hockey coaches handled it in the correct way as Coach Berenson has. As you say, he hasn't turned his players loose to retaliate like most other coaches would. That will deter some of it.
February 4th, 2012 at 5:05 PM ^
Honestly, and this might just be my hockey mentality speaking, I would have no problem seeing M defensemen taking down numbers. Once one of their guys starts taking cheapshots at Hunwick, he's lost the room to complain when someone hits him a second too late or leads with an elbow.
I'm not saying attempt to injure anyone; this is all about intimidation. If Hunwick is intimidated, NTM has an advantage. We need to send a message that it's not appropriate to hit our goalie.
February 4th, 2012 at 5:32 PM ^
...Old Time Hockey! Like Eddie Shore!
February 4th, 2012 at 4:52 PM ^
I just can't see Red Berenson ordering a retaliatory hit. However, this is where guys like Jack Johnson make a huge difference. At the end of the article, AJ Treais says, " We may not be the biggest team in the league, but we can hang with those guys." Yeah, but having a couple more big guys as Wolverines would help. Michigan isn't constituted the right way to pick a lot of fights with goon teams.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:33 PM ^
and unfortunately I don't have a link for this, but maybe somebody else remembers it, one time on his radio show I think 2 years ago? Red talked about how he once DID order a retaliatory hit. It was a CCHA game against Ron Mason's State at the Joe, though I don't remember if it was a play-off or just the one game regular season thing. He was talking about how he thought one of State's players did something repeatedly dirty so he called on one of his big players and was just like "deck him" and he did and a full-fledged fight started. When the CCHA wanted to suspend the players, Red talked to them and was like, "Don't suspend the players, suspend the coaches, we're the ones that started the fight", so he and Mason got suspended for the next game.
I don't remember much more than that or any of the player's names, unfortunately, but he told the story in regards about the lack of legality of fighting in college hockey and he talked about that because he had a recruit at that game that the recruit's dad thought the recruit would really like that there was no fighting allowed in NCAA and, of course, that game a huge brawl breaks out.
Moral of the story: Piss Red off enough (at least back in the day when he was a little younger, a little feistier and a little less wise/mature) and he will order a retaliatory hit. Though in this case, we don't have anybody that makes a great enforcer, all the guys that are big enough (Pateryn, Brown, Guptill, Merrill) are way too important to risk losing for the rest of the game and the next game.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:07 PM ^
It's not the 2 minutes that "doesn't send a strong enough message," it's that our powerplay doesn't make them pay for it.
If I were other teams, I'd run Hunwick, too. Any sort of physical contact gets in his head and you can see his body language change - he starts worrying about the guys at the edge of the crease instead of playing angles, finding the puck, and making the stop.
The refs have been lean on calling it from what I've seen this year (such as a couple Ohio games, MSU game, in addition to Miami), so I don't mind Red sending video, but the point still remains. If we want it to stop, we need to do two things:
A. Get guys in front of Hunwick and knock opposing forwards on their ass before they get to him, and
B. Make 2 minutes in the box a strong message - we're going to bank a PP goal if you fuck with our goalie.
February 4th, 2012 at 4:35 PM ^
One of the things I've been looking forward to with the B1G hockey conference is no more CCHA officiating! Although I expect a few referees to go to the B1G since the CCHA is folding. Damn it.
February 4th, 2012 at 5:45 PM ^
Not only will some CCHA refs move over to the Big Ten, I have to wonder if the overall quality of officiating will go down (is that even possible?) because they will have to hire new officials who haven't worked college hockey before. CCHA refs will be split among the NCHC and the WCHA as well. I'm not so sure that leaving the CCHA will solve the quality of officiating.
February 4th, 2012 at 4:52 PM ^
Weber #4 for Miami was a goon from the start and McKenzie was too.
buch of goons
February 4th, 2012 at 4:55 PM ^
I think it's going to take a goalie actually getting taken out for the season as a result of an egregious goon hit for the CCHA or B1G to do anything.
February 4th, 2012 at 5:07 PM ^
but Hunwick was being blizted all fucking night and not once did a damn official do anything to call a penalty. Hunwick should of decked Webber like he did to that one State player a year ago. I know somebody has a link to that btw I love watching him lay out was it Chelios or Kruug?
February 4th, 2012 at 5:15 PM ^
It was Gazley. And yes, I am in complete agreement: I cannot wait for the move to the B1G. I'll be sending mass e-mails to the Big Ten's offices in Chicago to prevent the hiring of CCHA "officials." Keith Sergott and Brian Aaron are especially clueless, and/or idiotic. My thinking is, if the B1G actually PAYS its officials, they'll be encouraged to be held accountable for their actions at the risk of reprimand or termination. Something the CCHA has never been able to hold over the head of its band of clowns.
February 4th, 2012 at 5:27 PM ^
I feel like Red talks about officiating quite a bit after games. He never uses it as an excuse, but he's calls a spade a spade. Jim Schwartz reminds me of him in this way.
February 4th, 2012 at 5:13 PM ^
The team has to defend the goalie. If a guy makes a run at your goal tender, there has to be retaliation. Class is one thing, but cheap shots can not be tolerated. When a guy runs your goalie, you have to pound on him.
February 4th, 2012 at 5:14 PM ^
We need someone to pull a Jed Ortmeyer hit.
February 4th, 2012 at 5:23 PM ^
Over/Under: Number of hits on Hunwick tonight. There are several possibilities:
- The Miami goons continue with impunity.
- The refs finally make Miami pay.
- The Miami coach reigns his team in.
- Michigan retaliates against guys who hit Hunwick.
I'm going with a combination of the refs and the Miami Coach. I think after last night, the refs have to have some pressure to penalize dirty play against Hunwick. I also think that Miami's coach is embarassed, and will let his goons know that hitting Hunwick crosses the line.
February 4th, 2012 at 5:28 PM ^
It all depends on the score. NTM isn't going to play that same way in a 1-0 game, or if they have the lead. If it's another blowout, expect more of the same.
The referees will most likely call a tighter game, but most of it is going to depend on the score.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:08 PM ^
February 4th, 2012 at 6:14 PM ^
There's a reason the vast majority of the stuff on Hunwick last night was after it was 3-0. As long as they believe we can convert a good amount of their penalties into good looks and goals, they won't take the same shots if the game is close.
If it's another blowout, I completely agree it won't be any better.
February 4th, 2012 at 5:51 PM ^
This behavior is more on the Miami head coach than his players or the CCHA - that's where the discipline needs to come from. If I saw one of my players take a run at the other team's goalie, he'd sit for the rest of the game. Yeah, I know sometimes kids play aggresively but don't want to hurt anyone, but three runs at a goalie in one game, on top of the past couple of games during which UM and Miami has been full of scrappy play, makes me think this isn't an isolated incident of a couple of rogue players. If something doesn't happen, they'll be wheeling Hunwick out on a gurney sooner rather than later.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:23 PM ^
The refs DID call a 5-minute major on Miami for running into Hunwick. Of course, they did it with two seconds left in the game, so unless they were going to tack on a game misconduct it doesn't matter at all. Al Randall was laying into the CCHA refs on the radio broadcast, and between this weekend and Notre Dame doing the same thing two weeks ago, Randall is pretty fed up with it.
I will say this for Enrico Blasi: after the game ended, he went straight to his player in the penalty box and got in his face about the hit on Hunwick. So that's something.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:46 PM ^
unless you are either Enrico Blasi or Curtis Mackenzie, you cannot say that he got into the player's face about the hit on Hunwick. Even if there's a quote from either/both of them lying around, the possibility it exists he's/they're lying. He got into his player's face, certainly. It could have been about a hit on Hunwick. It could have been "How dare you miss that wide open net?" or "don't ever talk to me that way again" or "why did you let that guy open when he had an open net?" Or... or... or... The Miami boards on USCHO are convinced that it's because the player tried to skip the handshake line. But, of course, they're also convinced that their team is full of little angels who would never even dream of running Hunwick on accident much less on purpose, so take that for what it's worth.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:27 PM ^
Red shouldnt HAVE to say anything. Hunwick is the most valuable and smallest player on the team. I expect his teammates to level anyone getting near him tonight and if Miami starts to play dirty again then i think we will send a message to not only them, but every team in the league that we're not going to take it anymore.
If the officials won't stop it the players will have to. One way or the other.
February 4th, 2012 at 6:30 PM ^
With Miami down three goals and Michigan getting in some nice hits it was expected.
February 4th, 2012 at 7:06 PM ^
Notre Dame pulled this crap over and over and over and keep doing it because the refs let them get away with it. UM could put a quick end to that crap if they just converted on a few more PP's. My guess is Miami may have to be a bit more careful tonight because Red will certainly have the ref's ear.
February 4th, 2012 at 7:10 PM ^
Hopefully it's not just a fluke, but with 4 PP goals in the last two games it seems like they might have figured things out.
February 4th, 2012 at 7:17 PM ^
Homer: [answering the door] Who is it? Voice: Goons. Homer: Who? Voice: Hired goons. Homer: Hired goons? [opens the door] Goons: [take Homer roughly away]
February 4th, 2012 at 8:34 PM ^
As an undergrad I worked with UM hockey one full year. In one game against MSU Richard Keys ran Marty Turco behind the net. It was a malicious hit and totally uncalled for that nearly put Tuco out. Next game against Sparty in in the locker room pregame Red reminded the team of the hit and called out Keys. He told the guys if they got a chance for a hit, take it and make it count. And didn't mind if they got a penalty. Although he didn't want it dirty, but more in the flow of the game. Couldn't have been more than 5 min in and Jason Botterill went at with Keys and laid his ass out!
So yeah Red will call it out, but only if provoked and not for a cheap shot.
February 5th, 2012 at 4:52 AM ^
His comments tonight after the game were hot.
He says it calmly and all, but listen to that interview, and you hear a man who has absolutely had it.
Red just pretty much said the refs, the Miami players, the Miami staff, and the league office made this happen.
That was about the most direct call out I've heard from a college coach in a while. I may be postulating here, but I do believe that, if given the chance, that man would like to kick somebody's ass.