SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — A three-day delay didn’t help
Raffi Torres’ cause.
In a move that some would say was long overdue, the NHL came down hard on the
Coyotes forward Saturday, suspending him 25 games for an open-ice hit on
Chicago’s Marian Hossa at 11:42 of the first period in Game 3 of their Western
Conference quarterfinals series Tuesday at the United Center. It is the third longest
suspension in league history as far as games lost.
In its ruling, the league determined that Torres violated three league rules —
“interference, charging and an illegal check to head” — despite the fact that
no penalty was called on the play.
NHL senior vice president of player safety and hockey operations Brendan
Shanahan said two other factors also played a role in the suspension.
“First, this violent and dangerous hit caused a severe injury,” Shanahan said. “Second,
not only is Torres a repeat offender as defined by the CBA, his extensive
supplemental discipline history consists mainly of acts very similar to this
one, including two this season.
“Despite knowing that Hossa no longer has the puck, Torres decides to finish
his check past the amount of time when Hossa is eligible to be body-checked.
That is a violation of the interference rule.
“While we acknowledge the circumstances of certain hits may cause a player’s
skates to come off the ice, on this hit, Torres launches himself into the air
before making contact. This is a violation of the charging rule.
“The position of Hossa’s head does not change just prior to or simultaneous
with this hit. The onus, therefore, is on Torres not to make it the principal
point of contact. Torres makes Hossa’s head the principal point of contact.
This is a violation of the illegal check rule.
The Coyotes toed the company line when asked for reactions to the suspension at
Saturday’s morning skate.
“We’re not going to say anything about it,” captain Shane Doan said.
“The league has made its decision, and there’s nothing we can do about it now,”
coach Dave Tippett added. “We’ll deal with it as a club, and Raffi has to deal
with it, but our focus is solely on what we have to do tonight as a club.”
So what to make of this ruling? First, for anyone thinking or hoping this
suspension would serve as a benchmark or a flashpoint for a much harder line
stance on head shots, Shanahan’s statement made it clear this was not as much
about that as it was about punishing Torres.
In that light, it’s also difficult to paint Torres’ suspension within the
context of this postseason. There have been multiple cries about the league’s
inconsistency with lengths of suspensions -- or the lack thereof in the case of
Shea Weber. Those still stand, as does the NHL’s maddening inability to
evaluate intent when rendering these judgments.
But Torres has been warned repeatedly to stop this very type of hit. He had
been suspended or fined five previous times, including a two-game suspension
earlier this season for a hit on Minnesota’s Nate Prosser and a four-game
suspension late last season for a hit on Edmonton’s Jordan Eberle. Yet Torres
still didn’t get the league’s message.
On the play in question, Hossa lay on the ice for several minutes before being
taken off on a stretcher and transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital for
tests. He was released later that night. Shanahan’s comments made it clear
Hossa is suffering a severe injury, likely a concussion.
It’s a shame the league doesn’t take all head shots more seriously. Concussions
are a very serious business. It’s a violent game, and injuries are going to
happen regardless of which rules are in place, but there is no place for head
shots. The league should do everything in its power to protect players’ futures
long after they have retired from the game of hockey.
HANZAL, KORPIKOSKI SKATE
Both forwards Martin Hanzal (lower body) and Lauri Korpikoski (upper body)
skated at the Alltel Ice Den as the team prepared for Game 5 Saturday night at
Jobing.com Arena.
Tippett said Korpikoski would be a game-time decision, but he called Hanzal
“doubtful.” Hanzal left the ice before regular practice began Saturday morning.
Korpikoski remained for the full practice.
HOSSA OUT
On Friday, Chicago coach Joel Quenneville officially ruled Hossa out of Game 5.
Hossa did not travel with the team to Phoenix, and his availability for the
rest of the series is uncertain.
Following Shanahan’s statement on the Torres hit, it is clear Hossa is
suffering from a major injury. It’s highly unlikely we’ll see him again in this
postseason unless the Hawks make a deep run.
Rookie Brandon Saad replaced him in the lineup in Game 4 and could again in
Game 5.
