I hear J.D. Watt suspended

[maple leaf]

For the elbow on Tiegan Zahn in friday nights game versus the Blades. Anybody else hear this.

[hobster]

I heard he is suspended indefinitly if i were the whl i would give him 10 games ,he came skating in with out the puck and Zahn didn't have the puck and JD WATT came in and through his elbow right at Zahn's head ,just vicious.

[Scout]

Kudos to the WHL
Posted by Les Lazaruk on Sunday, October 14, 2007 at 07:55:00 AM.


*****The following is the opinion of the blog writer ONLY, as are all opinions written on this blog, and so not, necessarily reflect the views of the Saskatoon Blades...their ownership, management and/or coaches!!*****

I had been rehearsing in my mind how this would be written. I wanted to wait almost 24 hours before I started because of two factors...a), I needed to cool off after watching video of an incident in Friday night's Blades-Red Deer game and, b), I wanted to see what the Western Hockey League was going to do about it!

I'm happy to report that the WHL has indefinitely suspended Rebels' 20-year-old winger J.D. Watt for his heinous hit to the head of Blades' defenceman Teigan Zahn...a play that went unpenalized by the referees, Trevor Hryciuk and Adam Byblow.

I must admit that, at the time of the incident, I didn't see the hit. Zahn had passed the puck from along the left wing boards in the Saskatoon zone, just above the goal-line, back beind the net to a team-mate. I was watching that when Watt, who I saw approaching Zahn, finished his check and left the 17-year-old knocked out cold on the ice while most, in the crowd of 5,200 + gasped in horror. My set of eyes may have missed the hit, but the set belonging to my colour commentator, Dave Thomas, didn't miss the hit. His description of a flying elbow smash to the head of Zahn that rattled it into the glass was sickening...especially when the Bethune, Sk. product was on "Rubber-leg Street", requiring the aid of two team-mates to get him to the dressing room!

I was disturbed even more by what I saw on the video...confirming what Dave Thomas saw!

My question, if one of two sets of eyes in the broadcast booth saw the incident...how does four sets of eyes, belonging to officials on the ice miss it? I can see how one referee, Hryciuk, could've missed the hit...he'd be following the puck, making sure to get out of the way of Zahn's pass going by him. (Mind you, in the video, Hryciuk is looking right at the play!!) That brings me to the back referee, guys who routinely make calls from 100 feet away!! Isn't that ref suppossed to watch for after the play and behind the play fouls? What happened to Byblow...or the two linesmen, Ryan Lundquist and Chad Williams, for that matter! Watt should've received a major for charging and a game misconduct at the least. Throw in the elbow and you probably diffuse a lot of the chippiness that followed!

But, alas, this piece was not going to be about officiating. That will be for another time, when my comment won't be looked upon as some "homer" broadcaster feeling as though the Blades got "screwed".

My need to express an opinion is in regards to doing something about hits to the head! This issue is in vogue in the NHL, what with hits, or sticks, thrown by Steve Downie, Jesse Boulerice and Jordin Tootoo that have knocked opponents silly! Downie and Boulerice have been hit with 20 and 25-game suspensions. I'm not saying Watt should be suspended for 25 games...but the WHL has addressed the issue of hits to the head in meetings over the last year with its member teams at the general manager level. Here is an opportunity to make a statement! Nothing against J.D. Watt, personally, but, regardless of his history as a player in the league, he should be given at least a 10-game suspension. The lack of respect players have for each other on the ice has gotten frightening and a sentence of this severity might not only sink in to the players...but also to team officials to get the message through to their players!

Hitting to the head is not acceptable and it is not condoned! Period!!

[ProStaff]

The league should do something to these two clowns Trevor Hryciuk and Adam Byblow. they are just teriable on the ice and way to yuong and under experienced to ref a game by their selves!

[Some_Arrogant_Jerk]

Wow. Byblow is still reffing in this league? I thought he got banned or something after he literally rigged the kootenay vs regina game last year. At least I have not seen that guy since then.

But its typical for this kind of stuff to go "unnoticed" by that moron, and hrychuk is also pretty bad as well.