December 19th

SIMON SUSPENED FOR 30 GAMES

TORONTO (December 19, 2007) -- New York Islanders forward Chris Simon has been suspended for 30 games, without pay, for deliberately kicking Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jarkko Ruutu at 14:06 of the third period on December 15, 2007. Simon will be eligible to return to NHL play in two months (February 21, 2008 vs. Tampa Bay).
 
"Several factors were considered in imposing the longest suspension in NHL history for an on-ice incident," said NHL Senior Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell. "While it was fortunate there was no serious injury to Mr. Ruutu as a result of Simon's action, the deliberate act of kicking an opponent with an exposed skate blade, especially where the opponent is in a vulnerable position, is and always has been a repugnant and totally unacceptable act in the game of hockey.
 
“In addition, while the act itself was extremely dangerous, the fact that this is the eighth incident requiring the imposition of supplementary discipline on Simon compelled me to impose a very severe penalty in this case. When a player repeatedly evidences the lack of ability to control his actions and conducts himself in total disregard of the rules, as well the health and safety of other players on the ice, each subsequent incident is deserving of enhanced scrutiny and more severe discipline. This response serves not only the purpose of imposing appropriate punishment for the player involved, but also the purpose of deterring the player and all other players from engaging in similar conduct in the future - hopefully creating a safer long-term work environment for all NHL players."
 
Based on his average annual pay, and the fact that he is considered a repeat offender, Simon forfeits $292,683.00. The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.


BERTUZZI'S DISCOVERY TESTIMONY RELEASED

The discovery statements by Todd Bertuzzi and Dave Nonis related to the $38-million lawsuit filed by Steve Moore were released to the public by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.

In his testimony, Bertuzzi said he felt badly about the injuries Moore suffered but, given the circumstances, he didn't feel he had much choice but to challenge Moore on the ice.

In his testimony Bertuzzi alleged that then-Canucks coach Marc Crawford had suggested during the second intermission of the game that Moore needed to "pay the price."

Moore ended up with a broken neck as a result of the incident.

When asked how often Crawford would send players out to fight other players, Bertuzzi said it wasn't like that.

"There's a difference between sending players out and knowing that once in awhile you have a job to do and whether it's your description to do it," Bertuzzi testified.

Bertuzzi's lawyer objected to questions about any unwritten "codes" in the NHL.


EDINA HOLIDAY CLASSIC

Be sure to log onto WWW.MYFOXHOCKEY.COM for live streaming video coverage of the Edina Holiday Classic. Myself, along with Pete Waggoner, Bart Archer, and former Gopher and NHL'er Joe Dziedzic will be covering all six games over the next three days from the Hornets nest of Bramer Arena. The four teams taking place in this years classic are Edina, Eden Prairie, Elk River, and Grand Rapids, and will play each other Tonight, Tomorrow, and Friday. Coverage on MYFOXHOCKEY.COM will start at about 6pm, with the second game at about 8pm or 30-minutes after the conclusion of the first game.


Be sure to log onto WWW.THESTITCH.US