NHL’s “divers” list: Kesler tagged as offender

Mike Halford

Sep 20, 2012, 12:03 PM EDT

51 Comments

In August, news broke from the NHL’s Rule Enforcement Meetings that the creation of a “divers list” — a log of the league’s most frequent fakers — was in the works.

Now, one of the names on that list has gone public.

According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, Vancouver Canucks forward Ryan Kesler is a chief culprit.

“Kesler has been identified as an offender,” Dreger explains. “While Kesler plays the game hard, he has been known to exaggerate contact to gain an advantage.”

Chicago’s Dan Carcillo and Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin were also mentioned in Dreger’s report. Both had instances during the playoffs (Carcillo in 2010, Malkin this past April) that drew criticism for “trying to mislead referees.”

Along with Kesler, the trio could face some serious humiliation for their antics once play resumes.

From Dreger:

Everything from posting pictures of each culprit in every NHL dressing room to re-instituting a fine system, or simply tacking on an additional two-minute penalty to offset the original call is being discussed by hockey operations and will at some point be presented to all NHL general managers for further discussion.

We were unable to confirm, but rumors suggest this will be the Kesler pic:

Related

Campbell: NHLers want to “embarrass” divers, distribute list league wide

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51 Comments (Feed for Comments)

1943mrmojorisin1971 - Sep 20, 2012 at 12:07 PM

I don’t watch very many Pens games but Malkin has never really struck me as a diver.
- isithockeyseasonyet - Sep 20, 2012 at 12:56 PM
  
  I do see a lot of their games and he only really does it 3rd period w the game on the line, Sidney Crosby is the most egregious offender of anyone I see play regularly (don’t see many Canucks game so can’t fairly compare to Kessler). Crosby nearly impossible to knock of the puck (unless you’re claude giroux) when he wants to stay on his skates, operative 2 words being ‘wants to’
  - bigtastegeno - Sep 20, 2012 at 1:22 PM
    
    Typical Flyer fan response.
  - 950003cups - Sep 20, 2012 at 4:36 PM
    
    How’bout these Operative 2 Words “Danny Briere” Thats a DIVER
- hockeyflow33 - Sep 20, 2012 at 1:27 PM
  
  Yea, I thought the opposite. He’s generally pretty hard to knock off the puck and plays somewhat physical. Granted I only watch like 10 or so Penguins games a year…
ironmike778 - Sep 20, 2012 at 12:17 PM

No….Kesler? A diver? No way…..really?? I don’t believe it! Ha…..OF COURSE he’s on the list! Just go ahead right now and put the entire Canucks team on the list!
- bcousy - Sep 20, 2012 at 1:09 PM
  
  The reflexive Canucks slams are always predictable, but other than Kesler, who everyone agrees dives too much, which other Canucks would be on the list?
  
  The Sedins fall down a lot (less than early in their careers), but they are not divers. Lapierre had a penchant for embellishment, but he toned that down last season. Burrows might irritate many fans in myriad ways, and still needs to clean up his act a bit, but he doesn’t dive.
  
  In the past, Bruins fans have seemed most vocal in their hatred of the Canucks and perceived diving. But now that Brad Marchand (a surefire name on the list) is elevating diving (and dirty play) to an art form, they’ve got a pot-kettle-black dilemma on their hands.
  - hockeyflow33 - Sep 20, 2012 at 1:29 PM
    
    Not really, the B’s have one player where as the Canucks have an entire team full of offenders
  - scottybcboy - Sep 20, 2012 at 1:42 PM
    
    @ bcousy, Sedin doesn’t dive? Don’t know if you’ve ever watched a ‘nuck game.
  - capesouth - Sep 20, 2012 at 3:32 PM
    
    I was waiting for the Marchand comment. Shows what you know. People hate Marchand because he is a pest and talented to boot. So, the couple of times he dove last year gets blown WAY out of proportion. The guy is not a ‘diver’…especially not in the way Kesler is. Video footage does nothing to prove otherwise, either. it will be the footage of the same one or two dives over and over again..everyone wants to label him one but he isn’t. just facts.
  - sunderlanding - Sep 20, 2012 at 3:43 PM
    
    Burrows and Lapierre would be on that list, and during that playoff run you could put the Sedins on that list for what they were doing in the San Jose series.
  - salmon90 - Sep 20, 2012 at 4:28 PM
    
    The Sedin antics during the Sharks series? Like this one? Crazy! Can’t believe he stayed down for almost a full second.
  - salmon90 - Sep 20, 2012 at 4:31 PM
    
    Capesouth – do you realize the irony of your comment one line down from a video of Henrik diving – that which I’m sure will lead to a mass assumption that Henrik is a ‘diver’!
    
    “Video footage does nothing to prove otherwise, either. it will be the footage of the same one or two dives over and over again..everyone wants to label him one but he isn’t. just facts.”
  - bcousy - Sep 20, 2012 at 5:22 PM
    
    scottybc: I’ve missed maybe a handful of Canucks games over the past 10 seasons. I’m guessing I’ve watched them a few more times than you. We’re talking serial divers here — Kesler and Marchand qualify, in my opinion, but I don’t think the Sedins do.
    
    capesouth: “The guy is not a ‘diver.’” How much do you want to bet he’s on the list? Marchand’s own team, coach and fan base have been critical of his theatrics (just as the Canucks have been of Kesler’s).
  - capesouth - Sep 20, 2012 at 5:58 PM
    
    Salmon: I think you just mean in general, it is ironic…bc I wasn’t referring to the Sedins in my argument. But since we are on them, I despise the fact that because they are finesse players, they feel the need to embellish contact. I don’t necessarily think embellishing ALL contact should be penalized though. Pretending to be tripped is one thing and should be dealt with…if they get bumped though and then act like they were punched in the face, who cares? It only makes them look silly. nobody falls for it.
    
    bcousy: yes they did call him out. they call him because it happened…not because he has made a habit of it. the first time he dove this year, the coach was giving him hell..which he should do. That doesn’t make him a ‘diver’, where every night he is going out there flopping all over the place. first impressions stick and people hate marchand. you would be surprised how clean he plays. in the end though, it’s a stigma he has created on his own.
  - salmon90 - Sep 21, 2012 at 1:55 PM
    
    No capesmouth – your comments are ironic. You are saying that we should not judge Marchand as a diver just because there are videos of him diving. The irony is that you have labelled the Sedins as divers when really there are only a couple of instances that Henrik (not Daniel) has fallen down a little easy. So not only have you taken a tiny amount of examples to label Henrik as a diver (which you say we should not do with Marchand) but you have lumped his twin brother in!
whiteqbs - Sep 20, 2012 at 12:30 PM

Crosby should have been #1 and Letang should get an honorable mention.

Both Dive and Whine to the refs all game.
- bigtastegeno - Sep 20, 2012 at 1:23 PM
  
  Another Flyer fan response.
  - icelovinbrotha215 - Sep 20, 2012 at 9:52 PM
    
    Is this Soup haha?
bcjim - Sep 20, 2012 at 1:09 PM

Joe Thornton and most of the Boston Bruins should be featured prominently.
- supercoop8 - Sep 20, 2012 at 2:51 PM
  
  Butt hurt Canucks fan are cute; keeping an objective in thorough analysis.
  - supercoop8 - Sep 20, 2012 at 3:36 PM
    
    objective eye*
capsfan19 - Sep 20, 2012 at 1:15 PM

Yes! Brad marchand is a master of diving. He might as well start adding in little tricks when he does it too…
sharkcity408 - Sep 20, 2012 at 1:35 PM

Lmfao bcjim really? Thornton? When does he take a dive?!? Ohhh you must mean he’s faking all the highsticks he gets… By the way the blood that seems to amount on his face every game from highsticks is just ketchup. Haha think dude
- davebabychreturns - Sep 20, 2012 at 3:16 PM
  
  Surely you’ve seen this… http://i54.tinypic.com/2resc49.jpg
broadstbully33 - Sep 20, 2012 at 1:51 PM

Crosby has to be top 3. definitely above Malkin. Malkin dives when he needs a scoring opportunity because a 19 year old has been shutting him down all game and all series
trblfckr - Sep 20, 2012 at 2:50 PM

Tons of great NHL players were divers. Forsberg dove all the time. It’s a competitive advantage and it’s up to referees to pay better attention.

I’m more than happy that Kesler is a Canuck.
- theawesomersfranchise - Sep 20, 2012 at 4:19 PM
  
  No….Forsberg did not dive all the time.
  Ohhh you’re a Canucks fan, so when Forsberg loses an edge for a second and the refs call something on your team, Forsberg is a driver….all the time….
  
  Foolishness
  - joemango666 - Sep 20, 2012 at 9:16 PM
  - trblfckr - Sep 20, 2012 at 9:26 PM
- freneticgarfieldfan - Sep 20, 2012 at 4:23 PM
  
  wow, to mention “great NHL players” and Kesler in the same phrase, and then Forsberg… Just wow, pure & typical Vancouver arrogance.
  - trblfckr - Sep 20, 2012 at 9:24 PM
    
    Actually I mentioned Kesler in a separate sentence. Obviously Forsberg is heads and tails over Kesler. However I did just mention both their names in the same sentence, like right now, hope that’s okay with you. I just said I’m happy Kesler is a Canuck.
    
    Now, I’m not putting up this article because I think the Canucks are in anyway similar to the dynasty Edmonton Oilers, but because I want to prove my point that great players dive:
    
    http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/columns/story?id=2726800
    
    http://headtothe.net/nhl/dear-canucks-fans-dont-lament-the-hatred/
    
    I’m sure you’ll still call me arrogant for comparing the two. Go ahead. It’s fine.
habsman - Sep 20, 2012 at 3:00 PM

Bill Barber (Flyers) was a charter member of the Divers Hall of Fame.

If Brad Marchand quit today, they would waive the waiting period requirement for induction. Best (worst) diver I’ve seen in past 25 years.
- mixjuan - Sep 22, 2012 at 11:44 AM
  
  Coming from a Habs fan. Obviously blind to your own team’s penchant for the theatrical. Just because Marchand can pwn your team doesn’t make him a diver. Everyone in Boston will readily admit that he can tend to be a dirty player, but a habitual diver? Not at all.
  
  It remains one of the great sports justices of the past couple of decades that the B’s were able to overcome the Canuckleheads in 2011 for the Cup win. That would have been such a black mark on the NHL for a team who didn’t rely on hockey skills but the power of deception to win.
  
  Everyone talked about VAN being built for the power play. When you are built that way, you win by generating PP opportunities. How do you do that? Get an acting coach and CREATE penalties on the other team.
  
  When Boston was able to power back and even up the series, everyone in the world knows that the whistles go away in Game 7. Vancouver fans were complaining before the game began that this would give Boston an unfair advantage because they weren’t going to get many PP chances. If your team can’t score on the PP, 5 on 5, 4 on 4, shorthanded, then they aren’t built to win it all.
  
  Montreal keeps building teams the same way. It is going to be years, if the NHL ever gets back, before they are going to win another championship. They play weak hockey, just like their English speaking brethren on the other side of the country.
ironmike778 - Sep 20, 2012 at 3:09 PM

“Other than Kesler what other Canucks are divers?”………LMAO. Now that’s funny. Might want to tune in a Vancouver game now and then!!
blomfeld - Sep 20, 2012 at 3:23 PM

THAT WAS THEN AND THIS IS NOW …

While there’s no question that the Canucks could easily represent Canada at the next summer Olympics in “aquatic diving”, the truth is that they’re simply a product of today’s society and it’s “morally-challenged” ways. Nobody likes diving and yet many of today’s players couldn’t care less one way or the other, just as long as it gives them an advantage.

I remember back to the late 60′s when I first started watching NHL hockey. You would virtually “never” see a player contemplate the antics of a modern-day Kesler or a Malkin. Of course there was the occasional one who tried, but they were usually “dealt with” rather quickly and ruthlessly. For such “under-handedness” wouldn’t even enter the thinking of players back then. So while today’s NHL’ers might think they’re “all that” with their strength, size, speed and millions of dollar, etc … in reality they’re still “underlings” when compared to those who played the game before, with unwavering integrity and class …

Modern-day players should not that If you’re going to dive, then do so for a noble purpose !
- salmon90 - Sep 20, 2012 at 4:22 PM
  
  Might want to include your beloved Dustin Brown on you list.
  - blomfeld - Sep 21, 2012 at 12:43 AM
    
    Yesiree, Captain Brown … leader of the “reigning” Stanley Cup Champions !
    
    like, can ya “dig it” there salmon breath ?
davebabychreturns - Sep 20, 2012 at 3:26 PM

Kesler certainly deserves to be on the list, as do Burrows and Lapierre. Luongo used to be really bad for embellishment but now that he plays closer to his net it doesn’t seem to happen.

The Sedins are really hit or miss, they take a lot of abuse without any reaction (be it diving or retaliation or whatever) but there are some real infamous cases of Henrik diving – although to be fair he was nursing a pretty bad back injury in the 2011 playoffs.

But other than that there aren’t any Canucks who engage in this. Kevin Bieksa, Dan Hamhuis, David Booth, Alex Edler, Manny Malhotra, Chris Higgins, Jannik Hansen, Keith Ballard, etc.. all guys who will take a hit to make a play and bounce right back up afterwards.

Anyway. Diving and embellishment happen all over the league, and as much as fans of other teams might prefer to believe that it’s a select few teams full of individuals perpetuating the problem it is far more widespread than that.

Hopefully there is a meaningful crackdown both on the embellishment and on the problems that create the conditions for it (awful, inconsistent officiating) because as a fan I’m sick of it.
capesouth - Sep 20, 2012 at 3:36 PM

kesler always pisses me off because he is such a big, strong skater…but he reverts to this diving crap and loses respect. He could be one of, if not, the best power forwards if he removed that aspect of his game.
- 950003cups - Sep 20, 2012 at 4:40 PM
  
  Canucks almost resemble the Italian FIFA team with the diving
- bcousy - Sep 20, 2012 at 5:42 PM
  
  Completely agree with you there. I just wish we could stop talking about diving and get back to playing. Were there any more compelling games in the past 16 months than the Canucks-Bruins in the Cup final and then the epilogue at the Garden?
  - capesouth - Sep 20, 2012 at 6:01 PM
    
    some of the best pro hockey I have ever watched…i still watch replays. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL89E8F6EAD2BE40ED&feature=plcp
- supr49er - Sep 20, 2012 at 6:34 PM
  
  Yes, I have thought this for years. Knock off this weak stuff and let everyone appreciate your talents.
dangle13x - Sep 20, 2012 at 4:37 PM

Hilarious. Of course all you losers feel insulted that someone would mention a player from your team. How dare they. Keep contributing to society by being unemployed failures mouthing off on PHT all day. Pathetic.
DTF31 - Sep 20, 2012 at 5:19 PM

I’m not a fan of this. Not because I don’t think diving is an issue, but I don’t agree with adding bias to a sport already officiated with the most human error and inconsistency.
mclovinhockey - Sep 20, 2012 at 6:58 PM

Crosby
Marchand
Subban
They should be top 3
grudenthediva - Sep 20, 2012 at 8:50 PM

Eric Staal.

I swear, the first thing the Hurricanes must do in training camp is go straight to the public pools.
wicky888 - Sep 21, 2012 at 7:34 AM

I dont really agree with Malkin, this from a Flyers fan. Kessler, Letang, Sedins, Crosby (although not nearly as much as he used to) Dustin Brown, all other Vancouver Canucks…
rslick8 - Sep 21, 2012 at 11:59 AM

The best (or worst) embellishment last year had to be Mike Smith (6’ 4” 220 lb) when he did a full 360 and his glove goes flying 10 feet when he was clipped by Andrew Shaw (5’ 10” 180 lb). Then he lays there rolling around on the ice until the refs make their call, then a miracle, he gets up and continues to play the rest of the game and the rest of the series.
sonofsamiam - Sep 21, 2012 at 3:48 PM

Henrik Sedin got a diving penalty in the Stanley Cup Finals. The guy is a diver, and that’s just the way it is, Canuck fans.

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