Former Sabre Steve Montador Dead at 35

[drnkirishone]

Timmy I know we fans had been.......... difficult with you during your career here. I know some of us yelled unkind things in the arena and we wrote unkind things about you. I am sure if I went thru my posts here I would certainly find some of my own.

 

Regardless I hope things are going well for you. I hope you are enjoying life and hopefully without lingering issues from injuries. But if you are having problems please seek out the help you need. 

 

Some may still say unkind things about your time as a Sabre. But I won't anymore, I will remember you as someone that gave what he could for my hometown team and suffered for it. Perhaps more than we knew at the time.

[Stoner]

Timmy I know we fans had been.......... difficult with you during your career here. I know some of us yelled unkind things in the arena and we wrote unkind things about you. I am sure if I went thru my posts here I would certainly find some of my own.

 

Regardless I hope things are going well for you. I hope you are enjoying life and hopefully without lingering issues from injuries. But if you are having problems please seek out the help you need. 

 

Some may still say unkind things about your time as a Sabre. But I won't anymore, I will remember you as someone that gave what he could for my hometown team and suffered for it. Perhaps more than we knew at the time.

Well said. Decent. I'd love to see the Timmy avatar go. I'm not sure why I'm supposed to hate him.

[X. Benedict]

Well said. Decent. I'd love to see the Timmy avatar go. I'm not sure why I'm supposed to hate him.

His inability to stay un-concussed for starters. 

[Hoss]

His inability to stay un-concussed for starters.

Either you are completely incapable of following a conversation, are extremely tone-deaf or are being poorly sarcastic.

Saw this earlier today. Good stuff. These leagues won't be able to skirt the issue forever. The NFL just settled their lawsuit with a $1B agreement... It's going to take effort from the leagues and the players. Both have to want it and be willing to give up a little to make it happen. Edited April 23, 2015 by Hoss

[X. Benedict]

Either you are completely incapable of following a conversation, are extremely tone-deaf or are being poorly sarcastic.

.

I guess you missed that decade when everyone hated the Tin Man. I didn't. 

[Hoss]

I guess you missed that decade when everyone hated the Tin Man. I didn't.

I didn't. I didn't hate the guy, either. Always thought it was stupid that people hated him for getting concussions/hurt. It was frustrating and I wasn't screaming for the team to bring him back, but hating him for it was and is stupid.

[TrueBlueGED]

Mixed information here. Was Steve's issue drugs and alcohol, concussions or "mental health"? All are mentioned in the text under the video. Or some combination?

 

I'm left wanting more, as powerful as this was. What are we supposed to do now?

The Wilson hit on Visnovsky in the Caps-Islanders series shows how tough it is to get concussions out of the game. Bigger opponent with speed (Wilson) doesn't actually charge Visnovsky (although he got a penalty for it), keeps his elbows down, doesn't leap and doesn't target the head (Visnovsky throws on the brakes at the last second and almost crouches, so you can't blame Wilson for the contact with his head). You still end up with a guy with concussion history out of the series, for Game 5 anyway.

 

As much as I could not care less about big hits like that, how do you take that hit out of the game and still have, uh, hockey?

 

The same way they do it in the NFL--you change the game and a bunch of old "purists" whine and complain a lot about it not being hockey anymore.

[inkman]

I didn't. I didn't hate the guy, either. Always thought it was stupid that people hated him for getting concussions/hurt. It was frustrating and I wasn't screaming for the team to bring him back, but hating him for it was and is stupid.

His biggest issue, he wasn't Peca. I loved me some Mike Peca. The handsome, chippy little forward who lit dudes up on the ice.

 

On comes timmay, a goofy looking oft injured, softy that was never going to fill 27s skates.

 

If only Taylor had blossomed, all would have been forgiven staring into those baby blues.

[X. Benedict]

His biggest issue, he wasn't Peca. I loved me some Mike Peca. The handsome, chippy little forward who lit dudes up on the ice.

 

On comes timmay, a goofy looking oft injured, softy that was never going to fill 27s skates.

 

If only Taylor had blossomed, all would have been forgiven staring into those baby blues.

Oh so dreamy. 

[That Aud Smell]

The idea that Connolly was soft always confused me. In his heyday, the guy was as fearless (even reckless) a player as they had on the team. It was that style that led to the head/neck injuries.

[thewookie1]

The same way they do it in the NFL--you change the game and a bunch of old "purists" whine and complain a lot about it not being hockey anymore.

 

 

You seem to see it as nothing but good changes, taking physicality out of hockey or football for that matter would be like taking the ball out of baseball. Making more effective helmets is the first thing they need to work on, we don't need full face masks or no helmet, no play rules but better made helmets would be an effective start. Harsher suspensions on purposeful head shots would at very least lessen the amount of players willing to do something like that, one would think. The combination of skill, speed, and physicality is what makes NHL hockey, NHL hockey. Fighting will slowly ease it way out of the game, but banning it will only create a larger problem elsewhere. Who wants more of the Phil Kessel lumberjack and less of Drew Stafford protecting his teammate?

 

Additionally however the NHL and NFL need to really step up their game in post-career assistance to these players. For starters they need retirement assistance, rather it be some sort of player pool or the like, they certainly need physical assistance after they retire. More teams need to embrace their alumni, be proactive in helping them once they retire. I for one love seeing Sabres and Bills retirees still involved in the area, and I wish you saw even more. Teams themselves shouldn't need to further monetarily support players but they certainly seem to need the support from camaraderie they get from being around fellow players.   

[Eleven]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9XLs4BDdjk

 

 

He wrote a short article, too, about why he made the video:  http://www.theplayerstribune.com/nhl-daniel-carcillo-steve-montador-video/

[spndnchz]

Omg. So sad.

[TrueBlueGED]

You seem to see it as nothing but good changes, taking physicality out of hockey or football for that matter would be like taking the ball out of baseball. Making more effective helmets is the first thing they need to work on, we don't need full face masks or no helmet, no play rules but better made helmets would be an effective start. Harsher suspensions on purposeful head shots would at very least lessen the amount of players willing to do something like that, one would think. The combination of skill, speed, and physicality is what makes NHL hockey, NHL hockey. Fighting will slowly ease it way out of the game, but banning it will only create a larger problem elsewhere. Who wants more of the Phil Kessel lumberjack and less of Drew Stafford protecting his teammate?

 

Additionally however the NHL and NFL need to really step up their game in post-career assistance to these players. For starters they need retirement assistance, rather it be some sort of player pool or the like, they certainly need physical assistance after they retire. More teams need to embrace their alumni, be proactive in helping them once they retire. I for one love seeing Sabres and Bills retirees still involved in the area, and I wish you saw even more. Teams themselves shouldn't need to further monetarily support players but they certainly seem to need the support from camaraderie they get from being around fellow players.

Have you watched the NFL recently? A lot of the physicality has been taken out, at least with respect to what it used to look like, and it's fine. Different, but fine. Having penalties severe enough to change the way people hit is not going to remove physicality, only change it.

 

Completely agree with your second paragraph.

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

Have you watched the NFL recently? A lot of the physicality has been taken out, at least with respect to what it used to look like, and it's fine. Different, but fine. Having penalties severe enough to change the way people hit is not going to remove physicality, only change it.

 

Completely agree with your second paragraph.

 

There is a good documentary on HBO about guys adjusting to life after sports. They had a a bunch of psych and social professionals comment and said retiring for someone in general is like grieving a death, but even moreso for someone young who all they knew and were identified with is their athletics. It was solid.

 

I think the issue with Monty isn't concussions. If you hit a rotten apple with a hammer it will ooze, but preventing that incident doesn't stop the apple from being rotten and not edible. A lot of it is about chemicals in the brain and personality types. Sounds like he was a great guy and helpful in many areas of life. He was just a mind racer and used things to chill him out or enhance the zoom. 

[Stoner]

The same way they do it in the NFL--you change the game and a bunch of old "purists" whine and complain a lot about it not being hockey anymore.

What changes then, when considering the Wilson hit? Tighten up charging? You can't skate more than five feet and hit someone? The player being hit has to be controlling the puck? A penalty for excessive contact?

[thewookie1]

Have you watched the NFL recently? A lot of the physicality has been taken out, at least with respect to what it used to look like, and it's fine. Different, but fine. Having penalties severe enough to change the way people hit is not going to remove physicality, only change it.

 

Completely agree with your second paragraph.

 

 

Hockey isn't as physical as it used to be either, the NFL was actually behind in terms of protecting their players from dangerous hits. However, linemen still block, people still tackle, hits are still made. Hockey sorta requires what it has presently in able to working anyway similar to how its played now.  

 

Take out fighting with a rule, you'll get more slashing and hacking; let it phase out and you can allow brawls and such when things are egregious thus allowing the emotion out without the potential of even dirtier retaliatory tactics.  Call the penalties on the books except that stupid jersey one, and purposeful hits to the head with both a suspension and a heavy fine which is then put into the retired player health fund. I want physical hockey, European hockey and Olympic hockey while fast is less fun to watch since it starts falling into the NBA trap where defense is practically non-existant because they can't touch anyone. 

[biodork]

He wrote a short article, too, about why he made the video:  http://www.theplayerstribune.com/nhl-daniel-carcillo-steve-montador-video/

Haven't had a chance to watch the video yet, but thanks for posting this.  So very sad.

[Koomkie]

He wrote a short article, too, about why he made the video:  http://www.theplayerstribune.com/nhl-daniel-carcillo-steve-montador-video/

so sad. Good for carcillo. I hope he is able to push to change things. He has always been an asshat on the ice in my eyes. Good on him for proving everyone wrong.

[North Buffalo]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9XLs4BDdjk

Wow, tough.  My middle brother died due his addiction at age 35 and other complications. Though different, it is tough to lose someone close to you so young.  My heart goes out to Daniel Carcillo as well as Montador's family...

[inkman]

The idea that Connolly was soft always confused me. In his heyday, the guy was as fearless (even reckless) a player as they had on the team. It was that style that led to the head/neck injuries.

Our definitions of soft are different I'm OK with that. You define it as someone willing to take on pain to make plays I define it as someone who does out pain.

[That Aud Smell]

Our definitions of soft are different I'm OK with that. You define it as someone willing to take on pain to make plays I define it as someone who does out pain.

Yeah. We've had this exchange before.

[ubkev]

Tim Connolly always produced when healthy and that guy had some sick hands. Filthy mits. I never hated him.

 

Of course I'm the only person on this board who thinks Derek Roy is one of the best players we've had in the last decade.

Edited April 23, 2015 by ubkev

[inkman]

Of course I'm the only person on this board who thinks Derek Roy is one of the best players we've had in the last decade.

Something every Sabre fan should read and cry themselves to sleep tonight

[TrueBlueGED]

What changes then, when considering the Wilson hit? Tighten up charging? You can't skate more than five feet and hit someone? The player being hit has to be controlling the puck? A penalty for excessive contact?

I didn't see the hit, but your first three all seem like reasonable possibilities in the abstract.