PHOTO BY SCOTT VANKOUGHNETT
OHL Commissioner David Branch was quoted in many media pages and clips as stating that the reason for Erie Otters Michael Liambas’ OHL career ending suspension for his hit on Kitchener Rangers Ben Fanelli was two-fold.
The first being the speed at which Liambas came into the hit on Fanelli who was shielded off from Liambas by his goalie returning to his net from behind where he left the puck for Fanelli. The second of which was the result of the injury Fanelli who remains out of action several months later with post concussion symptoms.
Zach Kassian received last week a suspension of 20 games for his hit on Barrie Colts forward Matt Kennedy. However, according to Branch’s reason for a season long suspension to Liambas, the same reasons could be taken into account for a much longer suspension for Kassian.
Kassian came across the ice to hit Kennedy at the same high rate of speed as Liambas on Fanelli and the result eerily similar with Kennedy now considering retirement because of the concussion caused by the Kassian hit.
So with the Kassian hit matching the two reasons given for the year long suspension of Liambas, why did Kassian only receive 20 games and not the remainder of the season?
Liambas’ hit on Fanelli was up against the boards causing the concussion to come more likely from Fanelli’s impact against the end glass, while Kassian’s hit came in the open ice, meaning any concussion to Kennedy was directly caused by the impact of Kassian to Kennedy. The injury related Kennedy came directly from the speed and force of the hit from Kassian, while Fanelli was surely injured by the speed and force of Liambas but was undoubtedly compounded by the fact that his head was knocked against a pain of glass. Thus the speed and force of the Kassian hit could be considered to be of a higher rate with Kassian than that of Liambas although undoubtedly both players do go into a glide before actually making contact with the player.
It is that glide that allowed both players and their respective teams to make a case that each of the two hits was in fact clean. In a press release stating Liambas’ suspension, Branch noted that the case of the hit being clean was made by Liambas and that such a case could be made in many cases.
“Players must understand they shall be held accountable for their actions,” said Branch in the release. “We must all work towards improving the level of respect players have towards opposing players and the game in general.”
Once again those comments would suggest that the penalty to Kassian should be the same length as Liambas. So what exactly saved Kassian from sitting on the sidelines from the remainder of the season and the playoffs?
I would suggest that the fact that within days of his hit, Rouyn Noranda’s Patrice Cormier committed a much more vicious hit with an elbow to the head of Quebec Ramparts defenceman Mikael Tam. The elbow started to take some of the heat off of Kassian and his hit and while many tried to use the two as comparisons that only left everyone with the feeling of Kassian’s hit being of minor consequence. Had Cormier not committed his offense, surely the comparisons then would have turned to Kassian’s hit and the Liambas one and as noted above surely the comparison’s can be made.
Also the suggestion was made as to whether or not Cormier would be suspended for the rest of the regular season and playoffs as he is a highly touted draft pick and a player that was recently acquired by Rouyn Noranda in an attempt to make a deep run in their league playoffs. That did not happen however, as Cormier would be suspended for the balance of the season by the QMJHL showing that no one was above the laws of the league.
However, one must wonder if Kassian being a first round draft pick of the Buffalo Sabres and was playing his first game for the Windsor Spitfires who gave up a lot in rising star Austin Watson to Peterborough, got off easy because of his star power.
Again Branch noted that the argument that it was a clean hit and Kassian never left his feet was heard and understood in his press release. However, it was about the lack of respect the players have for one another that concerned Branch and he felt the need to drop a 20 game suspension on Kassian. However, I wonder how respected Liambas must be feeling now as a former OHL player dumped aside by the league only to watch another player be shown some remorse for his own lack of respect for another player.
If I am Liambas I am asking why I didn’t get the same respect as a player from my league commissioner that he was and is asking me and my peers to show each other.
Topics: Barrie Colts, Ben Fanelli, Buffalo Sabres, CHL, David Branch, Erie Otters, Matt Kennedy, Mike Liambas, New Jersey Devils, OHL, Patrice Cormier, QMJHL, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, Windsor Spitfires, Zack Kassian
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I figured that Liambas received his season/career ending suspension due to the Chris Simon effect. He has always been known as a rough and tumble player, involved in several altercations, which would prompt Branch to rationalize that decision at that point in time. I agree that the Cormier/Tam incident overshadowed Kassian, but disagree that Branch didn’t suspend him for the season either. He started a season-long precedent with Liambas and by not issuing the same fate due to a head shot on Kassian, Branch has let this season be a complete write-off punishment-wise. It boggles my mind how unfair hockey executives are in these situations. Ex-NHL players should be the ones occupying those seats and making judgment calls. Brett Hull, for example, would be an excellent choice for a job like that.