Perezhogin Suspended One Year

[Skilly]

Bob said:

It is interesting to keep an eye on Bertuzzi as we sit and wonder the fate of Alex Perezhogin.

The IIHF banned Bertuzzi from playing in Europe while Perezhogin is allowed to continue. I have no idea how that might be presented as evidence in court, but the IIHF certainly views Bertuzzi's infraction as more serious than Perezhogin's.

It also seems that Bertuzzi is negotiationg a plea bargain that might result in an 18 month condiditiona sentence with no jail time. If that is the case, Perezhogin might be ready to play in the NHL before the new CBA is signed.

The two cases are very different.

Bertuzzi is not allowed to play in Europe because the IIHF is "honouring" an NHL suspension.

Perezhogin has not, and IMO will not (we may never know due to the lock-out), been suspended by the NHL. In fact, if the NHL were to start up today, many would argue that Perezhogin would be in a Habs jersey. The lock-out may have done Gainey a favour for not having to make that decision (against public/AHL outcries), but I have to believe he is contemplating it.

Seems to me, that the IIHF does not care about the decisions of a minor pro/developmental league ......... and I doubt the NHL will either.

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

Skilly said:

The two cases are very different.

Bertuzzi is not allowed to play in Europe because the IIHF is "honouring" an NHL suspension.

Perezhogin has not, and IMO will not (we may never know due to the lock-out), been suspended by the NHL. In fact, if the NHL were to start up today, many would argue that Perezhogin would be in a Habs jersey. The lock-out may have done Gainey a favour for not having to make that decision (against public/AHL outcries), but I have to believe he is contemplating it.

Seems to me, that the IIHF does not care about the decisions of a minor pro/developmental league ......... and I doubt the NHL will either.

While it's an AHL suspension, the IIHF regards Perezhogin as an NHLer playing in the minors, and therefore subject to the NHL-IIHF transfer agreement.

But that agreement does not force the IIHF to recognize AHL suspensions.

"We don't necessarily honour any suspensions laid down by the AHL," said Szemberg. "But the IIHF does have a clause in its statutes and by-laws which clearly states that the player whose actions have been detrimental to hockey or to the reputation of hockey can be suspended by the IIHF council."

There are factors that would help Perezhogin's case with the IIHF council. He has no previous history of violent behaviour and was provoked by Stafford before the incident.

That could sway the IIHF council towards clearing Perezhogin to play in the Russian league.

The IIHF council denied suspended NHL tough guy Marty McSorley from playing in England in 2000 following his stick-swinging incident with Donald Brashear.

- slam.canoe.ca/Slam/OtherSports/2004/05/08/452200-cp.html

*

"The violent nature of Mr. Bertuzzi's action with the severe injuries inflicted to the opposing player, as a result of his deliberate act, were regarded as an extremely serious violation of the rules, putting the sport into disrepute," the IIHF said in a statement.

- www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A8602-2004Dec17.html

IMO the IIHF clearly made the right decision in both instances.

[Skilly]

M. said:

While it's an AHL suspension, the IIHF regards Perezhogin as an NHLer playing in the minors, and therefore subject to the NHL-IIHF transfer agreement.

But that agreement does not force the IIHF to recognize AHL suspensions.

"We don't necessarily honour any suspensions laid down by the AHL," said Szemberg. "But the IIHF does have a clause in its statutes and by-laws which clearly states that the player whose actions have been detrimental to hockey or to the reputation of hockey can be suspended by the IIHF council."

There are factors that would help Perezhogin's case with the IIHF council. He has no previous history of violent behaviour and was provoked by Stafford before the incident.

That could sway the IIHF council towards clearing Perezhogin to play in the Russian league.

The IIHF council denied suspended NHL tough guy Marty McSorley from playing in England in 2000 following his stick-swinging incident with Donald Brashear.

- slam.canoe.ca/Slam/OtherSports/2004/05/08/452200-cp.html

*

"The violent nature of Mr. Bertuzzi's action with the severe injuries inflicted to the opposing player, as a result of his deliberate act, were regarded as an extremely serious violation of the rules, putting the sport into disrepute," the IIHF said in a statement.

- www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A8602-2004Dec17.html

IMO the IIHF clearly made the right decision in both instances.

I believe so too. Although I am not in favour of making Bertuzzi a scapegoat. Steve Moore got away unpunished for the very same thing Bertuzzi did, the only difference was Naslund suffered a concussion (?) and not a broken neck. But it could have very easilt been the latter. I often wonder if Moore did the same thing to Lindros (and his career was over) what the NHL would have done?

[blaise]

Not much, probably. Remeber the crosscheck to the back of the head and neck that Gary Suter laid on Paul Kariya?

[seventeen]

Keeps going back to the willingness of the NHL to really deal with these matters in a way that will firmly discourage them. That crosscheck to Kariya was especially bad, and might very well have cost Canada the Gold medal at the Olympics.

[Bob]

Skilly said:

I believe so too. Although I am not in favour of making Bertuzzi a scapegoat. Steve Moore got away unpunished for the very same thing Bertuzzi did, the only difference was Naslund suffered a concussion (?) and not a broken neck. But it could have very easilt been the latter. I often wonder if Moore did the same thing to Lindros (and his career was over) what the NHL would have done?

Clearly, they were not the same thing.

However, I do believe in adopting the NCAA rule where any hit to the head, intentional or unintentional, is punished.

[Skilly]

Bob said:

Clearly, they were not the same thing.

However, I do believe in adopting the NCAA rule where any hit to the head, intentional or unintentional, is punished.

That's where I disagree. From a hockey standpoint they were both hockey actions.

Steve Moore: a cheap dirty open ice elbow to the side of the head.
Tood bertuzzi: a cheap dirty punch to the back of the head.

The only difference was the result. Naslund suffered a concussion that could of resulted in something much more serious and Moore suffered a broken neck (not from the punch, but from the fall that resulted from the punch). I agree it was terrible and I agree Bertuzzi should be punished. But I favour penalizing the act, and not basing it as a court of law, on the subsequent judgement (by morons in the NHL) of the injury inflicted.

A concussion for me might ruin my career or worse cause permanent damage to my brain (no jokes please) whereas a Lindros type player may need 9 concussion or more ....... yet most cheap shots causing concussions go unpunished.

Swinging a stick is swinging a stick. Who cares if you connect. Are you going to tell me that if someone attempted a swing at a player like Esposito did in the 1972 summit series that it would go unpunished today? Of course it wouldn't. In fact I am willing to bet it would get about 10 games. (and he didn't even swing it) But swinging a stick a connecting will get you about 5 games most times. That is asinine. If the players knew that a review would be done after each and every game (whether the ref called it or not like the NFL) and that a swung stick/high stick would automatically be penalized by suspension, then the retaliation crap would drop dramatically IMO.

I am not saying Moore got what he deserved or Stafford got what he deserved, what I am saying is that their style of play and actions in conjunction with the way the refereeing was conducted played a major role in what transpired. Yet the media, and the league official dare not say such things.

[blaise]

Taking out Moore (or anyone else you think deserves punishment) doesn't help Naslund recover. It's up to the NHL and the law to redress the situation. If someone deliberately overturned your child's stroller you might have the urge to kill him but you wouldn't get away with it if you actually did it.

[Skilly]

Blaise said:

Taking out Moore (or anyone else you think deserves punishment) doesn't help Naslund recover. It's up to the NHL and the law to redress the situation. If someone deliberately overturned your child's stroller you might have the urge to kill him but you wouldn't get away with it if you actually did it.

Au contraire ..... that would depend on the circumstances surrounding the overturning of the stroller, and whether I can convince a jury I perceived my child's life to be in danger.

[Bob]

Maybe a precedent has been set. From TSN:

"Vancouver Canucks star Todd Bertuzzi will accept a plea bargain in court Wednesday, says a broadcast report.

CBC Newsworld, quoting a source close to the investigation, says Bertuzzi will plead guilty to assaulting Steve Moore of the Colorado Avalanche in a game in March. It reported that Bertuzzi will receive a conditional discharge.

That would mean he would not have a criminal record, but the CBC says the agreement would require him to do community service."

[blaise]

Doesn't that mean that if Bertuzzi gets in trouble with the law during his period of community service his conditional discharge would be revoked?

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

OF STICKS & STONES IN A MONSTER SERIES: The 12-game series between the Monarchs and Lowell Lock Monsters is now even at two games apiece.

Using every advantage in what is certainly going to be an interesting season-long battle to the April wire, credit Lock Monsters’ major domo, GM and coach Tom Rowe for providing the AHL with the evidence that led to the suspension of Monarchs left wing Noah Clarke.

Clarke was shelved two games by the league for a cross check to the head of Lowell forward Chad Larose Wednesday night. Clarke served the last game of that suspension last night.

During Wednesday night’s loss at Lowell, Clarke’s actions drew merely a two-minute minor penalty. Larose was unhurt and in fact played Friday night in Manchester. Boudreau said, after viewing the videotape of the infraction, that there was no intent to injure. Rowe sent the tape to the AHL office in Springfield, Mass., for review. The league review brought the suspension.

Apparently before the start of this season the AHL had warned all teams that it would deal severely with penalties involving sticks to heads. That stance stemmed from the melon-chopping incident in the playoffs last April 30, where Hamilton Bulldogs forward Alex Perezhogin took a full swing with his stick and connected with the head of Cleveland Barons defenseman, former UNH star Garrett Stafford. Russian Perezhogin remains suspended. But, a lot of good that suspension did since Perezhogin, a Montreal Canadiens prospect, is back playing in Russia for Omsk Avangard. On the home front, however, the AHL does mean business.

“They told us they were cracking down on it,” said Boudreau. “A couple weeks ago they sent us a fax saying it had recently gotten away.”

Fair warning, although apparently something was lost in the translation of that memo to the Monarchs. There was some Lock Monsters’ gamesmanship involved from Boudreau’s point of view.

“If we weren’t playing (Lowell), I don’t know that they would have sent it in,” said Boudreau, “because Tom Rowe doesn’t send too many tapes to the league.”

- www.theunionleader.com/articles_showa.html?article=49092

[CentreHice]

Blaise said:

Taking out Moore (or anyone else you think deserves punishment) doesn't help Naslund recover. It's up to the NHL and the law to redress the situation. If someone deliberately overturned your child's stroller you might have the urge to kill him but you wouldn't get away with it if you actually did it.

Actually, if you look at the numbers, Naslund was pretty much back to normal right out of the gate upon his return. Luckily, Naslund missed only 3 games after that vicious blow to the head from Moore. (should have been at least 10 games IMO). But I still have to wonder if that would have been enough to satisfy Crawford and Co.

In Naslund's first game back against San Jose on Feb. 26, he played 26 shifts for over 20 minutes of ice (a trend that would continue), assisting on the OT winner.

Feb. 28 against St. Louis...26 shifts, 21+ minutes of ice, 1 assist in a 2-0 win.

Mar. 3 at Colorado. He assists with Bertuzzi on a goal. He scores one, assisted by Bertuzzi. A 5-5 tie.

Mar. 5 at Detroit. 3-1 L. No point.

Mar. 6 at Columbus. Assist with Bertuzzi. Goal assisted by Bertuzzi. 4-0 win.

So that's not too bad on your star's return from a concussion. 5 games...your team goes 3-1-1-0. Your star's on a regular shift, tons of ice time, and clicking with his linemates again. 2 goals, 4 assists...4 of those points with Bertuzzi. You're on a roll...things are back to normal, right?

Next game, Mar. 8....so pre-occupied with revenge the Canucks go down 5-0 in the first period. Game over. Moore even accepts a challenge from Matt Cooke and drops the gloves. Enough? Not even close. We know the rest.

Pre-meditated? You bet. Intended to injure him? Not to that degree. But injure nonetheless even if it meant going beyond the game's and society's rules. The penalty was "attempt to injure". Look it up.

Now Bertuzzi's seeking re-instatement while serving 80-hours of community service. And Moore's still recovering. We can only hope that someone doesn't take a run at Bertuzzi when he's playing again, because there are no doubt many who think what he did was reprehensible.

The league has to develop the stones to ban players for a season or two...and ban the coaches who condone such idiocy.

In this light, I agree with the Perezhogin ruling...if only Stafford had received half-a-season.....

P.S.
Naslund had a very good playoff series against Calgary too. 2 goals, 7 assists...in on over half of Vancouver's 16 goals. People who say Naslund wasn't the same after the hit (or try to find some excuse/justification for the revenge enacted) haven't looked at these numbers. And he did it without Bertuzzi around to create the space and make the plays.

[Habs_fan_in_LA]

Blaise said:

Doesn't that mean that if Bertuzzi gets in trouble with the law during his period of community service his conditional discharge would be revoked?

I believe so. It's like timing a bull in a china shop with a stopcalendar.

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

IceDogs' Carcillo suspended for season

Canadian Press
1/26/2005

TORONTO (CP) - The Ontario Hockey League has suspended Mississauga IceDogs forward Daniel Carcillo for the rest of the regular season for cross-checking Sudbury Wolves defenceman Adam McQuaid in the face during a game earlier this month.

The third-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins had served a 15-game suspension earlier this season for cross-checking an opposing player in the head.

The most recent incident occurred during a 3-2 win over the Wolves on Jan. 14. McQuaid suffered some chipped teeth and needed stitches to close a cut.

"This is the third major incident by player Dan Carcillo involving the illegal use of the stick," OHL commissioner David Branch said Wednesday in a release.

- www.tsn.ca/chl/news_story.asp?id=112681

*

I thought the new standard was supposed to be one strike and you're gone for a full season plus, not three strikes and you miss half a season. I guess you don't want to be too rough on a good Canadian kid with priors (unlike that Russian punk with no previous record). Oh well.