Suspension: Portage Hockey - Moccasin |
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Commissioner's Rulings
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2010-11 SeasonFACT: CUCA has asked for an extraordinary ruling pursuant to the ACAC Operating Code section referenced below. On October 9, 2010 CUCA’s Mackenzie Groenewegen was seriously injured as a result of a hit by Portage’s Jeremy Weasel Moccasin. Following the hit, Mr. Groenewegen was taken by ambulance to hospital. I am advised that he has sustained a major concussion. He also sustained a deep gash above his eye. I am further advised that he will miss at least 6 games as a result of his injuries. I have been provided with a video clip by CUCA which shows the hit in question. The clip was provided to Portage College for comment. CUCA coach Dan Peacocke’s interpretation of the clip is that Mr. Weasel Moccasin‘s elbow made contact with Mr. Groenewegen’s head from the blind side, following a long run and that Mr. Weasel Moccasin left his feet during the hit. Portage’s Terry Ewasiuk has countered that it was Mr. Weasel Moccasin‘s shoulder that struck Mr. Groenewegen. His opinion was that the hit was clean and that Mr. Weasel Moccasin never left his feet. It was the referee’s opinion that the hit was clean. No penalty was called on the play.
The appropriate section of the ACAC Operating Code is as follows: Section 5 Interpretation Procedures and Communications with the Commissioner’s Office 1. Interpretation Procedures In terms of how the incident took place, I am not fully in agreement with Mr. Peacocke’s interpretation. After watching the video clip, I am not able to determine conclusively whether Mr. Groenewegen was struck by Mr. Weasel Moccasin’s shoulder or elbow. From my perspective, it is equally as likely that it was Mr. Weasel Moccasin‘s shoulder that struck Mr. Groenewegen’s head as it was his elbow. It is also unclear from the video whether Mr. Weasel Moccasin’s skates left the ice during the hit. It is clear that Mr. Weasel Moccasin left his own bench, just outside the blue line, and generated a good head of steam before impacting Mr. Groenewegen near the CUCA net. Regardless of whether Mr. Groenewegen was struck by a shoulder or an elbow, I am still concerned by other aspects of the hit. It appears that Mr. Weasel Moccasin took at least 4 full strides before hitting Mr. Groenewegen, coming at him from the blind side while Mr. Groenewegen was in a vulnerable position. There is no doubt in my mind that Mr. Weasel Moccasin intended to land a big, open ice hit. I am not suggesting that Mr. Weasel Moccasin intended to cause injury. However, my review of the video clip shows that Mr. Weasel Moccasin‘s body did impact Mr. Groenewegen’s head, causing serious injury. While there may have been no intent to injure, Mr. Weasel Moccasin must be held accountable for the results of his actions, particularly given the recent concerns across the hockey world with head shots and the serious long term effects of concussions. Therefore, despite my reluctance to place myself in the shoes of the referee, who is generally better trained and in a better position to make the appropriate call, in this instance I feel that Mr. Weasel Moccasin‘s actions cannot go without sanction, particularly in light of the serious consequences of his impacting Mr. Groenewegen’s head during the hit. Based on the above, Mr. Weasel Moccasin is hereby suspended for two (2) games. The suspension is to be served as follows: October 15 vs. MacEwan Of note, the suspension could have been longer had I felt that there was intent to injure on the part of Mr. Weasel Moccasin.
Bill Hendsbee |