The Department of Player Safety has reached its verdict on Red Wings winger David Perron, announcing (video link) that they have handed him a six-game suspension for his cross-check on Senators defenseman Artem Zub on Saturday. The video explains why the suspension was well beyond the norm for a standard cross-check:
This is not a hockey play. This is an intentional strike with a stick made with the purpose of exacting retribution on an opponent. Perron takes several strides toward Zub, and, with sufficient time to choose to engage Zub in a different manner, or at the very least ensure that the cross-check is delivered directly to the body, comes up excessively high with his stick and delivers a shot to Zub’s head with force.
The video also acknowledged that Detroit tried to make the claim that this was not a direct blow to the head but that the league disagrees, saying that “the brunt of the impact of this blow was clearly absorbed by Zub’s head due directly to the actions and choices made by Perron”.
Perron is eligible to appeal the suspension. It would first be heard by Commissioner Gary Bettman. If he was to uphold the suspension, Perron would then be eligible to appeal to an independent arbitrator since the suspension is for more than five games.
Perron will forfeit $148.4K as a result of the suspension with the money going to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund. Barring the suspension being reduced on appeal, he will be eligible to return on December 22nd against Philadelphia.
Seems about right. If Perron got Joseph, I might agree with it being 1 game less. But because he targeted a completely innocent individual I give it 1 game more. And after watching many angles of the Joseph shot, his contact is probably not worthy of any additional penalty. He does not use his stick to make contact with Larkin’s head, he does not make an aggressive attempt to make contact to the head. He makes a shot at the upper body. The injury at the time is unfortunate, but not intentional. The reaction, intent, and injury following is suspension worthy.
Cross-check, rabbit punch, whatever. Joseph lost sight of the puck, then hit Larkin in the head. Not a glancing blow, straight and directly to the head with intent. He’s a dirty player and this is not the first time he has done this. I guess the league wants vigilante justice. So be it
Perron should have been 4 games.
What Joseph does happens 20+ times a game. Be it by a RW player or to one. it’s use of physical force to remove a player from a high scoring and dangerous area. I bet the RW have done it 600 times this year without it resulting in an injury. Because DL got hurt on the play RW fans are losing their poop. If that happened to stuetzle or Tkachuk instead RW fans would be singing a different story.
It’s a physical play that had an unfortunate result. Not a RW fan, nor a Sen fan. Doesn’t affect me or my team. The play on Larkin sucks. But the play on Zub is 100x worse.
Joseph pushed him. It was neither a cross check or a punch.
Oh here’s JD with the same baseless claims once again
You’re right Mikey, Joseph is going to get a long suspension for the dirty play he made. Oh wait you know what, I have eyeballs…
Looking at the replay from the camera angle at the benches, it looks like Joseph pushes Larkin right into the fist of Kelly who was coming in from the other direction. Kelly hits Larkin right in the jaw with his fist immediately after being pushed in that direction by Joseph. It was a 1-2 combo. I don’t see anything particularly egregious from Joseph or Kelly. Looks like a freak play to me.
link to youtu.be
It looks like Kelly’s “punch” is what knocked Larkin out, not Joseph’s push. It was an accident IMO and no suspension for Joseph is the right call.
Hey hey hey. Cross check him somewhere other than his face. Cool league.
I agree with the length of discipline for this cross check but I have seen worse which received less. The inconsistency by the league discipline czar is absolutely ridiculous.
clear vicious attempt to injure, and didnt hit the right guy, 6 might be a little light, could’ve even been 10
Whether or not, an intentionnal headshot on Larkin by Joseph, its still a headshot, And all headshots sould be penalized, 6 games for Perron, ok, but for Joseph? Nothing? Its a joke!
They should’ve never suspended him hockey as a physical sport
hard hits and fighting is what makes Hockey stand out as a contact sport, not cheap cowardly headshots with the intent to injure. plays like that weren’t even acceptable in the McSorely days