Updated 7:30 a.m.
No Suspension For Reaney
The CHL has suspended Fort Wayne’s Sean O’Connor for three games for his hit on Rapid City’s Ryan Menei in Game 2 of the Turner Conference semifinals.
“It’s one of those things that has been stressed at the NHL level because of all the injuries,” Rush head coach Joe Ferras told IDS. “It falls right into the Rule 48 category as a lateral blindside hit. The original point of contact was the head.”
“He had 20-25 feet to decided whether he was going to make that hit,” Ferras continued. “Ryan was in a very vulnerable position and he (O’Connor) has to be more responsible and not make that hit. An injury like that can be very devastating to a hockey player. We don’t want to take the physicality out of the game, but at the same time you have to protect players in a vulnerable position,” said Ferras. “
It was determined by the CHL that the hit was in violation of Rule no. 48 an “illegal check to the head” which prohibits a lateral and or blindside hit. No penalty was called on the play by referee Marc-Andre Lavoie. On Monday the league announced that the suspension would be for at least one day, but the final determination was that O’Connor will miss three games was be decided when medical documentation on Menei was reviewed by the league. Menei did not make the trip to Fort Wayne with the team after suffering a concussion as a result of the hit.
“The guys are rallying around it,” said Ferras of Menei’s injury. “Ryan is one of the top players in the Central Hockey League period. Our guys are saying, hey, Ryan has won a lot of games for this club, and they’re using it to come together. I can guarantee the O’Connor kid is feeling bad that Ryan is injured. When it happened you saw the intensity of the game increase. Our guys aren’t going to be intimidated by anyone.”
According to the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, Komets general manager David Franke did not agree with the league that it was an illegal hit.
“I thought it was a clean hit,” Franke told the Journal Gazette. “But because he had his back to him, this goes to the description of the rule. It is what it is.”
Franke and the Fort Wayne contingent were calling for Rush forward Les Reaney to also be suspended for a hit on O’Connor against the glass in the second period Saturday night. However, the final ruling has come down and Reaney will not be suspended.
Here is another link to the hit on Menei from KOTA: http://www.kotatv.com/category/66524/sports
After the hit to Menei, the Rush players were left with an ineffective ref and they were having to enforce rules themselves; therefore the hit that Reaney made. What were they supposed to do, just let the Komets continue on like they were doing to Menei, and absolutely nothing from the ref in the form of control? A broken nose was a small message compared to what Menei has to endure. Indeed, the Rush displayed amazing self control. I think it is ridiculous to penalize Reaney further in any case, as the 2 hits cannot be compared. But i’m betting that the CHL will be politically motivated to suspend him. And I can live with it, as long as it isn’t very long. I’m just happy that they suspended O’Connor. Thank you CHL. If O’Connor didnt mean to do that, then he needs to learn to be a little more careful when he delivers a bindside hit to the head of a player that has been targeted by his team..
“O’Connor said the hit broke his nose.” Supply the proof. It didn’t keep him out of the game any longer than to dry up the blood. It certainly didn’t scramble his brains. Broken noses are a dime a dozen in hockey. They wiggle it back in place and put the guy back on this ice ASAP. They wouldn’t be whining if their guy didn’t get suspended. Well, actually they would – it’s part of their game.
Those are both great comments. We just need to get back to sticking our nose to the grindstone. We still have alot of great weapons that will prevail for us-So let them take Menei out of the game, can’t take them all out. I want to see a real hockey game not a street fight every 5 seconds just a clean game.
One more thing, I really feel sorry for the Komets staff,players, organization. That they are such cheap,dirty players. I hope their coach paid Oconnor very well for the hit he had on Menei and has paid him for the games, he will miss. Menei was cleary targeted, you have no reason to hit a player that was no where near the net.Then the Komets coach really doesn’t care for his own players safety lets Oconnor back on the ice-Knowing he was going to be targarted-What a NO BRAINER…..They just don’t get it
Poor call and clean tough hit. Menei did not have his back turned and Occonner delivered a great hit. CHL bias over the IHL teams resulted in a three game suspension for the clean hit on the wimp.
Pieface — really — you are calling someone who could be permanently injured a wimp?? I’d love to see you get out on the ice, and take the same hit that even O’Connor said was kind of questionable — if he thought that before making the hit, how are you calling the guy who now has a concussion, and may be permanently left with the effects, a wimp?! If you can’t at least be respectful, you should go back to your own board/blog/paper and continue your hatred there.
PIe face- In response to your comment. You really need to watch the replay. Menei didn’t even have a clue he was coming till it was to late. He was caught blindsided! It really has nothing to do with IHL vs CHL rules are rules.This even happens in the NHL.
“Menei was cleary targeted, you have no reason to hit a player that was no where near the net.”
Yup. Forgot the CHL is playing european style hockey