Hit on Seabrook ‘brutal, major… absolutely'

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Sunday, April 17, 2011
Posted: 11:20 p.m.

By Tracey Myers
CSNChicago.com

Defenseman Brent Seabrook came back from the shoulder-to-head hit that Raffi Torres put on him in the second period. But Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville was still very unhappy with the callor lack thereofon the Canucks left winger.

Seabrook was facing the boards when Torres came in and went shoulder first into Seabrooks head. Seabrook crumpled to the ice for several seconds before returning to the bench. He played a shift or twoand got hit another time or two - before going off to be re-evaluated.

Torres was penalized two minutes for interference. Quenneville thought it should have been higher.

Brutal, major, absolutely. They missed it. We couldve scored four goals on that play, said Quenneville, who added Seabrook did have to go off at the end of the second period to settle down. Were lucky hes a big Western Canadian kid. Someone else wouldve been on a stretcher.

Torres did not talk to the media after Sundays game. Vancouver coach Alain Vigneault saw the Torres hit differently.

Hockey is a collision sport, theres a lot of intensity. I compare that hit to (Ryan) Getzlaf on (Dan) Hamhuis, and (Getzlaf) didnt even get a two-minute minor. I didnt think it was a penalty.

"Obviously you never want to see a player get hurt, and I understand where (the league) is going with it, but hockey is a physical game. I think each and every one of us wants it to stay a physical game without players getting hurt, but in a collision sport theres always going to be injuries.

Seabrook said he didnt have control of the puck and didnt see Torres coming.

I dont know what I was looking at to be honest with you, he said.

Torres just came off a four-game suspensionthe last two regular-season and first two postseason games - for his hit to the head of Edmonton rookie Jordan Eberle on April 5.

I havent watched the hit yet so I dont want to comment on it, Seabrook said. Hes a hard-nosed guy. Hes been in trouble with the league before for doing the same kind of thing. Im going to leave it at that and let the league look at it and whatever they do is what we have to deal with.

Asked if he thought the hit was worth a suspension, Quenneville said I dont have to worry about that. Its not my call. The guy didnt even get through his first game back off one.

Tracey Myers is CSNChicago.com's Blackhawks Insider. Follow Tracey on Twitter @TramyersCSN for up-to-the-minute Hawks information.

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