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Polak and Ristolainen Suspensions Both Warranted |
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On Thursday, the NHL came down with a two-game suspension for the Toronto Maple Leafs' Roman Polak and three games for the Buffalo Sabres Rasmus Ristolainen for illegal hits.
I have no problem with either decision, and think both suspensions were warranted and even perhaps too light.
First, let's look at the Polak suspension for his hit on the Columbus Blue Jackets' Oliver Bjorkstrand. Had Polak guided his check in and nudged him, bump, release, then I think he's OK in this situation.
However, because Polak wraps Bjorkstrand up and finishes him with a strong thrust, and high on the back which made the head the first point of contact to the boards -- the onus is still on Polak here even though Bjorkstrand turned -- we are in a new stratosphere. It's like a carpenter driving the nail in with that last swing of his arm and hammer. He had finished the Columbus player but this then goes to a new level.
To me, this is where the player who is injured, if he sits out 5 games, the suspension should be 5 games before it's lifted. If you want to clean up the game, put the guy out for more games with no appeal or allow the player to stay in the game and get rid of the instigator penalty because it contributes to why players feel like they have free reign to make these sorts of dangerous hits.
I would have, had I been reffing, kept Polak in the game with a major for boarding and no game misconduct then let the other team have its chance to make him to accountable. Then again, Barney Rubble and Fred Flintstone were contemporaries of mine, along with and Captain Caveman.
As for the Ristolainen suspension for his hit on Pittsburgh's Jake Guentzel, the predictable "don't suspend him because he's not that sort of player, it was an accident" nonsense came spewing out of the Buffalo fanboys -- and would have been the other way around if it had been a Penguins player taking out a Sabre in similar fashion, with those in black-and-gold tinted glasses protesting their player's innocence. As I wrote the other day, fans will be fans.
At least on that play, Ristolainen WAS "that "sort of player. He recklessly and illegally hit Guentzel with the puck nowhere nearby. It was an obvious illegal and supplemental discipline worthy hit. If that one was allowed to slide, the whole crackdown on violent-hit interference plays would be out the window.
Now let's see whether the two offending players learn from these incidents.
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Paul Stewart holds the distinction of being the first U.S.-born citizen to make it to the NHL as both a player and referee. On March 15, 2003, he became the first American-born referee to officiate in 1,000 NHL games.
Today, Stewart serves as director of hockey officiating for the ECAC.
Blogger •Former NHL Referee • 
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