From Jack Todd, and the Cleveland Press:
Canadiens prospect's vicious assault demeans the sport[/size]
JACK TODD
The Gazette
Monday, May 03, 2004
It was another of those sickening moments when hockey seems to have slipped beyond the pale. Only this time, the viciousness was being perpetrated by a member of the Canadiens organization.
There was Cleveland Barons defenceman Garrett Stafford down on his knees in front of the crease, and the talented Canadiens prospect Alexander Perezhogin of the Hamilton Bulldogs swinging his stick, and Stafford collapsing in convulsions as blood gushed from the wound on his head.
Stafford, it appears, will be OK. Perezhogin might not. He was suspended indefinitely by the AHL and his action, especially with Stafford down at the time, was the type that should draw a suspension of at least a year. It's a pity because Perezhogin is a talent, but hockey has to put a stop to this stuff, even if it means handing out lifetime suspensions.
And Perezhogin can count himself lucky. The way he swung that stick, he could have killed Stafford.
www.canada.com/montreal/montrealgazette/news/sports/story.html?id=2b3a389d-7ec7-494a-8d13-508eafc2130bBarons defenseman has concussion, lacerations following stick attack [/size]
05/02/04
Dennis Manoloff
Plain Dealer Reporter
Barons defenseman Garrett Stafford was resting uncomfortably at his Cleveland residence Saturday night.
Given the circumstances, he will take it and be grateful. At least he was in control of his faculties.
Hamilton Bulldogs winger Alexander Perezhogin attacked Stafford with his stick in a frightening incident Friday night in Hamilton, Ontario, using a two-handed swing to crack him. It happened in the first period of Game 5 in a North Division playoff semifinal the Barons won, 4-1. Stafford suffered a grade-three concussion - the worst of three types, involving loss of consciousness - and severe facial lacerations.
"What happened to Staff was horrific," Barons coach Roy Sommer said Saturday. "It was as if their guy was a lumberjack chopping firewood."
Stafford was kneeling in front of the net when Perezhogin unloaded. Stafford twitched on the ice while blood streamed from his face. The game was delayed 15 minutes as doctors, medical staff and paramedics treated him.
"When your player is convulsing on the ice in a pool of blood, all these terrible thoughts pass through you," Sommer said. "That hit was so ugly and nasty, you feared for Staff's life for a moment."
Stafford stayed overnight at a Hamilton hospital. Mike Mudd, a Barons vice president, drove him back to Cleveland on Saturday.
"He's tired and woozy and the right side of his face is a mess, but he's alert and coherent," Mudd said by telephone en route. "The best news is I think Staff's going to be OK in the long term."
Stafford, a rookie and one of the Barons' best players, de- clined comment through Mudd. The organization hopes to make Stafford available to reporters before Game 6 of the best-of- seven series today at Gund Arena. Hamilton leads the series, 3-2.
"He's still kind of in shock about everything right now," Mudd said. "He's trying to sort it all out."
The incident stunned those in attendance at Copps Coliseum and fans watching locally on Canadian television. The clip was replayed on sports networks in Canada and the United States.
In a postgame interview, Sommer lashed out at Perezhogin. "That kid should never play in North America again," he said. "They should prosecute this guy to the fullest. The kid's in trouble and he should be."
Given a night to reflect, Sommer softened his stance. "As ter rible as it was, it's not for me to decide what should or shouldn't happen to him," Sommer said Saturday. "Let the authorities, the [American Hockey League], determine the appropriate punishment. All I care about is my player's health."
The AHL suspended Perezhogin indefinitely pending further review. He could not be reached.
Staff Sergeant Michael Campbell of the Hamilton Police Service said an investigation is underway. He said the investigation was initiated as a result of the concerns of a citizen, not a member of either team. "This may or may not be a prosecutorial action," said Campbell.
From Sommer's view on the bench, the problem started when Perezhogin hooked Staff ord in the course of play. Both players tangled behind the net, then Perezhogin got bumped by Barons forward Patrick Rissmiller.
"Staff took a swing at the guy and missed," Sommer said. "It clearly wasn't vicious or anything close to that. Staff kind of fell as he missed and that's when their guy got him. I don't know what was going through his mind."
The unpleasantries continued, capped by a wild third period that featured 88 of the game's 136 penalty minutes. Even the goalies, Cleveland's Nolan Schaefer and Hamilton's JF Damphousse, mixed it up.
Before the series, the Bulldogs and Barons had a healthy respect for each other. Now, it's a feud.
"I have no love for Hamilton," Sommer said. "I don't know what's going on over there. They're a finesse team with a lot of skill and all they want to do is fight. They kept coming after us Friday as if we did something. They had it backwards."
Sommer is steamed that, with his club's season on the line, he lost Stafford for the series and might be without wingers Jon DiSalvatore (head) and Ryane Clowe (lower body) for Game 6 as a result of the fights Friday.
Despite the hostilities between the clubs, Sommer said the Barons will not seek payback for Stafford today. "I don't coach that way and we don't play that way," he said.
www.cleveland.com/barons/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/sports/1083493815226120.xmlInjured Stafford thankful during recovery from concussion [/size]
05/03/04
Dennis Manoloff
Plain Dealer Reporter
Barons defenseman Garrett Stafford, severely injured in a playoff game Friday, thanked the many people inside and outside of the organization who have offered their "support, kind words and prayers in my time of need."
Stafford's words came from a statement read Sunday by Mike Mudd, a Barons vice president, before Game 6 of a divisional semifinal at Gund Arena. Stafford attended the game but was not made available to reporters.
Stafford, a rookie and one of Cleveland's best players, suffered a grade-three concussion and a severe facial laceration when Bulldogs winger Alexander Perezhogin attacked him with his stick. It happened in the first period of Game 5 of the best-of- seven series at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario.
A grade-three concussion is the worst of three types. It involves any loss of consciousness. Stafford needed 20 stitches to close the laceration.
After staying overnight at a Hamilton hospital, Stafford returned to Cleveland on Saturday.
"At this time I am just trying to recover and regain my strength so that, hopefully, I will be able to return to playing hockey in the near future," Stafford said in the statement. "I am leaving it up to the Hamilton authorities to de cide the proper course of action in regard to this matter."
Hamilton Police Service is investigating. Detective Constable Jim Elliott said the incident could lead to a charge of assault causing bodily harm for Perezhogin, but said it will depend on whether Perezhogin intended to hurt Stafford. Elliott said Stafford had been interviewed but had no memory of the incident.
Perezhogin, by all accounts one of the nicest players on the Bulldogs, has been suspended indefinitely by the American Hockey League. He was not available for comment. A source said Perezhogin, a Kazakhstan native who speaks Russian but virtually no English, is dis traught. The source said replays of the attack have been shown on Russian TV.
AHL President Dave Andrews, at Gund Arena on Sunday, said he expected to have a decision on the length of the suspension by the end of the week.
In the rare instances where police investigate on-field sports incidents, it typically takes time to make a decision. Vancouver police, for example, are still investigating the Todd Bertuzzi incident from March. Bertuzzi, winger for the Canucks, struck Colorado forward Steve Moore from behind during a game.
www.cleveland.com/barons/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/sports/108358170321050.xml
. Stafford's stick passed only a few inches over Perezhogins's head. had it not been so, the roles would be reversed now with Alex in hospital and Stafford suspended indefinitely.
