Sucker Punch Lands One-Game Suspension!

Women’s sports are taking off and trying to grab a piece of the lime-light as well as the advertising dollars associated with it, but it just takes one to diminish the sport.

I have had the luxury of being involved with the Women’s hockey program in the lower mainland for several years and from the outset, it was born to grow.

From hockey to Ringette and on to the Women’s National Fast Pitch program all have stellar athlete’s looking to excel at the sport they have chosen to be their specialty.

This past fall the emergence of the National Women’s Hockey League took to the ice and comprises of four teams: the Buffalo Beauts, Boston Pride, New York Riveters and Connecticut Whale.

The league’s championship trophy is the Isobel Cup, named after Lady Isobel Gathorne-Hardy, the daughter of Frederick Stanley the 16th Earl of Derby who is the donor of the Stanley Cup.

It has the distinction of a league that pay’s it’s players, whereas in the past the Women’s program was played for fun and enjoyment – albeit extremely competitive.

As aggressive as any sport can be, they recently handed out a “light” one-game suspension to Connecticut Whale defenseman Molly Engstrom for her sucker-punch of Buffalo Beauts forward Meghan Duggan.

While we all take sport far too serious at times, one has to question where she learned to play such a “goon-style” of play with a cheap shot.

The sport has come a long way from the early days when it was a sport of leisure for enjoyment to get out with the “girls” and play shinny over the weekend.

Engstrom first cross-checked (twice) her opponent (Duggan) behind the play before the two got in each other’s faces in neutral ice.

Then, Engstrom cocked Duggan in the head with a surprise punch, dropping her to the ice.

If you watch the video you will see that there was first a cross-check, followed by a second punch in the back or the head at which point Duggan turned to confront Engstrom.

Yes the referee’s arm was up on the initial hit, so why is there only one penalty assessed on the play?

LEAGUE RULE: Page 29

VIII. Checking from Behind

A. Definition – a player who delivers a check to a vulnerable player who is not aware of the impending hit or who is unable to protect or defend herself from such as hit. The point of contact is the back of the body.

IX. Checking to the Head or Neck

A. Definition – a player who directs a hit of any sort, with any part of his body or equipment, to the head or neck of an opposing player or drives or forces the head of an opposing player into the protective glass or boards.

B. A player who directs a check to the head or neck of an opponent will be assessed one of

1. 1. a minor penalty and misconduct penalty
2. 2. a major penalty and automatic game-misconduct penalty
3. 3. a match penalty

C. A player who injures or recklessly endangers an opponent as a result of checking to the head or neck will be assessed a match penalty.

There are more, but I won’t list the entire rule book.

Does the league not fully understand the serious nature of the check from behind or are they like the game referee where it appears that he does know the rules and only wants to assess no more than one penalty?

Many might (as do I) that the suspension is extremely light when compared to the actual play, but the logic from the league is as follow.

Due to the fact that the NWHL teams only play an 18-game schedule, the one-game ban is the equivalent of a four or five game ban in an 82-game NHL season. Really??

Clearly it appears that if this league wants to get any credibility, they have to dish out harsher suspensions to those who feel they can do what they want.

Mark my words, one day someone will die from a punch by a player wanting to make their mark in the game and only then will any league take the necessary steps to deal with these clowns.

The reality is that it’s going to take a law-suit to curb the violence in sport and hockey isn’t the only sport where players think they are invincible to suspension or discipline!!