After handing out a season-long + playoffs suspension to Patrice Cormier for an elbow to the head that left the Quebec Rempart’s Mikael Tam convulsing on the ice, the QMJHL has a ponderous situation on their hands.
Val-d’Or defenceman Marco Scandella, who also played with Cormier on Team Canada at the World Juniors, finds himself in a very similar situation:
Thursday the QMJHL handed an indefinite suspension while they figure out what to do with Scandella.
A few week ago, the QMJHL did the same thing and a week later suspended Patrice Cormier for the rest of the season. The Rouyn-Noranda Huskies said they plan on appealing the “excessive decision”, and said that should the Huskies go all the way, the suspension has the potential to be 48 games.
To me, 48 games is not enough.
And here’s where the QMJHL needs to step in. Sure Alexandre Durette walked away from this one. He has some really gross stitches on his mouth, but he walked away. He wasn’t left on the ice convulsing, he wasn’t taken out on a stretcher, and he didn’t end up in the hospital with brain injuries.
But his visor did shatter into pieces.
He was lucky.
And this is where the QMJHL has to step in and push the common complaint out the door, that big suspensions only happens when someone is seriously hurt.
There doesn’t seem to be near the outrage about the Scandella hit as there was about the Cormier hit. And yet it’s equally disgusting. It’s equally as dangerous. And if it shattered his visor and sent his stick flying about 30 feet in the air, then it probably could’ve/should’ve shattered a few facial bones.
There was no penalty on the call, despite there are several infractions that could’ve been called. Charging and elbowing would’ve been a good start. The kid was definitely bleeding, isn’t that an extra two?
How many kids have to have luck on their side before a hit-to-the-head is an automatic suspension and a fine to the team.
That’s what the QMJHL should do. Unfortunately Scandella needs to sit out the rest of the season. And grassroots hockey needs to start teaching a little respect on the ice.
Jennifer Casey was born and raised in Halifax. She loves all sports but tries to stick to writing about hockey for sanity purposes. You can follow her on twitter @jenncaseyhfx
