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NHL Grants Suspended Tom Wilson “Non-Roster Player” Status

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The Washington Capitals activated defenseman Michal Kempny from the injured reserve today, but it’s what they didn’t do that’s making headlines. The Capitals made no corresponding move after adding Kempny to the roster, presumably leaving them with more than the CBA-allotted 23 roster players. How this was possible sent reporters scrambling for information. What they found was both surprising and potentially dangerous.

It turns out that the Capitals had not exceeded the roster limit, as suspended forward Tom Wilson had been granted “non-roster player” status. CapFriendly relays the information from the Washington Post’s Isabelle Khurshudyan, while adding some context to what that label means. A “non-roster player” does not count against the roster, allowing the Capitals to activate Kempny by discounting Wilson. The CBA states that “non-roster player” status must be specifically granted by the Commissioner  and it is reserved for special instances of non-injury absence. Among the examples given are the birth of a child or bereavement. Notably not present is suspension and there is little precedent for suspended players being placed on this list. Granted, a suspension is a non-injury absence, but use of the “non-roster” exemption begs the question of whether teams should share in the punishment of a suspension.

Wilson’s 20-game suspension for yet another illegal check, this time to the head of St. Louis Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist in the preseason, is obviously a blow to Capitals. They won’t have their menacing power forward for the first quarter of the season, perhaps when they need him most as the defending Stanley Cup champs who everyone wants to play hard against. Yet, shouldn’t Washington also bear the weight of one of their regular players being worthy of such as suspension? Why should the team that employs a frequent offender be given a roster exemption and added flexibility while he remains out? The San Jose Sharks were given this same treatment when Raffi Torres was suspended for half of the 2015-16 season, CapFriendly reports, so the league is seemingly comfortable with using the “non-roster player” exemption for suspensions, but there are certainly reasons that they shouldn’t be.

The next question is where do they draw the line? It seems that the NHL is heading down a slippery slope by using this exemption for suspensions and could be setting a dangerous precedent. Case in point: the Capitals are enjoying Wilson’s “non-roster” status through 20 games for a dirty hit, whereas the Vegas Golden Knights have seemingly not been afforded the same luxury for defenseman Nate Schmidt’s 20-game suspension for a failed drug test on little more than a technicality. Why are the two treated differently? Why aren’t all suspended players exempt from the roster limit? The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler opines that the NHL has gone “down the rabbit hole” with this decision and now nothing is stopping every team from requesting a “non-roster player” exemption for each and every suspension. The league simply can’t go case-by-case and assign “non-roster” status behind the scenes. A can of worms has been opened and a blanket policy on the “non-roster player” status of suspended players seems to be the only solution.

Robert Bortuzzo Suspended For Preseason Games, Season Opener

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St. Louis Blues defenseman Robert Bortuzzo faced a disciplinary hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety and the results are in. For elbowing Washington Capitals defenseman Michal Kempny, who remains sidelined, the league announced that they have suspended Bortuzzo for the Blues’ final two preseason games and one regular season game, the team’s season opener on October 4th against the division rival Winnipeg Jets.

Player Safety called Bortuzzo’s hit a blatant case of “elbowing”, describing the situation as the following: “Bortuzzo does not keep his arm close to his chest and deliver a full body check. Instead, he raises his arm up and away from his chest and his forearm and elbow are the only parts of his body to make meaningful contact with Kempny.” They go on to detail Bortuzzo’s previous record with suspensions and fines, acknowledging that he is not a first-time offender.

Curiously, the league did not really treat him as a repeat offender who intended to harm Kempny in this situation. Although it is a three-game suspension in total, the two preseason contests are meaningless. Essentially, Bortuzzo will lose just one real game and will forfeit $6,182.80 in salary, whereas Kempny may miss several games with an expected concussion. The decision isn’t as egregious as the recent mishandling of the Max Domi sucker punch case, but is another miss by the league when it comes to policing the game.

Austin Watson Receives 27-Game Suspension

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Last week, the NHL indicated they would be making a final decision on supplementary discipline for Predators winger Austin Watson, who pled no contest to a domestic assault incident earlier this summer.  That decision has been made and they announced that Watson has been suspended for the first 27 games of the season as well as the entire preseason.  Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reports (Twitter link) that the NHLPA intends to appeal the suspension.

Commissioner Gary Bettman released the following statement:

Today’s ruling, while tailored to the specific facts of this case and the individuals involved, is necessary and consistent with the NHL’s strongly held view that it cannot and will not tolerate this and similar types of conduct.

Watson’s plea came back in late July and at the time, he was given three months of probation and was placed on judicial diversion.  This means that if he complies with all of the terms set, his case will be expunged.

Watson will not be paid for the duration of the suspension and will be eligible to return to Nashville’s lineup on December 3rd.

Morning Notes: Free Agency, Veilleux, Sweden

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Though we’re only partway through the second round of the playoffs, many fans have already started dreaming about what could happen on July 1st in free agency. Craig Custance of The Athletic (subscription required) gives us an update on each of his top-20 free agents, including superstar John Tavares.

Obviously Custance can’t handicap a market, but he does mention the San Jose Sharks, Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues as potential pursuers if the New York Islanders’ captain does hit free agency. Tavares would have almost every team checking in should he get to the negotiating window a few days before July 1st.

  • The Halifax Mooseheads have hired a new head coach for the 2018-19 season. Eric Veilleux will be behind the bench for the QMJHL squad next season, fresh off his own departure from the Colorado Avalanche AHL affiliate. Veilleux has plenty of experience in the Q, having played there as a junior and coached for nearly a decade.
  • The IIHF handed out several suspensions yesterday to the Swedish World Junior squad, after the incidents that occurred after this year’s gold medal game. Players and coaches removed their medals before the post-game event was over, including captain Lias Andersson who tossed it into the crowd in frustration. Interestingly though, of the players suspended only goaltender Olle Eriksson Ek could realistically return to the tournament. The others—Andersson, Axel Jonsson-Fjallby, Jesper Boqvist and Rasmus Dahlin—have either graduated through age or are expected to be in the NHL full-time next year. Perhaps the biggest hit will be the coaching suspensions, which includes a three-game ban for head coach Tomas Monten.

Poll: Was The Tom Wilson Punishment Appropriate?

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Last night the hammer came down on Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson, when the Department of Player Safety suspended him for three playoff games. That matches Nazem Kadri as the longest suspension of these playoffs, and could potentially remove Wilson from the rest of the second round matchup with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The league took several factors into account, including Wilson’s history—he’s already served two suspensions since last season—and Zach Aston-Reese’ resulting injury. Some have to wonder though if Wilson’s other incidents this postseason also factored into the decision. Wilson was involved in hits on both Brian Dumoulin and Alexander Wennberg that were reviewed by the league, but deemed not worth of supplementary discipline.

In this case, the responses to the suspension have been all over the map. Some believe the hit wasn’t even worthy of a suspension, while others think Wilson should be serving even longer for his repeated physical play.

Now, we’d like to quantify those beliefs. Vote below on whether you think the penalty was too harsh, too light or just right. Explain in the comments how long or short you believe it should have been, or if you think he shouldn’t have been punished at all.

These have been a playoffs full of suspensions, and it doesn’t look like they’ll end here.

[Mobile users click here to vote!]

Tom Wilson Suspended Three Games For Illegal Check

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The decision is in, and the Department of Player Safety has suspended Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson for three games, following his hit on Zach Aston-Reese last night. Aston-Reese suffered a concussion and broken jaw on the play, while Wilson was not penalized.

In the video from the league explaining the suspension, there were three factors that led to the ban.  One was the hit to the head (and that head contact could have been avoided), another was Wilson’s history, while Aston-Reese’s injury also played a role.  That last one is particularly interesting as teams don’t often release detailed information about injuries in the postseason so that typically doesn’t come into play.

Wilson has walked a fine line for some of his hits and while he has had quite a few hearings with the league, he hasn’t been banned with regularity.   This is his third career suspension (but one of those came in the preseason).  This postseason, he has already been under scrutiny a couple of times, one for a hit on Alexander Wennberg of the Blue Jackets and one for a hit on Brian Dumoulin in Game Two of this series.

The Caps lead the best-of-seven matchup two games to one with the next contest set for Thursday night.  Wilson will be eligible to return for a potential seventh game of the series if it makes it that far (or will have to miss the opener of the next round if Washington wins the next two).

Evander Kane Suspended For Game Two

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San Jose Sharks’ trade deadline acquisition Evander Kane had his hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety today and the result was what many expected. Kane has been suspended for one game and will miss Game Two of the Sharks’ second round series against the Vegas Golden Knights. The incident in question was a cross-check to the head area of the Knights’ Pierre-Edouard Bellemare that cost Kane a five-minute major penalty, during which Vegas scored the final two goals in their 7-0 blowout, and a game misconduct. As if that wasn’t enough, Kane will now be absent for the Sharks as they look to even the series on the road. The rationale of the league was as follows (video):

“Kane delivers two cross-checks to Bellemare – one to his arm and a second to his head, which drops Bellemare to the ice. This is cross-checking… This cross-check occurs well after the whistle is blown and serves no purpose other than as a strike to an opponent’s head. This is not a hockey play.”

Player Safety continues to dole out suspensions this postseason, but have been measured and consistent in their punitive actions. While Kane’s cross-check came after the play and appeared more purposeful, it was not dissimilar from the cross-check by the Winnipeg Jet’s Josh Morrissey to the head area of Minnesota Wild forward Eric Staal, which also cost Morrisey a one-game suspension in the first-round. Both plays occurred in front of the net, which Player Safety acknowledged in both reviews is an area of contact, but both were seen not as accidental contact, but as purposeful punishment. While it’s fair to say that Kane’s was worse because the whistle had blown and it was the second of two checks, it’s also clear that Kane’s check was far less brutal than the one Morrisey planted on Staal.

Kane has been an offensive force since arriving in San Jose, racking up 14 points, including nine goals, in 17 games to close out the regular season and adding three goals and an assist in the Sharks’ first round sweep of the Anaheim Ducks. His knack for finding the back of the net will be sorely missed for a Sharks team that was unable to beat Marc-Andre Fleury in Game One. Kane will have to be ready to play productive – and clean – hockey when the series returns to San Jose if the Sharks want to knock off the Golden Knights.

Ryan Hartman To Have Hearing With Department Of Player Safety

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The playoffs have so far been quite the busy period for the Department of Player Safety, already handing out suspensions to Drew Doughty, Nazem Kadri and Josh Morrissey. Today, they’ll have a hearing with Ryan Hartman of the Nashville Predators to determine whether his hit on Colorado’s Carl Soderberg last night requires any supplementary discipline.

Hartman collided with Soderberg midway through the third period, and was given a two-minute charging penalty. The hit came after Soderberg had passed the puck and seemed to have significant contact with the head. It was actually Hartman’s third penalty of the game, and now he might face even more discipline from the league offices.

Nikita Kucherov, who was also involved in an incident last night, will not receive a hearing after his hit on Sami Vatanen last night. The league, according to Darren Dreger of TSN, decided that the head was not the main point of contact and will not review it further.

Nazem Kadri Suspended For Three Games

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After much anticipation, the NHL Department of Player Safety has finally made their decision on Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nazem Kadri. Kadri, who had a hearing today regarding his charge and boarding of the Boston Bruins’ Tommy Wingels last night, learned his fate this evening. Kadri will be suspended for the next three games of the Leafs’ first-round series against the Bruins. Player Safety explained their decision as such (video):

“Kadri sees Wingels has fallen, and with sufficient time to adjust his course or minimize the force, instead drives recklessly into the defenseless Wingels, causing his head to dangerously impact the boards. This is boarding. It is important to note that Kadri is in control of this hit at all times… Instead of avoiding or minimizing this hit, Kadri drives his hip into Wingels’ upper body”.

What Player Safety doesn’t address is the context that also leads one to believe that the hit was intentional. Kadri had just served a minor penalty for boarding Wingels less than four minutes earlier and, just before the hit in question, Sean Kuraly had scored for Boston, giving the Bruins a commanding 4-1 lead late in Game One. Kadri has a history of losing his cool, as this is his fourth career suspension – all of which have come from dirty hits to the head area – another fact that Player Safety definitely took into consideration in issuing this lengthy ban. Also likely taken into account is the fact that Wingels did not return to the game last night and did not practice today (and now the Leafs will likely have to deal with Ryan Donato in Game Two and beyond). Down in the series, the Leafs will be forced to bounce back from a convincing four-goal loss without the services of a veteran top-six forward for three more games. Head coach Mike Babcock and Kadri’s Toronto teammates can’t be happy about what was honestly a thoughtless, selfish decision by Kadri in the team’s playoff debut. Kadri could live to regret it, especially if he’s already played his final game of the season.

Kadri’s suspension is already the second handed down by Player Safety this postseason and just two days into the action. Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty will serve his one-game suspension tonight for a high, dangerous hit to the Vegas Golden Knights’ William Carrier on Wednesday. Yet, some are upset that the number of suspensions is not even higher. The Columbus Blue Jackets and Washington Capitals traded cheap shots last night, with the Jackets’ Josh Anderson injuring Michal Kempny and the Caps’ Tom Wilson injuring Alexander Wennberg, but neither player received any additional punishment. Nashville’s Ryan Johansen also had a questionable check on Colorado defenseman Tyson Barrie that didn’t draw any league scrutiny. As always, the playoffs take the physicality to the next level, but this year has seen heavy hitting early and often. At least through two suspensions in two days, Player Safety has shown that they aren’t afraid to hit players with postseason suspensions.

No Suspensions Incoming For Josh Anderson, Tom Wilson

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According to the Washington Post’s Isabelle Khurshudyan, neither Josh Anderson or Tom Wilson will be suspended for their illegal checks in last night’s Washington Capitals-Columbus Blue Jackets game. Anderson received a five-minute major and game misconduct for a hit on Michal Kempny, during which the Capitals’ Evgeny Kuznetsov scored twice. Wilson was given a two-minute charging penalty for a hit on Alexander Wennberg, who is listed as doubtful for the next game.

Khurshudyan reports that the league “could not determine whether or not Wennberg’s head was the main point of contact” given the camera angles, meaning Wilson will not face further discipline. That comes on a busy day for the Department of Player Safety, who are also dealing with an incident from the Toronto-Boston series.

If Wennberg can’t go, it is a big hit for the Blue Jackets who clawed back to win game 1 in overtime. Already relatively thin at center, the team would also need to replace him on both the powerplay and penalty kill. Wennberg scored the first Blue Jackets goal, but ended up playing just 10:51 after leaving early in the third.

Having Wilson escape without suspension is also huge news for the Capitals, who rely on him to give some physical and defensive balance to their scoring lines. Playing 18:55 last night, he also led all Washington forwards in penalty kill time. After the game, Wilson told Khurshudyan that he was just trying to finish his check, but sometimes he might have to rethink the hits he lays late in games. “That cost us the game” Wilson said, referencing the then-tying goal that Thomas Vanek scored on the ensuing powerplay.

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