Peverley’s season is over, but it could mean the end of his career

Dallas Stars forward Rich Peverley will miss the rest of the season following an incident Monday when he collapsed on the bench because of a cardiac event.

Peverley fell to the ground with 13:37 left in the first period of his game against the Columbus Blue Jackets at American Airlines Center. The entire Dallas bench began screaming for medical attention. Play was stopped mid-game as medical staff rushed to Peverley’s aide. Everything happened so quickly that most people were unaware of what was going on. As the seriousness of the situation presented itself, players and fans became noticeably upset. Players, coaches, and refs were all sent to their respective locker rooms.

 Peverley was transported to The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. "We successfully treated him for a cardiac event with standard therapy," Dr. Gil Salazar of UT Southwestern Emergency Medicine said. "As soon as we treated him, he regained consciousness. He was alert and talking to us after the event and quickly got transported to the hospital. I was actually able to talk to him in the back of the ambulance; he was able to tell me where he was and wanted to get back into the game."

"Rich Peverley is resting comfortably and being monitored at UT Southwestern St. Paul," Stars General Manager Jim Nill said in a statement. “The focus of all the testing and monitoring is being dedicated to finding the cause of the event and a long-term solution to rectify the problem.”

Peverley has a documented history of heart issues and has been closely monitored by Stars doctors all season. He took a physical prior to training camp and it revealed he had an irregular heartbeat. Peverley underwent a procedure in Cleveland in September and missed all of camp, the entire slate of preseason games and the first regular-season game for the Stars. He missed a game March 4 in Columbus because of the issue.

The Peverley incident validates all the work that is being done in regards to player safety. The medical personnel who first treated Peverley were in place because of changes during the past decade or so the League has made to the Emergency Medical Standards for the care of injured NHL players. These are a set of guidelines that all teams must follow.

"Everything played out and transpired exactly as you would draw it up, and luckily we had a fortunate result," NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said.

Many of the protocols are in place because of a 2005 incident involving Detroit Red Wings defenseman Jiri Fisher. He suffered an incident similar to Peverley's during a game. Fischer was given chest compressions on the Detroit bench and he credits team physician Dr. Tony Colucci with saving his life.

Mathieu Schneider is a special assistant to the executive director for the NHL Players' Association and he was playing for the Red Wings when Fischer collapsed. Fischer actually fell on Schneider as Fischer returned to the bench after his shift.

Schneider relived those memories after witnessing the Peverley incident, but was relieved at how the situation was handled.

"The League has done a great job over the years to make sure every safety net is there and available to the guys," he said. "In the two instances, I've known the doctors have literally saved the players' lives. They are tremendous doctors and you can't say enough for having them there.”

Peverley spoke to the media during a news conference Wednesday in Dallas. He read a prepared statement thanking the Stars, team doctors and his family. He left the press conference after reading his statement without taking any questions.

Doctors confirmed Peverley's season is over and that he will go to the Cleveland Clinic for a procedure on his heart. The procedure was initially planned for the offseason. They were not ready to decide whether it's still safe for Peverley to resume his hockey career.

The NHL has done such a great job about being prepared for whatever is thrown at them, but should Peverley be allowed to lace up his skates again? His documented history of heart issues has become a huge debate after the incident that took place on Monday. Would the NHL be taking a huge risk letting him continues his hockey career? The main concern is that Peverley gets the treatment he needs and can hopefully find a solution so that something like this never happens again.

Should the NHL adopt the 'T.J. Oshie Rule'

The United States and Russia played one of the more memorable games since their 1980 matchup at Lake Placid.

The rivalry isn't as intense since the Cold War ended and professional players now are allowed to compete in the Olympics, but it was an important game the United States needed to win. Playing Russia on home ice really added to the excitement of the game, but no one could have guessed the game would end the way it did.

The United States won the game 3-2 in one of the most dramatic shootouts anyone has ever seen since the NHL adopted the shootout way back in 2005. However, the International Ice Hockey Federation runs the shootout a little differently than the NHL.Getting to watch USA play Russia is exciting enough, but the IIHF shootout rules helped make it that much better.

Tim Mitsos, Detroit Red Wings writer, made his opinion clear in a Yahoo Sports Article, “Let me start out by saying I think the shootout is gimmicky. A game shouldn't be decided by a one-on-one play, but since shootouts are the rule for the time being, IIHF rules would at least make the NHL shootouts better.”

NHL rule 84.4 states that a team may not repeat shooters until everyone eligible to shoot has done so. If the score is tied after each team's first three shooters, they must start selecting players who haven't taken a turn until the game ends.

Essentially, the shootout could last long enough to where teams are selecting third- and fourth-line forwards and, possibly, even defenseman. More times than not, these guys will not be successful.

The IIHF rules state you can use any skater once the initial three skaters have gone. Dan Bylsma, United States head coach, decided to use T.J. Oshie five more times after he took his initial shot.

Oshie went 4-for-6 playing a huge role in the United States getting the win. It was very exciting watching Oshie and the Russian goalie go one on one shot after shot. Both players have to think about their next move and try to stay one step ahead of the other.

David Poile, the general manager and architect of the U.S. squad, told NHL.com staff writer Corey Masisak that Oshie's shootout prowess was one of the deciding factors for including him on the roster.

Now everyone is asking why doesn’t the NHL do this? If it has the potential to be this exciting why wouldn’t they?

Deputy commissioner Bill Daly doesn’t see change coming anytime soon, “We haven’t even talked about that with our general managers at any point and time, but I would very surprised if the general managers would ever be supportive of that type of concept. It’s tough enough that they don’t like the shootout as it is.”

One NHL point is on the line when those superstars hit the ice for the shootout. You want your best players giving you the opportunity to win the game, and the IIHF rules allow you to do that. 

The Hoyas 350 pound basketball player continues to bite off more than he can chew now that he faces academic ineligibility

Joshua LaTrell Smith, junior at Georgetown University, is currently academically ineligible for the remainder of the season. The 6’10” 350 pound center has played basketball his whole life, but his career might be over after blowing a very generous second chance.

            Smith began his playing days at the Rotary Style Basketball Program in Seattle, Washington. The program dedicates itself to developing a child personally, athletically, and academically. Smith was required to maintain a “C” grade point average if he wanted to participate in the program.

Rodney Stuckey, Detroit Pistons star, played for the same program. Smith said Stuckey is the athlete he most admires. Stuckey played for the Conquerors at Kentwood High School a few years before Smith joined the squad.

            Smith played a huge role during his four years at Kentwood High. He earned four varsity letters in basketball for the Conquerors and his Kentwood High team won the 2010 State Championship during his senior season.

            Jeremy Beck, current student at the University of Montana, played for Mead High School during the 2010 State Tournament. His team faced Kentwood in the first round of the tournament and lost 57-44. “There was no defending him. He was so much bigger than everyone else that there was nothing we could do to stop him”, Beck said.

            At the end of his senior year, Smith was rated the No. 1 center and No. 10 overall recruit in the country by ESPN. His next destination was UCLA.

            As a freshman, he finished the season with an average of 11 points and 6.3 rebounds a game. Smith only recorded an average of 10 points and just under 5 rebounds a game his sophomore season.

UCLA fans expected much more out of their big man and he felt the same way. The reason for Smith’s downfall is simple. He was out of shape. He is often too winded to get down the court with everyone else, sometimes not even making it to the three-point line. "My whole career, I've never been in great shape. I can only imagine what would happen if I was,” Smith said.

Lucas Kianidehkian, UCLA student, is an avid Bruins basketball fan and he is furious with the way Smith played as a Bruin. “It’s embarrassing. That team had so much potential and they suck because of how heavy he is. He role is to be a “big” man, but he is just too big to get up and down the floor,” Kianidehkian said.

There was talk that Smith might declare for the NBA draft, but he decided to rejoin the Bruins for his junior season. He only appeared in six games recording an average of 5.5 points and 4.2 rebounds a game.

Smith decided to transfer to Georgetown last December and sat out the spring 2013 semester. He received a waiver to play in the fall without having to sit out a full two semesters. Receiving a waiver isn't uncommon when a medical issue is given as the reason, but Smith was given a rare exception for two seasons of remaining eligibility. This was his second chance.

What did Smith do with this opportunity? He was averaging 11.5 points and 3.4 rebounds, until he was deemed academically ineligible for the remainder of the season. The Hoyas are 10-3 with him, 5-5 without him so far this season. They were running much of their offense through Smith when he was on the floor. Only time will tell if Smith ever steps foot on the court again.

Why I Started This Blog

I just finished my third year of college studying to be a sports journalist. I have a passion for sports that words can't describe. I am hoping that a journalism degree from the University of Montana will provide me with the best opportunity to find and use the words to make that possible. I have been a New York Giants fan since birth and an Anaheim Ducks fan since I was three. The San Francisco Giants and New York Knicks came to me as sports became more and more important in life.

I lived in San Jose, California until I was 18 years old. Unfortunately for me, the Bay Area was considered "sharks territory". Needless to say they enjoyed giving me crap for being a ducks fan. That is when I really started to take my sports seriously and found my true passion for the game.

I quickly realized what being a fan was all about. A fan is someone who defends their team against anyone, anywhere, and anytime. A fan is someone who stays loyal to their team and never lets doubt cloud their judgement. Defending my teams brings me great joy. There is nothing better than having a few cold ones with your boys just kicking back and watching a game.

Obviously the life of a fan is not always paradise, but there is no better feeling then when your team wins the big game. You almost feel like you have the right to celebrate with the stars. Almost like you had something to do with their victory. That's a feeling that no one can ever take away from you. That's the beauty of sports ladies and gentleman.

I started this blog to have an opportunity to speak my mind and let others reflect on it. Some of you may not like or agree with what I have to say, but I can't worry about that. I am going to say what I feel. If you like it, great. If you don't, thats ok too. Feel free to speak up whether you agree or not. I will be the first to admit I am not always right, just most of the time.