pector@ihuxw.UUCP (11/09/83)
A short time ago, Tom Lysiak of the Chicago Blackhawks snuck up behind a referee after a faceoff and used his stick to make the ref fall backwards onto the ice. It was intentional from the replays since he was not going for the puck or any players when he did it. At first, Lysiak was suspended for 20 or so games with loss of pay. Somehow he "beat the rap" as they say and got off the hook. Could someone fill in the details for me? I think that he should have been suspended without pay for a lot longer based on what I know about the incident, which is incomplete (i.e., why was Lysiak so upset, etc.?). Thanks, Scott Pector
brunton@hplabs.UUCP (R. Scott Brunton) (11/10/83)
Being stranded out here on the west coast doesn't afford me
the access to a newspaper with a *real* sports section, so I can
only comment on second hand information from the hub of hockey (ie.
Toronto).
I understood that Lysiak had been waved out of a faceoff by
one of the linesmen. As he left the circle he took the linesmen's
skates with him. When the referee (and the rest of the world) saw
this he gave Lysiak a Match penalty, which carries an automatic 20
suspension. Apparently, Lysiak (or the Black Hawks organization)
found themselves a judge in Chicago who provided an injunction in
the matter.
As far as the suspension is concerned, there are definitely
two ways to look at a penalty of that severity. If you look at
the case of the Boston Bruin player who punched referee VanHellaman(?)
last year, one could easily say that the officials ought to be
protected in some means from this type of physical abuse. On the
other hand, if you make have a penalty which carries an extremely
high suspension, the referee will hesitate to use it in a situation
where a simple game misconduct in not enough.
I for one think that an automatic 20 game suspension is too
severe. I would expect that 10 games would be sufficient, given
that the NHL president (and the Referee-in-Chief) would have (and
presently do have) the authority to assess further suspensions. I
would then expect referees to use the Match penalty in those in
between type situations.
I presently am a certified referee in AHAUS and can speak from
experience in such matters, that have a penalty with too much weight
isn't much practical use.
Scott Brunton
{ucbvax!hplabs!brunton}thomson@utcsrgv.UUCP (Brian Thomson) (11/11/83)
The rule under which Lysiak was suspended does not call for an
automatic 20 game suspension. The referee has the option of
suspending the player for 3 games or for 20. However, it is
true that the rule permits no appeal.
An interesting point is that Alan Eagleson was involved in the
drafting of this rule -- in a Toronto Star article he remarked
that, at the time, he thought a player would have to coldcock an
official, or eat one of his children for lunch, to deserve the
greater penalty.
--
Brian Thomson, CSRG Univ. of Toronto
{linus,ihnp4,uw-beaver,floyd,utzoo}!utcsrgv!thomson