Wisniewski Suspended Two Games

The NHL has announced that defenseman James Wisniewski has been suspended two games for a hit on Phoenix Coyotes’ winger Shane Doan. To watch video of the hit, click here.

This is yet another terrible decision by the NHL, which has been so inconsistent with handing out suspensions that it has begun to anger many people around the league. Ducks fans and management were upset with the suspension to Evgeny Artyukhin earlier this year and will be upset with this one as well.

It’s not the suspensions themselves that anger Ducks fans, but the inconsistency of how they are handed out. For example just days after Artyukhin’s “slew-foot” took place, Alexander Ovechkin was called for the same thing on a play that was blatently slew-footing, as you can see here. Ovechkin was assessed a tripping minor during the game and a subsequent fine by the league. Artyukhin, meanwhile, accidentally hit the opposing player’s skate, something that was unclear to begin with, and was suspended three games for it.

Meanwhile, Mike Richards of the Flyers destroyed David Booth of the Panthers with a hit to the head, which you can see here, and was not disciplined by the league at all. Booth has yet to play a game since the hit while Richards continues to play. And now you want to tell me that Wisniewski’s hit on Doan, who only missed one shift, was dirtier and deserved a suspension? Give me a break. I don’t believe in suspending a player based on the injury, but this is just ridiculuous.

I hope GM Bob Murray and Coach Randy Carlyle rip into the league for this suspension, becuase it’s bordering on conspiracy-like. Any outside observer with common sense would be able to see that each of the decisions above were not just incorrect, but blatently wrong. It’s worth the fine they’ll receive to make their voice heard.

From NHL.com:

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Anaheim Ducks defenseman James Wisniewski has been suspended for two games, without pay, for delivering a forearm blow to the head of Phoenix Coyotes forward Shane Doan on Oct. 31, the National Hockey League announced on Monday.
 
The Ducks lost the game, 3-2 in a shootout at Jobing.com Arena.
 
The incident occurred at 7:12 of the first period. No penalty was assessed on the play.
 
Under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, and based on his average annual salary, Wisniewski will forfeit $28,497.40. The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.
 
Wisniewski will miss games on Tuesday against Pittsburgh on Thursday against Nashville. He will be eligible to return on Saturday against Phoenix.

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